Know Gratitude, Feel Gratitude, Express Gratitude

               In an earlier post, we discussed the gratitude that we owe to our parents. Without them and all their efforts, we wouldn't be where we are today. Despite any hardships they have put us through, they helped shelter us, feed us, clothe us, and take care of us enough to experience the joy of life.

Original Art by woodleywonderworks available on Flickr.com

              Knowing gratitude is essential to feeling happy. The Chinese character for gratitude is on (pronounced: OH-nn). It contains two symbols, one represents "cause" and the other is "mind."

             We learned from the Law of Cause and Effect that everything has a cause. Throughout our lives we have received many blessings and benefits. Each one of these has a cause. Gratitude is the mind that knows that cause.

             Everything around us, the air we breathe, the trees that shade us, the plants, the earth we stand on, the animals. There is so much to be grateful for! We've all run under a tree either in sweltering heat or in a heavy rain. Likewise, we are sheltered and helped many ways in our lives.

             Our parents or caretakers played the largest roles of providing for our lives, but when we get down to think of it, countless other people come to mind as well. Family members who helped us through tough times, and friends who surprised us with gifts. Doctors helping us through medical issues, and nurses carefully monitoring our conditions. Our teachers and counselors instructed and offered us advice on how to succeed in life. Farmers and cooks labored to make and prepare us food. Builders and architects constructed the home we live in. Politicians and representatives try to provide us with a safe and prosperous society. Scientists and inventors made it possible for me to thank them directly with this blog!

               There's no end to the number of people we could thank for all we've received in this life. We think our lives and everything around us simply runs automatically. But for every beautiful flower in the park or on your street, there is also a gardener taking care of it. Our very survival depends on the help of others. Think about that -- your own survival.

                 Once this is understood, we realize that dissatisfaction in life comes from taking for granted the blessings of nature, the people around us, and everything we have. What if they suddenly weren't there anymore? Think about how much you rely on these things, and you suddenly can't help but be grateful for them!

                 Take a moment to thank the people in your life for things you may have taken for granted. The Buddha said that "An ungrateful person is worse than a beast!" He taught us the importance of knowing, feeling, and expressing gratitude. Here are the easy steps.

What to Do

1. Know Gratitude -- We need to know what we're grateful for.
2. Feel Gratitude -- We need to feel grateful.
3. Express Gratitude -- We need to show it!

                 The Buddha taught that those who feel no gratitude are lower than beasts. But even animals can show great loyalty, love, and gratitude to their providers.

                  Recently, a man from Utah got a service dog to help him with his anxiety. The two formed a strong bond, but his dog, Shadow, began to panic every time his owner went away to work. Shadow would chase him every time he tried to leave on faraway trips and even while he was working with very high-profile clients.

                  Another point to mention, the man happened to be in the hang-gliding business.

Photo Courtesy of the McManus Family

                    Dan had decided that the solution was to finally take his K9 companion along. He and his Shadow have been soaring ever since. 

                   "They're here to teach us how to love unconditionally and without expectation," said Dan McManus, owner of Eagles Nest Hang Gliding. "I'm grateful to have that dog to remind me of that daily. They're here for such a short period of our lives."

                   Shadow was happy to be along with best friend, Dan, no matter what the altitude. 

                  "We meet their needs to have a pack. They're pack animals, social animals," Dan says. "They don't remember yesterday's argument or mistake or problem. They're just grateful you're there everyday."

                     We as human beings should consciously keep in mind what we owe to others, be grateful inside for it, and act on that gratitude. That's how we earn the trust, admiration, and respect of others.

                     An ingrate is someone who doesn't know or feel gratitude. No matter how much wealth or knowledge a person may acquire, if they don't have gratitude in their heart, they are spiritually broke and most likely to be untrustworthy. It is truly a shameful state, one that is to be pitied.

                     All the karmic blessings we have received in life are like payments. Because we have received these payments, we must repay these debts with kindnesses. Yet so often we neglect to repay our debt of gratitude in the slightest. Here are three steps to avoid completely.

What Not to Do

1. Forgetting Gratitude -- Leads to Failure in Life
2. Ignoring Gratitude -- Results in Loss of Trust
3. Defying Gratitude -- Destroys Your Life

             Grateful people are the most successful. Those who take kindness for granted lose respect with others.  If you repay kindness with animosity, you yourself end up in ruins.

             Today try to find as many people as you can, and try to 1.) know gratitude, 2.) feel gratitude, and 3.) express gratitude to each person.

Original Art by adihrespati on Flickr.com

             If times are really tough right now and you can't find anything to be grateful for, I offer you this quote that's helped me. They are words to reflect deeply upon.

"The unhappiest person in the world is one who has no sense of gratitude."
--Takamori Kentetsu, author of You Were Born for a Reason

              As soon as you find one thing, even something small, your entire mindset and outlook can improve dramatically.

              Lastly, if you wish to receive more blessings to be grateful for, you must always remember to focus your efforts first on giving.

Schools of Buddhism

               Buddhism is the study of happiness. It was founded by Siddhartha Gautama, a prince in India who was born in 560 B.C. At age 35, he became enlightened.

Original Photo by soham_pablo available on Flickr.com

               In Japan, he is more widely known by the honorific title, Sakyamuni Buddha. Sakyamuni means "Sage of the Sakyas," and Sakya was the name of his family's clan. Buddha means "Enlightened One" or "Awakened One." Sakyamuni's teachings were later compiled into 84,000 written works known as sutras. These lessons lead us toward becoming enlightened.

               We are all moving forward on this path to enlightenment. You may have heard the word nirvana to describe this state of absolute happiness.

                The teachings of the Buddha are known as the Mirror of Dharma because they reflect our true nature to us. They do this in order for us to achieve a state of everlasting, supreme joy.

