Below is an excerpt from Alan Cohen’s newsletter:
This is a story about a woman Zen master named Sono who taught one very simple method of enlightenment. She advised everyone who came to her to adopt an affirmation to be said many times a day, under all conditions. The affirmation was, “Thank you for everything. I have no complaint whatsoever.”
Many people from all arenas of life came to Sono for healing. Some were in physical pain; others were emotionally distraught; others had financial troubles; some were seeking soul liberation. No matter what their distress or what question they asked her, her response was the same: “Thank you for everything. I have no complaint whatsoever.”
Some people went away disappointed; others grew angry; others tried to argue with her. Yet some people took her suggestion to heart and began to practice it. Tradition tells that everyone who practiced Sono’s mantra found peace and healing. Thank you for everything. I have no complaint whatsoever.
As we approach the holiday of Thanksgiving, many of us will be getting together with our families. Perhaps family issues may come to the fore and we might be tempted to fall into a pattern of rehashing old resentments and arguments. Wouldn’t it be fabulous if, as we sat with our relatives, we held in mind, “Thank you for everything. I have no complaint whatsoever.”
Imagine what this Thanksgiving would be like! Indeed it would be a triumphant Thanksgiving to remember!
Yes, I know, there is a voice inside you objecting, “But if I did not complain, people would walk all over me and selfish opportunists would genetically manipulate my food and terrorists would keep crashing airplanes into buildings and . . ., . . ., and. . . . Got it. Now if you went to Sono, her response would be, “Thank you for everything. I have no complaint whatsoever.” I am simply suggesting that we practice the mantra for an entire Thanksgiving day. And then maybe one day a week. Then we might start to feel so good and our lives will become so effective that we want to turn every day into Thanksgiving.
In my book Handle with Prayer I state that the highest form of prayer is gratitude. Instead of asking God for stuff, start thanking God for stuff, and you will find that God has already given you everything you could want or need, including the adventure of discovering more riches every day. Life is a big treasure hunt. Eventually we grow weary of seeking treasures outside ourselves, and we begin to look within. There we discover that the gold we sought, we already are. The beauty we overlooked because we were focusing on what was missing, still lives and awaits us like an anxious lover. As T.S. Eliot nobly noted, The end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time.
Thank you for everything. I have no complaint whatsoever. Have a great Thanksgiving.
Comments (10)
Is the photo taken in Montreal? Beautiful.
I kept the part about looking inside for the gold we all seek. And I like the idea of the full circle, going to seek life and then coming back to where we started to find it as if for the first time. Sort of like Dorthy in the Wizard of Oz. Looked all over for what she needed and found it in her own back yard.
Didn’t I teach you that already, daughter dear?? [V]
Beautiful thought.
Beautiful picture.
gorgeous picture and a wonderful story!! a very good bit of advice to all of us!
Definitely one sentence that ends in a period, huh? There just isn’t anything else to add once the mantra has been said. I like that.
You have a beautiful site, lovely photographs, and worthy thoughts. Thank you.
thank you– I have no complaint.
…excellent post! Indeed, a grateful heart is the mightest of prayers answered. T S Eliot is a favourite.
MuSe
I wholly agree.