Gratitude

 An old Thanksgiving post to our Chan group from my Chan sister. It is worth remembering anytime...


Thirteenth century German theologian and philosopher, Eckhart von Hochheim
(aka Meister Eckhart)*, said “If the only prayer you said in your whole
life was ‘thank you’,  that would suffice”.  Indeed, especially during
the Thanksgiving holiday, we gave thanks, and sent love and gifts to many
people around us.  It is a great thing to be thankful.   Medical researches
indicate that people with gratitude have lower risk of anxiety, stress,
heart disease, which leads to longevity. 



We are supported in countless ways through each moment of our life.  It is
easy to say “thank you” to your mom, your colleagues or those who make a
difference in your life.  But ‘gratitude’ goes beyond  deep
“appreciation” or a hearty  “thank you”.  



When you tab into the source of energy where we all emanate from, you will
awaken to the truth of this incredible interconnectedness  with ALL beings.
You will spontaneously be filled with joy and appreciation without
specifically naming what it is. 



To begin cultivating ‘gratitude’, it is foremost to learn to appreciate
who you are, and WHAT you have right NOW.   In today’s yoga and meditation
session at OM Sweet OM Studio in Claremont, I asked the class to focus on
the heart  chakhra, where our emotions and feelings reside, and let go of
grudges from the past, and extend forgiveness to those that have harmed us
intentionally and unintentionally, and offer apologies to those whom we have
harmed intentionally or unintentionally.    This is a major obstacle that
keeps us from ‘gratitude’.  I had a traumatized childhood, and held anger
towards my parents for many years.  It was not until I dealt with these
issues, and forgave my parents from the heart, and let go of the past, that
I am able to progress on my spiritual journey.  



The second obstacle to deal with is to let go of the trap of entitlement.
Maybe you say we pay for the garbage service, gratitude may not
spontaneously arise when the garbage is collected.  The truth is, regardless
of his job responsibility, you benefit from his work, and can meet them with
an expression of gratitude. 



Today we extend gratitude for the abundance on the table, not only for the
farmers, truck drivers, grocery clerk that brought it to the table, but also
for those who work so hard to secure the safety of this country so that we
do not have to live under the threat of terrorist attacks.

If you are alone on this particular occasion, extend gratitude for your
health and those that help you maintain good health, what you have, to those
that help shape who you are.   Identify 10 things or people that you are
grateful for, and extend gratitude to each of them.

It is that deep and spontaneous sense of gratitude towards everyone and
everything around you that ground us.  

To cultivate that spontaneous gratitude, you can start by observing the
inner self in meditation, and just reflect on your life.  When you are
connected to the never-changing presence that dwells in you, you
spontaneously appreciate what you have, and start to live a life of
contentment, which attracts more abundance into your life .  



* Note ----



“If we turn from the forms, produced by external circumstances, and go to
the root of things, we shall find that Sakyamuni and Meister Eckhart teach
the same thing; only that the former dared to express his ideas plainly and
positively, whereas Eckhart is obliged to clothe them in the garment of the
Christian myth, and to adapt his expressions thereto.”



                              – Schopenhauer, The World as Will and
Representation, Vol. II, Ch. XLVIII