Charles Eisenstein is an author who encourages a gift culture. This excerpt was from a blog post.
SEED QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION: What do you make of the notion of 'interbeing'? Can you share a personal story of a time you felt that the world and everything in it is a gift? What helps you to live in gratitude for life?
The sun doesn't shine in order to give light to life, and rain doesn't fall to water life. The sun and rain have no intention. The sun lights, rain waters, and life benefits. We attribute intention. Intention is our construct. Sun and rain and life simply interbe. Interbeing means that all that is, living and not living, is interrelated, interconnected, and interdependent. Everything affects and is affected by everylthing else. Everything is part of everything. And everything, including the sun and the rain, the world and everything in it, and ourselves, is a gift. We didn't earn any of it. We don't deserve it. We don't have to pay for it. We are part of the interbeing that is, and we are part of the evolution of interbeing. What helps me live in gratitude, when I do, is simply being aware that the world and life are a gift.
As I understand, there are two perspectives of looking at and understanding the world. I would call them scientific and spiritual. In my opinion both have value in understanding the world. As Charles Eisenstein writes, the first perspective looks at the world in which we all are separate from each other and from nature. The other perspective emphasises unity, interconnectedness, interbeing and oneness. There is one thread of energy that underlies all apparently different-not separate- entities. Personally, I am more inclined towards this unifying spiritual perspective.
I feel oneness in all beings- between me, the other and nature- when I act mindfully going beyond my self-centeredness and not bound by the narrow perspective. This expereince and this way of relating to life is a gift for me. It makes me internally rich and happy. When I live my everyday life mindfully, I live in gratitude for life
Namaste!
Jagdish P Davw