Gratitude enriches present moment

Every present moment has its own energy, its own feeling and has its own signature. This brings something very practical. Grace can only be found at the present moment and no where else. When we feel alive, we are at the present moment. The connection happens automatically. However, living at present is always a challenge living in this consumption-oriented society. Everyday we are bombarded with the message that we always have something we don't have and we have to 'buy': there is an ideal beauty to strive for, and expensive symbols for perfect life. No one is supposed to have a perfect life right at this moment. 'Getting one' involves constant postponement. But whatever we postpone, we are not experiencing here and now. The feeling of living at present is always lacking. 'Life right now' is not enough.

Gratitude turns this around. We learn how to appreciate what we have been given right at this moment. We are not stuck in the past or in the anxiety of the future. Gratitude shifts our attention from what do don't have to what we have at the present moment. It changes our empty habits of constant anxiety getting something else to feel complete.

Spiritual leaders taught us, "Say Yes to the present moment" and "Say Yes to life." Both Oprah and Deepak want us to change the phrase from 'Say Yes' to "Thank you." This is the message from Oprah and Deepak's "Manifest Grace through Gratitude" Day 6 message.

Any comment?

Gratitude awakens trueself

According to Deepak, each person has many 'self'. The one shown at the work place; the one shown in the family; with a lover; or with the person we dislike. But all of these are temporary. We identify with them when they are needed. But deep inside our heart is our "true self". The "true self" is silent but not passive. The "true self" can be brought to active role by practicing gratitude. Once "true-self" is awaken, everything you see, you hear, you taste, etc. is all wonderful. When you see a beautiful flower or butterfly, you will say, "that is me". There is no separation between you and the universe. You are in a state of grace. It is like still water deep in the ocean. On the surface, there are waves, schools of life or emotion. But the water in the deep ocean is still. It is called "Still water runs deep" waiting to be awakening to take an active role for our life.

This message to me is a diversion between Buddhism (or what Deepak preaches) and Christianity. Deepak believes that true-self is a grace and it can be awakened through practicing gratitude. In Christianity, all human beings are sinners. They can reach the state of grace only through repentance.

What is your opinion?

Expressing gratitude, grace is flowing back to us

The more we discover about body, mind and spirit is connected, the more we see that everything flows naturally.  Once we awaken the gratitude, there is a response that close the circuit:  we are heard, we are understood, and we are appreciated.  That is how life is going on by a continuous feedback between gratitude and grace.When we take a moment to be grateful, grace responds.  It tells us that we are in the flow which keeps the life evolving.  But how do we know that grace responds to our gratitude?  Some signal comes from within.  We feel a sense of calm and peace.  There will be moment of joy. Our perception will also change. Suddenly, a bare tree becomes magnificent with beautiful shape and harmony, a perfect creation instead of a bare skeleton.  Some are from external. Someone we did not know much before suddenly shows us at our doorsteps and expressing appreciation; a difficult task becomes easier;and  an unexpected answer arrives. What connect inner and outer, it means that we have joined the flow of wholeness.  Everything will appear more effortless, more enjoyable and more vibrant.  Grace is like a rain, it falls everyone alike.  Grace is a nurturing element of life just like water and air.  Grace comes from within, grace is creative and intelligent; it knows what we want in our life.

When I was in the Christine church, I was also taught to practice prayer expressing gratitude.  But Deppak's explanations as shown in the previous paragraph makes me understood why we should continuous express gratitude at any moment; it is the only way that we can join the flow of the wholeness.

Gladden our heart for gratitude

Gratitude, according to Oprah, is an energy that expand and elevate us. It turns chaos into order, denial into acceptance, confusion into clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, and a stranger into a friend. Nothing has changed. It is 'You' have changed. When you change the attitude, everything surrounding you also changes.

Yet, gratitude requires a joyful heart. We simply cannot feel gratitude if we are bitter, or angry at somebody or distress, or feel not safe or welcome deep in our heart. Gladden our hear implies recharge 'our battery for this energy to flow into heart. Buddhists' view of gladden our heart, or in plain English, recharge our battery is through deep meditation for awakening to regain our joyful heart.

