I'm Thankful For...

person

Its Thanksgiving in the US, the day we celebrate eating too much food and football 😏. Part of that tradition in many families is taking turns before the meal to say what we're thankful for.

This year I'm thinking of my health and how grateful I am that at the age of 52 with a physically demanding job that my body and my health is still quite good. It allows me to continue to make a good enough living without stressing me out and I feel comfortable purchasing insurance with a high deductible. The recent budget standoff and government shutdown in the US was a fight over the insurance market place subsidies, I will be paying about 250% more next year, but it won't break the bank as a single person in good health and a 20 year old mortgage. But for a family or someone needing a more expensive plan it will make a negative impact.

So I'm thankful that my health continues to be good. I've also lost 10 pounds over the past few months, I think mostly through reducing sweeteners.

Jeroen

It sounds like a good tradition, I will join in.

This year after losing my father and Aunt Elly, I’m grateful that my mother is still with us. I’m grateful that my mental health, despite a few stresses and groans, is still holding up. I’m grateful for beautiful green forests and the rains that feed them, for flowers and birds and bees…

Jeffrey

I'm thankful for my family and home and glad to cook something special but not to big for 3 people: life partner, Mom, and myself. I'm using a jar of store made braising sauce to slow cook seasoned and browned chicken tenders and drumsticks. And cheese filled biscuits brushed with garlic butter. Chicken is in the slow cooker. Thankful for relative health though just diagnosed with diabetes even though I changed my diet drastically and lost 10 to 15 pounds.

marcitko

I am grateful that you have opened this thread, @person. I used to have a heading for gratitude in my morning journal for years. I shall aim to make it so again - it primes the mind in good ways for the rest of the day.

I am grateful for this forum, our little online Sangha, all of you posting here rarely or often, to @Linc for keeping it operational, and to @federica for having moderated us. I often thought that I should open a "NB forum appreciation thread".

I am grateful for Buddhism. Among other things, it keeps me optimistic about the future, interested in life, and reminds me of the important things.

I am grateful for my Buddhist inspirations (teachers) but also non-Buddhist and non-spiritual ones. Their example shows a sense of possibility, their words light a little candle of the same quality in me, and their instructions are one of the greatest treasures in life for one who can actually implement them.

I am grateful for my parents, who are now aging (70 & 84). This year, both my Godfather's parents died, with whom I was very close. That made me realise that however irritating they are sometimes, this is it, they will die, so better make the most of our time together, and be as kind and helpful to them as I can.

I am grateful for my friends. They make life fun and keep loneliness at bay.

I am also grateful for my mental health holding up and actually improving both mid- and long-term, my decent physical health, my apartment, my hobbies, my efforts at good habits, even my new job that is a great opportunity both in terms of career and personal growth...

I am grateful to myself anytime I do a positive thing or, with frustration, whenever I don't do a negative thing.

I am grateful for my new bedside lamp. Y'all will laugh, but it is bringing me great comfort and joy, and is currently my favorite thing, maybe because I had crappy lighting in the bedroom in my previous apartment so I see it as a wonderful thing

zorro

Grateful to still be here after going thru esophageal cancer earlier this year. Other than swallowing difficulties due to scar tissue from all the radiation treatments I feel perfectly healthy again.

Jeroen

How was your Thanksgiving, American friends?

lobster

I am grateful for:

• wild turkeys and free range anything
• ability to be grateful
• simple pleasures eg. the sun is shining
• living in a safe place
• people, they all try to be or do good, even if only partially

Shoshin1

When I asked my young American friend how her Thanksgiving was, she told me she had a video chat with friends in the US, and the first thing they did was recite this prayer.

Haudenosaunee (Iroquois)) Prayer of Gratitude to the Natural World

The People
Today we have gathered and we see that the cycles of life continue. We have been given the duty to live in balance and harmony with each other and all living things. So now, we bring our minds together as one as we give greetings and thanks to each other as people. Now our minds are one.

