Receiving Graciously

One of the subjects is that people frequently do very wonderful things for us – how would we repay them. You see somewheres or other, somebody has tried to put on all of us, most likely a not-I that I am obligated to you if you do something nice for me. I think that’s the way most people feel that if somebody sent you a Christmas card now you’re obligated to send them one, is that right?

(Yes.)

If they send you a gift, you got to run out and get them one. You’re obligated to return all favors. Now if I were to do something nice for a person regardless of who it is, I’m doing it because it gives me a nice feeling because I want to and It says thank you to me in some way or other. And then if you try to get even with me, I’d say you ruined my nice feeling. 

If you come and try to do somethin' in return so you’ve paid the bill, you have refused to receive graciously my gift – whatever it may be, whether it’s a gift of time, a gift of interest, a physical something or whatever else – you have now wrecked it because you insisted on making a business transaction out of it instead of allowing me to go ahead and express my joy and my wanting to say thank you by making some little contribution that happened to go your way. 

So I think the greatest gift that you can return to someone who gave you something or gave you a favor or gave you a nice compliment or anything is to receive it graciously – that is the greatest giving there is and it doesn’t tear the other person’s “good feeling” up.

... And when you do that [received graciously], you have ceased to make human relationship into business transaction. If I were to do something for you and I don’t expect anything – I am doing it because I wanted to, and then if you do anything, all you can do is receive graciously.  

Now we’re all the recipients of tremendous amounts of goodness that we didn’t earn from Life. It gives us everything; and I think all we can really do for Life – because it don’t need anything and I’m not gonna try make a dollars and cents arrangement out of it  and say, “Well, I’m gonna serve life and get even with it"– I’m going to receive it graciously and pass it on... and not at the same place.  

Pass it on – don’t try to return it because that kills the chain right quick, okay? Does that make any sense to you? I never try to get even with people.

Excerpt from 

Maryland Workshop 12 1978 cd 6 at the beginning (ARK)