Give it Up For The Power of Giving: Even Bugs Do It

"If you only knew what I know about the power of giving, you would not let a single meal pass without sharing it in some way." -BuddhaI was already planning to tweet that quote above for Christmas Eve, which is one of my favorite quotes of the Buddha. Then I read this Science Times Article in the NY Times, about how many different species engage in gift-giving, including gift-giving inthe insect world.Of course, I'm always a playful critic of the way our economy works at this time of year, the way mind states themselves can become monetized. My favorite Christmas movie, besides Scrooged with Bill Murray, is Reverend Billy's What Would Jesus Buy? But that doesn't mean that the impulse to give is unnatural. In fact, it might be the most transformative thing a human can do.Merry Christmas, and please do give it up for the ones you love, as well as the ones you don't. :)