| What is Gratitude? | | | | commonly said that the only thing we have to do is live |
| I think the idea is for the most part misunderstood. | | | | until we die. We ignore even that morbid insight. |
| Seen as a humiliation often, but if you think about it | | | | Gratitude can guide us to right action. I dare say it is |
| there is nothing more ennobling. When you are in the | | | | the only guide. Gratitude for our own natures, our |
| experience of gratitude, you are in peace. You are in | | | | hearts and minds. Gratitude for the force that brings us |
| the present. When you cannot rest in the now, | | | | together with other human beings. Gratitude for the |
| gratitude for that moment is absent. And when | | | | common ground we share and the diversity of virtues |
| gratitude is absent, then growth is absent. Plants grow | | | | in the community as a whole. Thinking on gratitude |
| in receptiveness to sunlight. If they somehow decided | | | | seem to give plenty of grounds for action. Does it not? |
| that sunlight wasn't enough, the hypothetical unrest | | | | If we act for a different reason then gratitude what |
| would only sicken them. Would stymie growth, not | | | | comes of it? When I give from obligation it seems at |
| feed it. We as human beings receive much that we | | | | best a numb neutrality even if only subtly, it lessens me. |
| take no note of: warmth, air, food, even if maybe not in | | | | A life of obligation? What is that like? When I give from |
| adequate amounts, water. If we cannot see that we | | | | gratitude, it is joy and rather than lessening me it |
| are supported in the most simple ways, then we are | | | | seems to energize me. Even in the strictly pragmatic |
| off center in dealing with more complex issues. | | | | sense seems to make my being and doing go so |
| Most people seem to see gratitude to another human | | | | much better. Is this anyone else's experience? |
| being sort of like this: My friend does something for me | | | | Life of Gratitude |
| that I can't do for myself. That means I was not able, | | | | Imagine a life of gratitude? For what we are. For what |
| inadequate. My friends ability makes him or her | | | | we can do. For what we can experience. Would that |
| superior to me. I should please them to continue to | | | | be a selfish life? Why are we taught it is? Really the |
| receive this help. This of course is not a good way of | | | | secret of gratitude isn't a secret. It's realizing a simple |
| thinking. Twists much of the spirit of the event. The | | | | truth. We are connected, not chained. Supported. We |
| sharing becomes obligation, not win/win. Is why people | | | | are connected by genetic heritage. We are connected |
| adopt the martyr complex. Martyrs feed their egos | | | | by our place in our eco-system. Even our society, |
| very well. | | | | though it seems to struggle against these core truths. |
| Gratitude is more than saying 'thank you'. The words | | | | Any ideas why? |
| themselves without the spirit behind them are best | | | | I think it's because obligation is control. Fear is |
| abstained from, as is apoplectic speech. They are | | | | temporary loss of connection. Yes it seems enduring. |
| dodges. When you say 'thank you' from habit, what | | | | Mostly because people are set in being comfortably |
| you are speaking thanks for, you are actually ignoring. | | | | numb. Gratitude makes you feel, makes you engage |
| Most people seem to put very little mindfulness behind | | | | life and makes the responsibility yours. Can't blame |
| gratitude. When you apologize you are thanking them | | | | someone else when you are grateful can you? It's |
| for forgiving you, even if they haven't yet and usually | | | | essential as water and food. But even food and water |
| with the same lack of mindfulness. Much that can be | | | | is someone else's responsibility to common thinking. |
| healed in human exchange never is because of those | | | | We are told we need to acknowledge obligation to |
| niceties that no one thinks about. | | | | have our life supports. Thus we have to kill our souls |
| Zen teaching is correct in its cautions on language. The | | | | for our flesh to survive or do I go too far in that |
| words point but we don't keep them at that. They | | | | metaphor? |
| replace in most peoples thinking, they blind. When you | | | | We can't really kill our souls and if we showed |
| shift like that, what gets done? What actually | | | | gratitude for them it would heal us. Make us whole and |
| changes? Much emphasis is put on repentance, | | | | powerful rather than hobbled as we are. I think that is |
| renunciation. It's the path of the mystic. Many fall away | | | | in part why people fear that acceptance of soul. The |
| from that path because they were never in a place | | | | atman or soul is one with Brahman. Brahman is the all |
| where they accepted what they are renouncing. They | | | | encompassing. The soul is not a nebulous presence |
| deny their connection and fail to see their connection | | | | floating somewhere in the astral. It is the very |
| to what they supposedly renounce. My experience is | | | | foundation of the universe itself. |
| that people can only transcend what they first accept, | | | | Brahman is the supreme being. Shown with many |
| and the only real acceptance is gratitude. | | | | faces, the other deities are called the faces of |
| How many people are grateful for their mistakes? It is | | | | Brahman. But what was the face you had before you |
