Often we're told to remember to be grateful for blessings or good fortune. But Buddhism teaches us to be grateful, period. Gratitude is to be cultivated as a habit or attitude of mind not dependent on conditions.In the quote below, we see that the Buddha taught that gratitude is necessary for integrity. What does that mean?
"The Blessed One said, 'Now what is the level of a person of no integrity? A person of no integrity is ungrateful and unthankful. This ingratitude, this lack of thankfulness, is advocated by rude people. It is entirely on the level of people of no integrity. A person of integrity is grateful and thankful. This gratitude, this thankfulness, is advocated by civil people. It is entirely on the level of people of integrity.'" Katannu Sutta, Thanissaro Bhikkhu translation
Gratitude Develops Patience
For one thing, gratitude helps develop patience. Ksanti—patience or forbearance—is one of the paramitas or perfections that Buddhists cultivate. Ksanti paramita, the perfection of patience, is the third of the Mahayana paramitas and the sixth of the Theravada paramitas.
Psychologists have corroborated the gratitude-patience link. People with a strong sense of gratitude are more likely to be able to delay gratification, passing on a small reward now in favor of a greater reward later. Developing a sense of gratitude can help shopaholics stop impulse buying, for example.
This shows us that gratitude is also an antidote to greed. Greed often comes from a sense of not having enough, or at least not having as much as everyone else has. Gratitude assures us that what we have is enough; greed and gratitude cannot peacefully coexist, it seems. The same goes for jealousy, regret, resentment, and many other negative emotions.
Gratitude for Difficulties
Buddhist teacher Jack Kornfield, who learned Buddhism as a monk in Thailand, advises us to be grateful for difficulties. It's really the difficult times that teach us the most, he said.
"In certain temples that I've been to, there's actually a prayer that you make asking for difficulties," Kornfield told the Huffington Post. "May I be given the appropriate difficulties so that my heart can truly open with compassion. Imagine asking for that."
Kornfield ties gratitude to mindfulness. To be mindful, he said, is to see the world as it is without judgments. It is responding to the world rather than reacting to it. Gratitude helps us be fully present and attentive to our surroundings.
Within Buddha's Heart
Zen teacher Zoketsu Norman Fischer said that a lack of gratitude means we are not paying attention and taking existence for granted. "We take our life, we take life, we take existence, for granted. We take it as a given, and then we complain that it isn't working out as we wanted it to. But why should we be here in the first place? Why should we exist at all?"
Because we see ourselves and everyone else as separate atomized individuals with needs to be filled, Zoketsu Fischer said, we can become overwhelmed by all the unfilled needs. So we think we should just look out for Number One, me. But if instead, we see the world as a place of belonging and connection, we are not weighed down. A mind of gratitude will help with this.
"We are sitting within Buddha's heart, releasing ourselves to that aspect of ourselves that deeply belongs to the universe and is grateful for it," Zoketsu Fischer said.
Cultivating Gratitude
To cultivate a mind of gratitude, the most important element is maintaining daily practice, whether chanting or meditation. And remember to be grateful for the practice.
Moment-to-moment mindfulness and gratitude go hand in hand. A good way to strengthen mindfulness is to set aside some time every day to fully engage in mindfulness.
When you find yourself fretting about things going wrong, remind yourself of what's going right.
Some people may be helped by keeping a gratefulness diary or at least regularly reflecting on being grateful. It won't happen overnight, but with consistent practice, gratitude will grow.
We'd also like to share with you a gatha to chant. This was composed by my late teacher, Jion Susan Postal.
For all beneficent karma, ever manifested through me, I am grateful.
May this gratitude be expressed through my body, speech, and mind.
With infinite kindness to the past,
Infinite service to the present,
Infinite responsibility to the future.
FAQs
Buddhism places a strong emphasis on being fully present in the moment with awareness and non-judgment. Practicing mindfulness helps us become more attuned to the beauty and richness of each moment, fostering a sense of gratitude for the present moment and, by extension, for life itself.