The Earth Mother
We are all thankful to our Mother, the Earth, for she gives us all that we need for life. She supports our feet as we walk about upon her. It gives us joy that she continues to care for us as she has from the beginning of time. To our mother, we send greetings and thanks. Now our minds are one.

The Waters
We give thanks to all the waters of the world for quenching our thirst and providing us with strength. Water is life. We know its power in many forms- waterfalls and rain, mists and streams, rivers and oceans. With one mind, we send greetings and thanks to the spirit of Water. Now our minds are one.

The Fish
We turn our minds to the all the Fish life in the water. They were instructed to cleanse and purify the water. They also give themselves to us as food. We are grateful that we can still find pure water. So, we turn now to the Fish and send our greetings and thanks. Now our minds are one.

The Plants
Now we turn toward the vast fields of Plant life. As far as the eye can see, the Plants grow, working many wonders. They sustain many life forms. With our minds gathered together, we give thanks and look forward to seeing Plant life for many generations to come. Now our minds are one.

The Food Plants
With one mind, we turn to honor and thank all the Food Plants we harvest from the garden. Since the beginning of time, the grains, vegetables, beans and berries have helped the people survive. Many other living things draw strength from them too. We gather all the Plant Foods together as one and send them a greeting of thanks. Now our minds are one.

The Medicine Herbs
Now we turn to all the Medicine herbs of the world. From the beginning they were instructed to take away sickness. They are always waiting and ready to heal us. We are happy there are still among us those special few who remember how to use these plants for healing. With one mind, we send greetings and thanks to the Medicines and to the keepers of the Medicines. Now our minds are one.

The Animals
We gather our minds together to send greetings and thanks to all the Animal life in the world. They have many things to teach us as people. We are honored by them when they give up their lives so we may use their bodies as food for our people. We see them near our homes and in the deep forests. We are glad they are still here and we hope that it will always be so. Now our minds are one

The Trees
We now turn our thoughts to the Trees. The Earth has many families of Trees who have their own instructions and uses. Some provide us with shelter and shade, others with fruit, beauty and other useful things. Many people of the world use a Tree as a symbol of peace and strength. With one mind, we greet and thank the Tree life. Now our minds are one.

The Birds
We put our minds together as one and thank all the Birds who move and fly about over our heads. The Creator gave them beautiful songs. Each day they remind us to enjoy and appreciate life. The Eagle was chosen to be their leader. To all the Birds-from the smallest to the largest-we send our joyful greetings and thanks. Now our minds are one.

The Four Winds
We are all thankful to the powers we know as the Four Winds. We hear their voices in the moving air as they refresh us and purify the air we breathe. They help us to bring the change of seasons. From the four directions they come, bringing us messages and giving us strength. With one mind, we send our greetings and thanks to the Four Winds. Now our minds are one.

The Thunderers
Now we turn to the west where our grandfathers, the Thunder Beings, live. With lightning and thundering voices, they bring with them the water that renews life. We are thankful that they keep those evil things made by Okwiseres underground. We bring our minds together as one to send greetings and thanks to our Grandfathers, the Thunderers. Now our minds are one.

The Sun
We now send greetings and thanks to our eldest Brother, the Sun. Each day without fail he travels the sky from east to west, bringing the light of a new day. He is the source of all the fires of life. With one mind, we send greetings and thanks to our Brother, the Sun. Now our minds are one.

Grandmother Moon
We put our minds together to give thanks to our oldest Grandmother, the Moon, who lights the night-time sky. She is the leader of woman all over the world, and she governs the movement of the ocean tides. By her changing face we measure time, and it is the Moon who watches over the arrival of children here on Earth. With one mind, we send greetings and thanks to our Grandmother, the Moon. Now our minds are one.

The Stars
We give thanks to the Stars who are spread across the sky like jewelry. We see them in the night, helping the Moon to light the darkness and bringing dew to the gardens and growing things. When we travel at night, they guide us home. With our minds gathered together as one, we send greetings and thanks to the Stars. Now our minds are one.

