Nov 16 2008
On Possessions and Giving
“Complete possession is proved only by giving. All that you are unable to give possesses you. -Andre Gide
If you “own” something, yet you are uable to give it away, then in truth, it OWNS you. In a sense, the inability to part with it shows that this thing possesses you. Immediately, we think of material possessions, and this is partly what this quote is about. But in a very real sense, this quote can refer to *spiritual* and *emotional* possessions as well.
Say we want to give kindness or love to another person, can we give it completely? Wow, that’s a tall order. We can give some, but can we give til it hurts?
Perhaps the only way this can happen is if we, indeed, have so much of this quality to give, that we are never emptied or depleted by giving it away. We are completely jpossessed by love or kindness, only then we can give it away.
Think about it.