During meditation, it is not the totally 'manicured lawn' or shining car that will awaken us. You can justly simply gaze a light from the sun and observe a 'dancing' particle in the light beam and realize that 'You' are part of this abundant universe dancing like the dust particle in the light; connecting with all members of the universe.. When you and I feel that we are not abandoned by this abundant universe, you and I are gladdening our hearts and are ready to feel gratitude for life transformation and miracle.

In Christianity, this abundant universe is God. The Bible also teaches us no matter what situation we have encountered, we are not abandoned by God. By realizing that we are ready to feel gratitude and experiencing life transformation.

In the sense, both Buddhism and Christianity teach the same thing.

Miracles only come to the grateful person not to the person with grievance

Gratitude leads to miracle and life transformation. The practice is not new. Ancient people practices this either daily, or monthly. Taiwanese women fasts every 1st and 15th of the month and offers incense, food to god! goddess, and ancestors expressing gratitude. Our national holiday, Thanksgiving Day, has the same 'expressing gratitude' significance. They offered thanks to god; the god responded with more good things to the people.

The reason for this life transformation, according to Depaak Chopra, is because once a person shows feeling of gratitude to any good things in life, it begins to change the wiring of the brain so that we will be paying more attention to what we have, less attention to what we don't have. Thus a close-loop cycle starts: when we show the feeling of gratitude to someone, or something good in our life, the 'source' responds with more 'good' things, and we will be more perceptive to the 'good' things in our life. This happy 'brain' brings about life transformation. Chopra suggests that we express gratitude with our heart at every moment, not just to God, but to every situation that deserves to be grateful.

How do we practice 'gratitude to miracle' daily? According to Chopra, find 3 good things in the morning. These 3 things do not have to be 'very important' or 'significant'. For example, when we get up in the morning, we see the sun light, we hear the bird singing, and we see the flowers blossom. Those are three good things. Offer gratitude to all of them with our 'feeling' . According to Chopra, 'feeling' is mostly important in leading to miracle and life transformation.

Any more suggestions?

Old folks are as bad as young folks in terms of pride and ego

We often assume as we get older, we get wiser; at least we are better and easier of letting-go the ego than the younger folks. This may not be true as I can see in my eyes with our senior tennis games today at the tennis club.

I was playing at Court #2; we had a great and enjoyable matched. On Court #1, two teams were playing a double-match. One teams were Rodney (Age 92) and Dick (Age 88). The other team were Ruth (age 86) and Marianne (Age 85).

30 minutes after the game, these two teams began to argue about a call (whether a good call or a bad call). The argument were so heated that one player, Rodney (Age 92) stomped out of the court leaving the other players not able to continue to play.

One of the players in my court commented, "Win or lose, does that matter in this tennis social? "

Having fun and enjoyable life ? Or having the 'pride and ego' and lose all the friendship, relationship, or enjoyment?

We might laugh at those old folks 'silly'. However, if we look closely to ourselves we might not much better off. How many couples went to divorce courts due to those 'silly moment'. Microwave not working, blame the spouse. Computer papers flying off the printer, blame the spouse. When the sump-pump not working, "if you don't help me now, I divorce you. The ego, the pride, and the blaming culture cultivated in our society contributes to many broken relationship and friendship in our society.

We must continuously remind ourselves about the purpose of life and don't lose sights in 'ego' or 'pride'. As we get older, we don't necessarily get better in this perspective.

Old life, New life

A week ago, we sent off a friend who has relocated his job to Taiwan. To relocate, he sold off everything he had in Wisconsin, cars, houses, even bicycles, furniture store, etc. This was how he prepared to end an old life in Wisconsin and entering a new life in Taiwan.

In 2009, when I finished my sabbatical in Taiwan, I did exactly the same thing. I even donated most of my earning in Taiwan to my host university. When I left Taiwan, I had almost nothing as I finished my old life in Taiwan and starting a new life in Wisconsin.

Every time, we reach a life stage change, this cleansing will continue. These are metaphors for life and death. The biggest life stage change in our life is death as our soul detaches our body and never return. The souls never vanish: they either go to heaven/hell (according to Christianity or Jewish religion ), paradise/hell (Islam religion), or reincarnate to become a worm, or butterfly, or another human form (Buddhism religion). All our egos, money, possessions, cars, houses, are gone in this life change event. The only thing we carry over is our karma, and the soul; no much difference our past experience of many life- change events.