7 Quotes on Gratitude by Daisaku Ikeda

 Lower Mill Pond in Brewster Massachusetts, 

in Cape Cod USA

The view of the pond from the houses

I'm sitting outside looking down on the pond from the terrace. This is such a special place. On this pond, people can have homes, but they cannot tear down the trees in front of their homes. 

So you can see, in the first picture, that the pond looks pristine...as it probably did 200 years ago. There are also no motor boats allowed, no jet skis, nothing to disturb the quiet - except the birdsong and the wind rustling the trees. It is a true paradise. 

I'm sitting here today exercising my muscle of gratitude. Realizing once again, that gratitude is CHOSEN, not just fallen into. Sure, you could say, it's easy for me to have gratitude, sitting on this pond during my vacation...but you must remember, I have just had a loss that I still search for the words to describe...so I must exercise that muscle of gratitude more than ever. 

So today, I focus on all that is right in my world...

The fact that I am here...still standing...still writing...still living...

The fact that I am HERE in these beautiful surroundings...about to head to the beach with my wonderful son Aaron...

The fact that I am healthy...still breathing...still able to smile...
And I can chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo to experience my life as a Buddha at every moment! 

And I feel immense gratitude to YOU, and to Daisaku Ikeda, and the entire SGI, to Nichiren Daishonin and Presidents Makiguchi and Toda. Without them, I have no idea how I would be living my life right now! 

Here are some quotes on gratitude from our mentor Daisaku Ikeda, from IkedaQuotes.org:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

To feel gratitude to one’s parents sounds like a trivial thing, but this is the mark of true maturity and growth as a human being.

People whose hearts are full of gratitude and appreciation are truly beautiful. A humble heart is the wellspring of great growth and development.

None of us can exist in isolation. Our lives and existence are supported by others in seen and unseen ways, be it by parents, mentors or society at large. To be aware of these connections, to feel appreciation for them, and to strive to give something back to society in a spirit of gratitude is the proper way for human beings to live.

Gratitude makes a person modest. A sense of gratitude expands the heart.

The ungrateful feel that it is below them to show any kind of appreciation. They are under the delusion that showing gratitude to others diminishes their own worth. But it is this sense of appreciation that elevates, enriches and expands the human spirit. A lack of gratitude is actually a sign of arrogance.

Happiness is not a life without worries or struggles. Happiness is the robust sense of fulfillment one feels when bravely confronting hardship. It is that elevation of the spirit, like an airplane gaining lift from the air resistance against its wings.

Happiness is to be found within your own life, in your thoughts at this very moment. You yourself are most noble and precious. You have no need to be envious of anyone or to long for far-off things.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~