Simple Thanks

Years ago I remember reading the autobiography of an enlightened ‘master’ of the previous century. This particular person had, and still has, an international following of devotees and is a name recognized by many; although in view of the direction of this particular post I won’t name him here. In his book this person describes how he sat meditating deeply upon various subjects, and was so immersed in his reverie that only afterwards did he realize that in that time his granddaughter had dutifully brought him no less than twenty-seven cups of tea.

Although it is now a long time ago that I read about this incident, I find that my reaction now is the same as it was then. The ‘master’ claimed that he was so absorbed in his reflections that at the time he did not even notice his granddaughter’s presence. But (I thought) if he was conscious enough to drink the tea then he also was conscious enough to thank his young granddaughter for her kindness. Simple thanks are not mere commonplace things. We might consider the thought that the angels perhaps place more value in a single sincere 'thank you' to a dutiful and well-intentioned granddaughter than in a whole day spent meditating about them.

Life is not a comfort zone. We are here to experience what life is, and how it feels. If we are to grow then often enough we will be confronted with a situation which we cannot get ‘around’, but only ‘through’. It is a natural reaction to shy away from something which we might find painful, but life would not consider us to be diligent students if we simply tried to skip the lessons which we felt were too painful to follow. If we can thank our lucky stars for granting us strokes of fortune or what seem like ‘heaven-sent’ opportunities, why should we not equally give thanks for reversals of fortune or what we might feel are unjust setbacks?

Only being grateful for those things which seem to work in our favour, and begrudging those things which seem to work against our own best interests, is perhaps showing our ingratitude for everything which happens to us, because if we only appreciate the good, then we are only showing our appreciation for half the story – and half of what life has to offer us. Perhaps we need to regain this ‘other half’. Perhaps we need to do what for many is unthinkable or even absurd and give thanks for misfortunes as well, for misfortunes perhaps offer us the chance to grow even more than those fortunate times – if only we do not shy away from experiencing them.

There is another aspect to the story which begins this post, and that is the aspect of personal ego. A master who openly declares that he was so deep and so long in meditation that he was able to drink twenty-seven cups of tea without, apparently, being aware that he was doing so, comes uncomfortably close to ‘bragging rights’ (as we would now call them). It is almost as if this ‘master’ is saying to us, his readers: “Look how great I am at meditating!”

But supposing that instead he actually had broken off his meditations to give his devoted granddaughter his full attention, and show his appreciation of her presence, even of her actual existence, then perhaps I might now be saying of this person: “Look what a loving soul he was.” 

That is how much simple gratitude matters, and simple thanks as well.

Because, as the kind voice of Thich Nhat Hanh once said: "You must be completely awake in the present to enjoy the tea. Only in the awareness of the present, can your hands feel the pleasant warmth of the cup. Only in the present can you savor the aroma, taste the sweetness, appreciate the delicacy, for even just a few moments ago this cup of tea had not yet brewed properly, and very soon it will be too cold to enjoy."

So drink now, my friend, for this delicious cup of tea truly exists only in this precious present moment!