礼物的含义
Many people just give gifts without even liking to give. They just give because Christmas is coming, because it is the New Year, or because she is my mother, because she is my daughter, because he is my friend, because he is my husband, etc. And people just buy any kind of thing sometimes. And that's very burdensome, for the buyer as well as the receiver. Because you only receive like a skeleton, without any soul, without any affection in it. And we all know this. And it's bad! It's not a good habit to exchange gifts, even though it is Christmas or New Year's, if we have no love in it, if we don't do it with sincere well wishing, or sincere affection. Mostly, people don't do it with love. They are too busy to have affection. They are too busy to think about whether they should put in affection or not. The affection has gone out the window. When Christmas comes, most affection's gone.
It is a very good custom to express our feelings through gifts. But sometimes, if we have our full heart in it, even one rose is enough. Otherwise, people just want to show off their generosity, and buy a big bouquet, and still it doesn't mean anything. Therefore, sometimes, I often hear people outside say, "Ah! Christmas is coming; it's a terrible time. I haven't bought this for that person. I haven't bought that for this person." It looks like a burden. It's not a feast of love. And it's not an occasion to celebrate our bonds of friendship. But it's a burdensome time. It's a very tiresome period of the year.
People do it just to discharge their obligations toward each other. But they do not really understand the significance of the season, and of the actions and gifts. That's why it makes such a boring job, to go shopping at Christmas or New Year's. All rush, rush! So many things to do, so many cars to drive or ride in, so many gifts to wrap, and all kinds of things. It's very difficult to have affection in such a rush. Therefore, you know, at Christmas time, people just stuff each other's houses with all kinds of nonsense, all kinds of unnecessary toys and stuff that normally we would not even think of buying for ourselves. And sometimes, people make a joke, or maybe it's a true story, that sometimes you find your own gift coming back, returning back to you after a circle of friendship. And you just have a good laugh. And sometimes, this gift is the very thing that you wanted to get rid of, and it came back to you full circle.