Thanksgiving Blessings

~Alan Cohen


The story is told 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. My friend
Lisa, an attractive woman in her late 30's, came to one of my
seminars after I had not seen her for a number of years. She informed
the group that a year earlier she had been diagnosed with a brain
disorder that required immediate surgery. The surgery was done, a
steel plate was inserted in her head, and her doctor keeps her under
close observation. Lisa reported that now she lives from day to day.
Privately I told Lisa that I was sorry she had gone through this
whole ordeal. "Oh, don't be sorry," she told me emphatically. "I'm
not sorry at all. This was one of the best things that has ever
happened to me. It really got me to appreciate my life and
relationships. I married a wonderful guy and we are thinking about
having children. I wouldn't trade the experience if I could." Thank
you for everything. I have no complaint whatsoever.

Can you imagine what your life would be like if you simply dropped
your complaints? It's a radical proposal, since most of us have been
trained to question, analyze, and criticize everything we see. But
then we end up questioning, analyzing, and criticizing ourselves.
Then we miss out on joy, the only true measure of success.

The ecstatic mystic poet Hafiz proclaimed, "All a sane man can ever
think about is giving love." One evening I received a phone call from
my friend Cliff, a Jewish guy from Brooklyn who discovered A Course
in Miracles and became a world-class love exuder. Cliff just went
around finding good and beauty in everyone he met. On the phone,
Cliff told me, "I just called to tell you how much I love and
appreciate you."

"Well, thank you Cliff," I answered, delighted. "I really appreciate
that . . . What prompted you to call me at this moment?"

"My knee was hurting me, and I knew that the only way I could feel
better would be to give more love. So I began to think of the people
in my life who I care about, and you came to mind." 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 if we decided that no matter how much mom complained about
dad; how much dad bugged us about getting a real job; or how
unspiritual our ex is, we chose to be an unstoppable appreciation
machine and found the good in our loved ones. Indeed this 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.


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