The Enlightened Teachers
We gather our minds to greet and thank the enlightened Teachers who have come to help throughout the ages. When we forget how to live in harmony, they remind us of the way we were instructed to live as people. With one mind, we send greetings and thanks to these caring teachers. Now our minds are one.

The Creator
Now we turn our thoughts to the Creator, or Great Spirit, and send greetings and thanks for all the gifts of Creation. Everything we need to live a good life is here on this Mother Earth. For all the love that is still around us, we gather our minds together as one and send our choicest words of greetings and thanks to the Creator. Now our minds are one.

We have now arrived at the place where we end our words.
Of all the things we have named, it was not our intention to leave anything out. If something was forgotten, we leave it to each individual to send such greetings and thanks in their own way. Now our minds are one.

Perhaps some food for thought for those descended from colonial settlers on Turtle Island.

There's a lot to be grateful for...each and everyday.

lobster

Thanks @Shoshin1

That level of gratitude is a blessing

I am thankful for:

• Muelsi which I am going to have shortly
• Mindful eating, which I will be practicing
• Heating which we have
• A sunny day ahead, which the weather forecast predicts
• Nearby greenery, which I will visit
• Ability to practice thanksgiving everyday. I haz plan!

person

@Shoshin1 said:
When I asked my young American friend how her Thanksgiving was, she told me she had a video chat with friends in the US, and the first thing they did was recite this prayer.

Haudenosaunee (Iroquois)) Prayer of Gratitude to the Natural World

The People
Today we have gathered and we see that the cycles of life continue. We have been given the duty to live in balance and harmony with each other and all living things. So now, we bring our minds together as one as we give greetings and thanks to each other as people. Now our minds are one.

The Earth Mother
We are all thankful to our Mother, the Earth, for she gives us all that we need for life. She supports our feet as we walk about upon her. It gives us joy that she continues to care for us as she has from the beginning of time. To our mother, we send greetings and thanks. Now our minds are one.

The Waters
We give thanks to all the waters of the world for quenching our thirst and providing us with strength. Water is life. We know its power in many forms- waterfalls and rain, mists and streams, rivers and oceans. With one mind, we send greetings and thanks to the spirit of Water. Now our minds are one.

The Fish
We turn our minds to the all the Fish life in the water. They were instructed to cleanse and purify the water. They also give themselves to us as food. We are grateful that we can still find pure water. So, we turn now to the Fish and send our greetings and thanks. Now our minds are one.

The Plants
Now we turn toward the vast fields of Plant life. As far as the eye can see, the Plants grow, working many wonders. They sustain many life forms. With our minds gathered together, we give thanks and look forward to seeing Plant life for many generations to come. Now our minds are one.

The Food Plants
With one mind, we turn to honor and thank all the Food Plants we harvest from the garden. Since the beginning of time, the grains, vegetables, beans and berries have helped the people survive. Many other living things draw strength from them too. We gather all the Plant Foods together as one and send them a greeting of thanks. Now our minds are one.

The Medicine Herbs
Now we turn to all the Medicine herbs of the world. From the beginning they were instructed to take away sickness. They are always waiting and ready to heal us. We are happy there are still among us those special few who remember how to use these plants for healing. With one mind, we send greetings and thanks to the Medicines and to the keepers of the Medicines. Now our minds are one.

The Animals
We gather our minds together to send greetings and thanks to all the Animal life in the world. They have many things to teach us as people. We are honored by them when they give up their lives so we may use their bodies as food for our people. We see them near our homes and in the deep forests. We are glad they are still here and we hope that it will always be so. Now our minds are one

The Trees
We now turn our thoughts to the Trees. The Earth has many families of Trees who have their own instructions and uses. Some provide us with shelter and shade, others with fruit, beauty and other useful things. Many people of the world use a Tree as a symbol of peace and strength. With one mind, we greet and thank the Tree life. Now our minds are one.

The Birds
We put our minds together as one and thank all the Birds who move and fly about over our heads. The Creator gave them beautiful songs. Each day they remind us to enjoy and appreciate life. The Eagle was chosen to be their leader. To all the Birds-from the smallest to the largest-we send our joyful greetings and thanks. Now our minds are one.