What is the quote Buddha said about gratitude? ›
Let us rise up and be thankful, for if we didn't learn a lot at least we learned a little, and if we didn't learn a little, at least we didn't get sick, and if we got sick, at least we didn't die; so, let us all be thankful.
What does gratitude teach us? ›
Gratitude involves showing appreciation for the things in life that are meaningful or valuable to you. Taking a moment to notice and acknowledge the things you're grateful for each day can brighten your outlook, boost your mood, and help you feel more positive in the face of challenges.
What is gratitude in the Buddhist Sutras? ›
The Sutra on the Compassionate Upaya of the Buddha says that we fulfill ourselves and repay our debt of gratitude toward the world by always being compassionate and by doing our best to manifest the Four Immeasurable States of Mind of the Tathagata: boundless kindness, boundless compassion, boundless joy and boundless ...
What are the 4 gratitudes of Buddhism? ›
47The four debts of gratitude are the debts owed to all living beings, to one's father and mother, to one's sovereign, and to the three treasures—the Buddha, the Law, and the Buddhist Order.
What is the moral lesson of gratitude? ›
Gratitude is about acknowledging the good and finding the good in everything. It's about focusing on possibilities instead of limitations and opportunities rather than setbacks. As Oprah Winfrey once said, “Be thankful for what you have; you'll end up having more.
What is the quote about gratitude and grateful? ›
"A grateful mind is a great mind which eventually attracts to itself great things." "The miracle of gratitude is that it shifts your perception to such an extent that it changes the world you see." "Showing gratitude is one of the simplest yet most powerful things humans can do for each other."
What is the religious quote about gratitude? ›
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18: "Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."
What is the virtue of gratitude quotes? ›
Daily gratitude quotes.
- Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for.” ...
- We must find time to stop and thank the people who make a difference in our lives.” ...
- God gave you a gift of 86,400 seconds today.
We have learned gratitude helps people focus on the positive aspects of their life. Gratitude can help build and maintain relationships with others, resulting in hope, life satisfaction, and more proactive behaviors toward others (Passmore & Oades, 2016).
An attitude of gratitude means making the conscious habit of expressing appreciation on a regular basis for big and small things alike. We may be grateful for our relationships, health, business, material items, food in our cupboards, running water in our homes, and our overall sense of well-being.
What is the best way to explain gratitude? ›
Gratitude is taking a moment to reflect on how lucky you are when something good happens, whether it's small or big. You can use lots of words to describe feelings of gratitude: thankful, fortunate, humbled, appreciative, and blessed.
What did Buddha say about gratitude? ›
The one who is first to do a kindness, and the one who is grateful and thankful for a kindness done.” — The Buddha, in the Anguttara Nikaya (AN 2:118). In saying that kind and grateful people are rare, the Buddha isn't simply stating a harsh truth about the human race.
What is the Buddhist chant of gratitude? ›
Expressing gratitude is just the opening gate of a deep spiritual experience of “Namo Amida Butsu.” As the sentiment of “thank you” permeates our ordinary life, we begin to replace it with “Namo Amida Butsu” or the shorter chant, “Na Man Da Bu.” The beauty of Shin Buddhism is that this practice in ordinary life leads ...
What is the Buddhist gratitude prayer? ›
In gratitude, I bow to this land and all of the ancestors who made it available. I see that I am whole, protected, and nourished by this land and all the living beings that have been here and made life worthwhile and possible for me through all of their efforts.
What does the Dalai Lama say about gratitude? ›
If you are grateful, you are enjoying the differences between people and respectful to all people. The grateful world is a world of joyful people.
What is the spiritual lesson on gratitude? ›
Ephesians 5:20 says to “Always give thanks to God the Father for everything.” And I Thessalonians 5:18 tells us to “Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.” While this is sometimes easier said than done, it is a secret to living an overcoming life.
What is the spiritual principle of gratitude? ›
Gratitude is the act of feeling and communicating appreciation for the people, circumstances and material possessions in our lives. It allows us to cherish our present in ways that make us feel in abundance rather than deprived. As a result, we become more motivated, less fatigued and, ultimately, better off.
