Gratitude

     The Buddha taught that every person is worthy of gratitude. All kindness should be met with gratitude.  We have a rare gift. That gift is life. Each day we should be grateful. The average person will take things for granted. Never be the average person. Be grateful and give thanks for each moment in life. To be mindfully grateful for each and every subsistence in your life is a good thing to focus on in meditation.

    Your friends and family are truly things to be grateful for. We should remember to give thanks for them each and every day. Life is uncertain, and each moment we have our beloved is truly a gift. How many things are you grateful for? I'm sure you could list many. Gratitude is something freely given, and so we should note that gratitude cannot be forced. I don't intend for you to give gratitude without any thought or emotion behind it. Gratitude is not a coin given in exchange for services. In the end no one has to do a single thing for you. Don't let your vision become obstructed. Recognize and give thanks to all of those who chose to play a positive role in your life.

    Some people think it's silly to give thanks. Personally, I am grateful each day that I wake up. To continue this existence is grand. I know I have a purpose in life, and I know even such things as being able to eat each day is worth showing gratitude for. I suppose no one has the right to be born as a human in this current life. It's some sort of gift that I myself don't even understand. I've been given this time to spend with my wife, family and friends, and for that I am eternally indebted to the law of dharma. I suppose whatever life is next I'll be running or growing in a forest, maybe even in a jungle. Whatever happens, I will give thanks. Gratitude is what I feel connects me to the earth, and it makes me a part in this grand play we call life.

 The Four Debts of Gratitude

   Quickly, I'd also like to cover the four debts of gratitude. The first, is gratitude shown to all living beings. Everyone and everything are connected. Second,  the gratitude shown to your birth parents. They brought you into this world. Third,  gratitude shown to your rulers and government. Face it, they have a tough job.  And finally, gratitude shown to the three treasures, the Buddhist, The law, and the Buddhist order. Remember these as you meditate.

  Heed my advice. Be grateful for everything. Do not suffer or be depressed when karma seems a cruel mistress. In this broken world, you must focus on what is right and positive. By grace I am allowed to write what I will. I am grateful for this intuition and writing. Never will I abuse this gift, and always I will embrace enlightenment and be grateful for all things. I know life is short. I am growing each day, and I have a loving family and friends, and I wouldn't trade those for anything in this life. This is my fate, and I love it.