“Appreciation can make a day, even change a life. Your willingness to put it into words is all that is necessary.”
~ Margaret Cousins
This morning, my mind wanted to tell you that the sunrise was a bit drab, ho-hum, slow. ‘Oh Lord’ thought my mindfulness … Is this the way the day is going to be?!? Gratefully, almost as I recognized my thinking, the divine seemed to reply: “Here little one, I’ll give you something to be thankful for!” And indeed, the sunrise was beautiful, as it is every day. For I am here, alive by the glory of my creator, to experience it.
As I recognized my folly, I remembered the teaching of Buddha on mindfulness and the “sense doors”. According to classical Buddhist teachings, we experience the world through six “sense doors,” or perceptual gateways. They are seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, touching, and mind.
The door of mind refers to our thoughts, emotions, and mental images. The Buddha taught that these six modes of perception define the totality of our experience—in other words, every moment of our lives involves experiences that are known by way of one of these sense doors. Further, the Buddha said that each experience received in this way is colored by a feeling tone, which is either pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral.
Understanding our experience in these terms reveals the importance of bringing mindfulness to every moment of our existence. The sense doors are to be guarded by mindfulness. Because without it, we become mere creatures of mental conditioning, constantly trying to manipulate our experience so as to increase our pleasure and minimize our pain. And it is through these actions that we divide our world and experience, creating suffering.
I have a busy day ahead. Places to go, and people to see. This projecting created impatience in my sitting today. Which caused me to view my surroundings without my normal openness. I could feel it, mind hurrying, heart closed. But gratefully, my practice stepped in. I will need to be on my toes today, watching carefully not to push the day forward. It’s way journaling has become such an important part of my day. I am reminded to slow down, to give thanks. I am reminded of what I have, instead of what I have not. Of what life offers me, instead of what I have to bring to it.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer states:
“Gratitude changes the pangs of memory into tranquil joy. In ordinary life, we hardly realize that we receive a great deal more than we give, and that it is only with gratitude that life becomes rich.”
Do you keep a gratitude journal? If not, why not start today. There’s a nifty little app for the iPhone, or even simply start it in a little notebook. I promise, just as my opening quote relates, gratitude can make a day, even change a life. It has mine …. ♥
“Wake at dawn with a winged heart and give thanks for another day of loving.”
— Kahil Gibran
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Sources:
betterworld.net
tricycle.com
