In Nothing to Do, Nowhere to Go, Thich Nhat Hanh remarks, "[P]ractice is not hard labor. When we work too hard at anything, whether it is business or enlightenment, then we can't stop in order to see all the wonders of life inside and around us" (p.101). Does this mean that we should not work hard at all, and not have any thoughts? I think, to the contrary, that when there is truly nothing to attain, then we may behave like people with infinite wealth: because we have nothing to hold onto and nothing to lose, there is no reason not to give to others. However, Thay cautions: don't work too hard at anything. I certainly like this approach, since I am naturally a lazy bum!
On a serious note, I really think that from this perspective, generosity needs to come from a feeling that we have enough to give, not that we are somehow obligated to do so. This is a tricky point, since feeling obligated can lead to resentment, as we feel we are being forced to give by a deity or a commandment. When we change the notion of commandment to preferences (as Albert Ellis brilliantly did in his books), then it's easier to negotiate preferences without fostering unnecessary guilt or resentment.
To go back to Thay's point, when there is nothing to attain and no attainment, people might conclude that this takes away the motivation to give. To the contrary, however, I think that full presence in itself is the ultimate generosity. It does not make any demands, leads to no feelings of resentment, etc. precisely because it is totally in the moment with nothing held back. A person who feels gifted by the present is no longer making demands on the world, and feels confident that who they are is precisely what they are giving in the moment. From this perspective, there is no fear or resentment. There is simply this continuum of being that is committed to weathering life's ups and down's without any craving for more or rejection of what is actually emerging. This "presence" is precisely what is needed, and it's thus the perfect gift.
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