The Four Winds
We are all thankful to the powers we know as the Four Winds. We hear their voices in the moving air as they refresh us and purify the air we breathe. They help us to bring the change of seasons. From the four directions they come, bringing us messages and giving us strength. With one mind, we send our greetings and thanks to the Four Winds. Now our minds are one.

The Thunderers
Now we turn to the west where our grandfathers, the Thunder Beings, live. With lightning and thundering voices, they bring with them the water that renews life. We are thankful that they keep those evil things made by Okwiseres underground. We bring our minds together as one to send greetings and thanks to our Grandfathers, the Thunderers. Now our minds are one.

The Sun
We now send greetings and thanks to our eldest Brother, the Sun. Each day without fail he travels the sky from east to west, bringing the light of a new day. He is the source of all the fires of life. With one mind, we send greetings and thanks to our Brother, the Sun. Now our minds are one.

Grandmother Moon
We put our minds together to give thanks to our oldest Grandmother, the Moon, who lights the night-time sky. She is the leader of woman all over the world, and she governs the movement of the ocean tides. By her changing face we measure time, and it is the Moon who watches over the arrival of children here on Earth. With one mind, we send greetings and thanks to our Grandmother, the Moon. Now our minds are one.

The Stars
We give thanks to the Stars who are spread across the sky like jewelry. We see them in the night, helping the Moon to light the darkness and bringing dew to the gardens and growing things. When we travel at night, they guide us home. With our minds gathered together as one, we send greetings and thanks to the Stars. Now our minds are one.

The Enlightened Teachers
We gather our minds to greet and thank the enlightened Teachers who have come to help throughout the ages. When we forget how to live in harmony, they remind us of the way we were instructed to live as people. With one mind, we send greetings and thanks to these caring teachers. Now our minds are one.

The Creator
Now we turn our thoughts to the Creator, or Great Spirit, and send greetings and thanks for all the gifts of Creation. Everything we need to live a good life is here on this Mother Earth. For all the love that is still around us, we gather our minds together as one and send our choicest words of greetings and thanks to the Creator. Now our minds are one.

We have now arrived at the place where we end our words.
Of all the things we have named, it was not our intention to leave anything out. If something was forgotten, we leave it to each individual to send such greetings and thanks in their own way. Now our minds are one.

While reading it this reminded me of my short meal prayer adapted from TNH, and had a little concern if there isn't a bit of cultural appropriation in reciting the above prayer.

This food is produced from the Earth, the sky and much hard work by many people
In gratitude for their efforts, may I live in ways that make me better able to help
By practicing contentment and less greedy ways of life

But...

Perhaps some food for thought for those descended from colonial settlers on Turtle Island.

The airing of grievances is more of a Festivus tradition

There's a lot to be grateful for...each and everyday.

Its good to have a holiday to remind us. Even though the origins of the US holiday go back to colonial times it didn't become a tradition until later and cemented as a national holiday until 1863 as a means of community building in the shadow of the US Civil War.

lobster

Grateful 4

• My tea is still warm (normally I drink it cold - getting distracted...)
• Another hard task to complete today (will be making or taking it easy)
• Seated meditation again without cushion
• Being Christian for Christmas is one of my early resolutions

lobster

grateful 4

• Me (my favourite person who tries not to be a narcissus - except in the Spring)
• Wild and tamed trees
• Green tea (in a flask)
• Mojeek (my new favourite search engine)

lobster

Wot run out of gratitude's?

1. Grateful for my Christmas decorations, including an already flowering cactus
2. Food (not squirrels) for breakfast
3. Heresy, alchemy and rasayana
4. My old Shingon cult Mantra NAMU DASHI KONGO RENGE HUM HRI
5. Stories I was read as a kid
6. My many relatives (includes squirrels)
7. Everyone on New Buddhist, olde and Neo
8. The Buddha Metta Ray (Maitreya) who I chant to every day
9. My new website mettaray.com
10. GOTO 1 being able to learn programming in C++

Shoshin1

I'm Thankful For...

