Principle Two: Practice Gratitude
My second spiritual practice is to re-connect to my inherent gratitude.
It is human nature to notice that which changes, and to ignore that which stays the same. But we are so immersed in great blessing, that we scarcely take the time to notice it. We always think of the margin, the edge, how things could get better. Rarely do we think how good things are, or simply what is right with ourselves and our lives.
I think practicing gratitude, it's very easy and very gratifying. And also I think it is something that gets easier with time - it is something that is worth practicing. It's very simple. Just ask yourself, what is it in my life that I am glad for? Something will come up of its own. The key is sincerity. You cannot be grateful for something because you *should* be. Gratitude springs from the heart. Practicing gratitute means taking the time to slow down and listen to the sweet music of gratefulness in the heart. Even if it is small, even if it's just for one small thing, this is worth listening to.
One of my favorite gratitude rituals surrounds making tea. I like to think of tea as the junction of the four great elements: earth, air, fire, and water. The tea leaves and the coffee mug are of the earth; the steam and aroma, of the air; the heat is the fire; and then there is also the water, the medium by which everything mixes and communicates. In my cup, these four cosmic forces combine to create something beautiful, a small gift to life.
I pour the steaming water into the mug, and let the tea steep. Already the miracle begins - the scent of the tea, the gleam of the stream of water into the cup. By the time the tea is ready, I'm am also ready to receive it. My nose sniffs, my lips sip, the warm stream reaches down my throat into my stomach and then diffuses into my limbs.
The elements of nature have balanced, connected, and aligned to speak to me as a gift from one whom I'll never fully know.
It is human nature to notice that which changes, and to ignore that which stays the same. But we are so immersed in great blessing, that we scarcely take the time to notice it. We always think of the margin, the edge, how things could get better. Rarely do we think how good things are, or simply what is right with ourselves and our lives.
I think practicing gratitude, it's very easy and very gratifying. And also I think it is something that gets easier with time - it is something that is worth practicing. It's very simple. Just ask yourself, what is it in my life that I am glad for? Something will come up of its own. The key is sincerity. You cannot be grateful for something because you *should* be. Gratitude springs from the heart. Practicing gratitute means taking the time to slow down and listen to the sweet music of gratefulness in the heart. Even if it is small, even if it's just for one small thing, this is worth listening to.
One of my favorite gratitude rituals surrounds making tea. I like to think of tea as the junction of the four great elements: earth, air, fire, and water. The tea leaves and the coffee mug are of the earth; the steam and aroma, of the air; the heat is the fire; and then there is also the water, the medium by which everything mixes and communicates. In my cup, these four cosmic forces combine to create something beautiful, a small gift to life.
I pour the steaming water into the mug, and let the tea steep. Already the miracle begins - the scent of the tea, the gleam of the stream of water into the cup. By the time the tea is ready, I'm am also ready to receive it. My nose sniffs, my lips sip, the warm stream reaches down my throat into my stomach and then diffuses into my limbs.
The elements of nature have balanced, connected, and aligned to speak to me as a gift from one whom I'll never fully know.
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