               Just as there are many branches or sects within other major religions, there are many different schools of Buddhism. Some schools have more emphasis on certain sutras or lessons while others schools have a more graduated approach to the teachings of Buddha.

               All branches of Buddhism freely welcome anyone to attend services regardless of affiliations to other religions. In this way, it is a religion that promotes harmony with everyone.

               All Buddhist philosophy revolves around an understanding of the Law of Cause and Effect. In short, this principle is condensed in the following three lines:

Good deeds bring good results.

Bad deeds bring bad results.

Your own deeds bring your own results.

               By understanding this law deeply, you can accept responsibility of your actions and transform your future destiny by performing as many good deeds as you can now.

               Beyond these introductory concepts, many differences arise in each school's method of instruction of how to ultimately arrive at absolute happiness.

               There are two major categories within Buddhist schools, Theravada and Mahayana.

Buddha

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Mahayana                                                  Theravada

          "Great Vehicle"                                      "Teaching of the Elders"

               Theravada Buddhism arose in Southeast Asia and is the oldest school of Buddhism. It is also known as the small vehicle because only a few can follow the difficult practices. This teaching is centered around benefiting yourself and being happy yourself above others.

Original Photo by fyunkie available on Flickr.com

                Mahayana Buddhism became popular in India, China, and Japan. It is known as the great vehicle because it aims to include as many as possible in achieving enlightenment. Its principle philosophy could be stated as "my happiness makes you happy." It follows the core concept: benefit self, benefit others.

Original Photo by rahuldlucca available on Flickr.com

               Sakyamuni Buddha passed away at the age of 80. Nine hundred years later, a figure known as Ryuju-Bosatsu was born. His arrival was foretold by Sakyamuni. Ryuju-Bosatsu helped clarify the essence of the Dharma. He was also known as Nagarjuna and is respected in India and many places around the world as "Little Buddha."

                Ryuju-bosatsu taught that the purpose of Buddhism was not to benefit only yourself but to benefit all people and make everyone happy. This concept of benefit self, benefit others helped to increase the popularity of the Mahayana school throughout Asia.

               Within Mahayana Buddhism, there are two kinds of schools, the difficult path and the easy path.

Easy Path                                                            Difficult Path

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Enlightenment

               There are 52 levels of enlightenment, and according to Pure Land Buddhism, only Sakyamuni Buddha has reached the highest level of supreme enlightenment. Each path has a different approach on how to reach this level. The difficult path teaches us to reach the 52nd level one by one, whereas the easy path teaches us to jump a multitude at once.

               Nagarjuna had a very strong will and painstakingly made it to the 41st level one by one. Only two other figures have been able to do such extreme ascetic practices. Once at this level, he realized he couldn't go any further. Nagarjuna learned at this state that it was too difficult to obtain Buddhahood in the way Sakyamuni had. Because so few could achieve this type of enlightenment, he discovered it was not true Mahayana.

               The easy path is Pure Land Buddhism. In this method, one can jump all the way up to the 51st level from the very bottom. It is the shortest, most direct path toward enlightenment. Nagarjuna said that this was true Mahayana. He then abandoned his 41 levels of self-power Buddhism, and jumped to the 51st level through other-power Buddhism. This other-power is made possible through the wonder of Amida's Vow. This easy path is True Buddhism.

               The difficult path includes schools like Zen and Tibetan Buddhism which both practice meditation. Many people around the world often practice their meditations in order to just take a rest, reflect on themselves, or obtain calm for a few minutes here and there between work and study. But true Zen is not this simple type of relaxation exercise that one can start and stop so quickly. It involves very hard work. You can't hold full-time work, marry, or eat meat in order to practice it fully. 

                Another historical person within Buddhism is Bodhi-Daruma. Often he is depicted in round-shaped figurines known as Daruma dolls. The reason for this shape is that Daruma practiced ascetic training for nine years staring at a wall without moving.

Original Photo by Macskafaraok available on Flickr.com

               As a result of this activity, he lost both his arms and legs due to poor blood circulation. This extreme type of meditation has no room for Disneyland, music, going out, eating meat, or marriage. It is a concentration with all of one's will power to eliminate all desire. One must observe the mind and all the thoughts it harbors.

               Thus the true teaching of Zen is to climb the ladder of enlightenment by eliminating all desire. Such a person must seriously dedicate their whole life to such a practice and have very little to no free time. 

               After all his efforts, Daruma established the Zen school at attaining only the 30th level of enlightenment. This practice is so rigorous that one has to cut off all ties to the normal world, foregoing career, loved ones, family, and all the things we enjoy in life.

               It may be a way to calm the mind, but for Pure Land Buddhists, it is not suited well for attaining Buddha's enlightenment. In such a difficult path, only a few can be saved.

               The easy path is Amida's Vow, the Pure Land Way. Once we are 100% sure of Amida Buddha's salvation, only then can we be truly happy in this life. This type of other-power faith allows us to jump to the 51st level of enlightenment, just one under Buddhahood, and while still alive. Then after death, we are born in the Pure Land and attain enlightenment there.

               No type of rigorous training or ascetic practice is required for this absolute form of happiness. We only have to listen to Amida's Vow from a true Buddhist master. The current living master of Pure Land Buddhism is Kentetsu Takamori from Japan. A few of his works published in English are displayed below.

                To know True Buddhism clearly and concisely, make all efforts to listen to his teachings directly in order for you to obtain the purpose of life as quickly as possible. 

                In this Mirror of Dharma blog, I am sharing what I have learned from his lectures in order to bring awareness and exposure to the Pure Land way and so that one and all may obtain absolute happiness in this lifetime.