...The impermanent nature of all things ...

IAMFINE

That's wonderful to hear! So grateful for good health myself – congrats on shedding those 10 pounds and staying strong at 52. Here's to more healthy, stress-free years ahead!

person

@IAMFINE said:
That's wonderful to hear! So grateful for good health myself – congrats on shedding those 10 pounds and staying strong at 52. Here's to more healthy, stress-free years ahead!

Thanks, and welcome to the forum!

lobster

Grateful for:

1. Had a late Christmas family meal yesterday with siblings (fish in cheese and onion sauce, broccoli and carrots, fried potato slices, homemade pudding, bottle of white wine etc) Very nice too.
2. Late presents: Austrian biscuits, Baileys (might have a small glass with my morning porridge). Really nice crackers for cheese
3. Middle Way. In other words a bit of Xmas not a frenzied consumerist 'holiday'.
4. Food deliver later this morning
5. Night time quiet (2:40 AM here)
6. Deciding to be a Solarpunk (at least halfway there)
   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solarpunk

lobster

Grateful for:

1. Vegetarian lunch of nut and beetroot burgers with tomato sauce and cheesy pasta and a green salad
2. Started watching a recommended gentle comedy 'Small Prophets' https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Small_Prophets
3. Something to read up on https://pluralistic.net/
4. All the great messages/insights on NewBuddhist

Jeroen

This list…

THE 5 OMNIPRESENT (EVER-RECURRING) MENTAL FACTORS

1. Feeling (the first aggregate)
2. Recognition / discrimination / distinguishing awareness (the second aggregate)
3. Intention / mental impulse - I will ...
4. Concentration / attention / mental application - focused grasping of an object of awareness
5. Contact - the connection of an object with the mind, this may be pleasurable, painful or neutral as experienced by the aggregate of Feeling.

THE 5 DETERMINATIVE MENTAL FACTORS

6. Resolution / aspiration - directing effort to fulfil desired intention, basis for diligence and enthusiasm.
7. Interest / appreciation - holding on to a particular thing, not allowing distraction
8. Mindfulness / Recollection - repeatedly bringing objects back to mind, not forgetting
9. Concentration / Samadhi - one-pointed focus on an object, basis for increasing intelligence
10. Intelligence / Wisdom - "common-sense intelligence", fine discrimination, examines characteristics of objects, stops doubt, maintains root of all wholesome qualities.

THE 4 VARIABLE (POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE) MENTAL FACTORS

11. Sleep - makes mind unclear, sense consciousness turns inwards
12. Regret - makes mind unhappy when regarding a previously done action as bad, prevents the mind from being at ease.
13. General examination / coarse discernment - depending on intelligence or intention, searches for rough idea about the object.
14. Precise analysis / subtle discernment - depending on intelligence or intention, examines the object in detail.

THE 11 VIRTUOUS MENTAL FACTORS

(Note that 18 and 19 are not necessary always virtuous. The first 3 are also known as roots of virtue.)

15. Faith / confidence / respectful belief - gives us positive attitude to virtue and objects that are worthy of respect. Three types are distinguished, with the last one being the preferred type:
    a. uncritical faith: motivation is for no apparent reason
    b. longing faith: motivation is by an emotionally unstable mind
    c. conviction: motivated by sound reasons
16. Sense of Propriety / self-respect - usually the personal conscience to stop negative actions and perform positive actions
17. Considerateness / decency - avoids evil towards others, basis for unspoiled moral discipline.
18. Suppleness / thorough training / flexibility - enables the mind to engage in positive acts as wished, interrupting mental or physical rigidity.
19. Equanimity / clear-minded tranquility - peaceful mind, not being overpowered by delusions, no mental dullness or agitation
20. Conscientiousness / carefulness - causes avoiding negative acts & doing good; mind with detachment, non-hatred, non-ignorance and enthusiasm
21. Renunciation / detachment - no attachment to cyclic existence and objects
22. Non hatred / imperturbability - no animosity to others or conditions; rejoicing
23. Non-bewilderment / non ignorance / open-mindedness - usually understanding the meaning of things through clear discrimination, never unwilling to learn
24. Non violence / complete harmlessness - compassion without any hatred, pacifist
25. Enthusiasm / diligence - doing positive acts (specifically mental development and meditation) with delight

THE 26 NON-VIRTUOUS MENTAL FACTORS

THE 6 ROOT DELUSIONS (Delusion is defined as any secondary mental factor that, when developed, brings about suffering and uneasiness to self or others.)

