Monday, October 10th, 2016
Toronto, Ontario
Give Thanks
It’s an official holiday in Canada, Thanksgiving
Day. It is very much a family day when
blood relations converge for a dinner.
As the name implies, gratitude becomes the theme in the minds and in
practice for those who honour the occasion.
I see that spiritual practitioners and folks of faith
carry that type of spirit—the spirit of saying, “Thank you!” For those who have adopted the lifestyle of
atheism, it would be hard to imagine who to thank for life’s bounties. Perhaps, expressing inner appreciation for what is to be
utilized for one’s
survival and pleasure, might be one
way to be grateful. That approach, it
seems, would eliminate
the person, God.
I had the fortune to deliver a class this morning to
the resident monks, and
a few visiting folks from our community, highlighting the meaning of giving
thanks. We looked at the historical
reference to do with early settlers, pilgrims to the New World. Apparently, Martin Frobisher, Arctic explorer, took up the first
Thanksgiving in 1578, more than forty years before the pilgrims arrived,
therefore, the traditional approach to this day began in Canada, first.
I didn’t know that until I looked it up.
Frankly,
every day is, or
should be, a
Thanksgiving Day, for
the reason that every moment, we receive benefits from the original supplier.
May the Source be with you!
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