| possible to be. Is it possible to move beyond the | | | | were born? The face you had is the face you see. |
| mistake before you can be grateful for it? Until you | | | | Though that face you see isn't really the face that is |
| reach a point of peace with the mistake, you instead | | | | there. The paradox of material existence on a |
| feed the mistake. On the foundation of gratitude, of | | | | personal level. |
| acceptance, all other things can be built. | | | | The face of gratitude shines. When someone is in |
| Gratitude is ... | | | | gratitude. What did they look like? We respond to |
| There is a simpler word for gratitude, but the word is | | | | many things when we react to physical presence. Has |
| generally seen in a more abstract light. Gratitude is | | | | even been music written about it with some humour. |
| love. | | | | When someone is in gratitude they are beautiful even |
| We didn't make ourselves. We are not the source of | | | | if they don't posses the "traits". They are magnetic |
| our own advent. We still exist due to a process that | | | | even in silence. They need not show off. True heart |
| we can't really control and we don't need to. Gratitude | | | | filling gratitude cannot be hidden. Thus the edict about |
| is faith, present centered faith. People struggle with the | | | | not hiding your light under a bushel. You didn't create |
| idea of faith. They think it means they hope for | | | | that light but to hide it is to deny its value. To be |
| something in the future. Faith can be right now. It can | | | | ungrateful to the source. Now the source holds no |
| give you peace right now. | | | | grudges. That isn't its nature, it cant actually be sinned |
| Research into performance psychology suggests that | | | | against. But when we deny that part of us that is it, |
| we do not do our best when on edge. Contrary to | | | | then we hold a grudge against ourselves. You cannot |
| what some believe our bodies and minds function best | | | | love yourself and hate god. There is no separation. |
| when happy, when relaxed. People believe it's hard to | | | | The divine is your breath. |
| be happy. They think it's dependant on something, but | | | | To deny your worth is to deny support. Why things go |
| right now, not moments ago or moments from now. | | | | the way they go is no great mystery. There are two |
| What is wrong? Is their anything wrong right now, this | | | | things that happen that superficially can be called bad. |
| moment, for any of us? Our thinking makes something | | | | There are difficulties. Things that distress us naturally |
| wrong. Our feeling only responds to our thinking or our | | | | like the death of a loved one. And there are problems, |
| senses. Thinking is a sense like hearing or sight. We | | | | things that occur from our efforts to "better" our lives. |
| don't believe that we have to see everything. In school | | | | Here is something sort of complex. All of our problems |
| we took geography. We know those places exist | | | | have benefits but we aren't grateful for them. Thus |
| even though we have never seen them. Our | | | | we lose control of those problems. We don't accept |
| consciousness undisturbed is happy. It's our default or | | | | them and thus we don't allow ourselves the fullest |
| at rest state. I am forced to paraphrase a concept, but | | | | understanding. |
| it is a good one. All problems stem from our inability to | | | | I will share one of my own problems. I have been |
| remain in a room alone quietly. It isn't doing or seeking. | | | | having an issue with feeling disconnected from those |
| We have alot of our anxiety about doing from what | | | | dear to me. Now what benefit is there in this? Well it |
| we think others expect and they think the same of us. | | | | isn't boring, it makes me think a lot. It makes me pay |
| If both people could be grateful just for the contact, | | | | attention to those who I care for. It also urges me to |
| just for the being and for the other being. Then what? | | | | be more straightforward in my interaction and this thing |
| How does the world look then? | | | | that distresses me only distresses me because I resist |
| As a child I once asked my father, 'isn't being enough?'. | | | | it. I call it a problem because it makes me feel bad but |
| He answered with an emphatic no. He explained that I | | | | it doesn't make me feel bad. I feel bad because of my |
| had responsibilities, that he did and that we had to do | | | | stance toward it. My pain is internal and self generated. |
| things even if we didn't want to. I am not certain that is | | | | I lost sight of a value, of gratitude, and generated pain |
| true. I have been so despondent as to want no action | | | | for myself and pain by sympathy for others. Was |
| at all yet something inside me moved me to act | | | | regrettable. I don't think it's unique to me. |
| anyway. I think we will act no matter what occurs.. Is it | | | | If you would choose a focus for contemplation, for |
| our nature doing absolutely nothing? Well for me it's not | | | | meditation, find gratitude in your heart. Could spend |
| possible. | | | | your life with it, to much healing and benefit for you and |
| Though I think we can take guidance from starting at | | | | others. |
| zero. We get ahead of ourselves. Think we can find | | | | Your thoughts are welcome. Be well friends. |
| our true path in doing what we have to. Yet it's just as | | | | |