26. Ignorance - not knowing karma, meaning and practice of 3 Jewels, includes closed-mindedness, lack of wisdom of emptiness.
27. Attachment / desire - definition: not wanting to be separated from someone or something. Grasping at aggregates in cyclic existence causes rebirth & suffering of existence
28. Anger - definition: wanting to be separated from someone or something, can lead to relentless desire to hurt others; causes unhappiness
29. Pride - inflated superiority, supported by one's worldly views, which include disrespect of others
30. Doubt / deluded indecisive wavering - being in two minds about reality; usually leads to negative actions
31. Wrong views / speculative delusions - based on emotional afflictions. Distinguished in 5 types: belief in the self as permanent or non-existent (as opposite to the view of emptiness); denying karma, not understanding the value of the 3 Jewels; closed-mindedness (my view -which is wrong- is best); wrong conduct (not towards liberation)

THE 20 SECONDARY NON-VIRTUOUS MENTAL FACTORS

Derived from anger:
32. Wrath / hatred - by increased anger, malicious state wishing to cause immediate harm to others
33. Vengeance / malice / resentment - not forgetting harm done by a person, and seeking to return harm done to oneself
34. Rage / spite / outrage - intention to utter harsh speech in reply to unpleasant words, when wrath and malice become unbearable
35. Cruelty / vindictiveness / mercilessness - being devoid of compassion or kindness, seeking harm to others.

Derived from anger and attachment:
36. Envy / jealousy - internal anger caused by attachment; unbearable to bear good things others have

Derived from attachment:
37. Greed / avarice / miserliness - intense clinging to possessions and their increase
38. Vanity / self-satisfaction - seeing one's good fortune giving one a false sense of confidence; being intoxicated with oneself
39. Excitement / wildness / mental agitation - distraction towards desire objects, not allowing the mind to rest on something wholesome; obstructs single pointed concentration.

Derived from ignorance:
40. Concealment - hiding one's negative qualities when others with good intention refer to them this causes regret
41. Dullness / muddle-headedness - caused by fogginess which makes mind dark/heavy - like when going to sleep, coarse dullness is when the object is unclear, subtle dullness is when the object has no intense clarity
42. Faithlessness - no belief of that which is worthy of respect; it can be the idea that virtue is unnecessary, or a mistaken view of virtue; it forms the basis for laziness (43)
43. Laziness - being attached to temporary pleasure, not wanting to do virtue or only little; opposite to diligence [25])
44. Forgetfulness - causes to not clearly remember virtuous acts, inducing distraction to disturbing objects - not "just forgetting", but negative tendency
45. Inattentiveness / lack of conscience - "distracted wisdom" after rough or no analysis, not fully aware of one's conduct, careless indifference and moral failings; intentional seeking mental distraction like daydreaming

Derived from attachment and ignorance:
46. Hypocrisy / pretension - pretend non-existent qualities of oneself
47. Dishonesty / smugness - hiding one's faults, giving no clear answers, no regret, snobbery & conceit, self-importance and finding faults with others

Derived from attachment, anger and ignorance
48. Shamelessness - consciously not avoiding evil, it supports all root and secondary delusions
49. Inconsiderateness - not avoiding evil, being inconsiderate of other's practice, ingratitude
50. Unconscientiousness / carelessness- 3 delusions plus laziness; wanting to act unrestrained
51. Distraction / mental wandering - inability to focus on any virtuous object

marcitko

A monk I like very much on gratitude...