An Example of My Morning Contemplations of Gratitude

I am awake and joyful to have another day in this beautiful world. Waking into a new day is an exciting opportunity of many amazing possibilities. It is an opportunity to meet new people, to make a difference in lives, to spread more joy than is already in the world. It is an opportunity to taste new food, see new sights, and think thoughts I've not thought before. It is a new opportunity to feel good and to help others to feel good.

In this new day I feel great appreciation that I have awakened refreshed, renewed, and rejuvenated to begin this next day in my journey. I am eager to eat my delicious breakfast, to taste with my healthy tongue the flavors of my chosen food. I'm grateful that my body uses the nutrients I give it to repair, rebuild, and revive my body without my conscious effort. I enjoy sipping my coffee and listening to the sounds of the rest of the world waking into our new day that we will co-create together.

In this new and wonderful day I'm mindful of the treasures I have amassed. I am grateful for my family, my friendships, my teachers, my students, and my neighbors being in my life and helping me to create a world that is beautiful and full of joy. I'm grateful to the stories we have written and those we are currently writing. I love my history and the ongoing adventure that this body and mind experience.

I feel great appreciation for the way life continues to teach me the true nature of reality. I am blessed to recognize that all things are impermanent, even me. I am grateful that in impermanence all things change and can be transformed deliberately. I see that through impermanence things are making room for new experiences and more distance on the path I'm traveling.

Today, I am aware of my human intelligence and strive to add to my knowledge new things through my observation, study, and experience in this reality. I am aware of those whose lives are more difficult than mine and I yearn to help them; the animals, the empoverished, the elderly, and infirm. I send them love from my heart and a strong wish that they never experience suffering and are embraced with great joy.

I am grateful to my spiritual teachers in this and all my lifetimes who have shown me the nature of my mind and of reality. I honor them, as well as their teachings which protect me from ignorance. I earnestly strive to gain more wisdom and to be like my teachers and help others. By applying the teachings I become happier, and from my own happiness I am able to help free others of their ignorance, suffering, and pain.

I realize that the impermanence of this reality is due to the ongoing flow of karma. I mindfully observe the relationship between causes and effects on obvious and subtle levels and look toward the day my mind will understand the most subtle truths of causality.

Though this reality is constantly changing and clinging to impermanent things and people will only cause sadness and suffering when they cease to be, I will joyfully engage in the practices and activities that will release me and others from taking rebirth into realities that lack stability and perfection. I will strive to liberate myself and others from negative emotions and dwell only in joy, compassion, love, and wisdom.

All beings seek this kind of life, desperately wanting happiness. I recognize our shared yearning for a better reality and I want to find it and give it to each and everyone of them. They give me great joy and they turn my heart toward greater qualities of experience. Without them I cannot advance.

Every being brings me new experiences and thoughts. They are therefore my mothers, giving birth to a brand new me in every moment. Like my real mother, this great kindness they have shown me by giving birth to my brand new self, I celebrate their kindness and wish to repay them. I love them, dearly. I don't want anything harmful to happen to them. So, I will work to achieve the highest aim so that I may benefit them and liberate them!

When they suffer, since on my journey I have championed many dreadful experiences and emerged stronger than before, I seek to take on their suffering and give them my joy. I will once again overcome the negativities and transform then into even more happiness. I welcome their suffering unto myself and exult in their freedom.

This feels wonderful, having a loving and compassionate heart. I remember every time I acted selfishly and realize the hurt it caused in myself and others. I will work diligently to abandon such selfishness and develop within myself more of these amazing qualities.

I realize that my patience, love, compassion, wisdom have only come about due to my interacting with others. Without them I can't progress even one inch on my path toward perfection. Therefore, I will recognize the importance of holding them more dear and precious than any possible desire I have, except the quest for full enlightenment to become their paramount benefit.

It is this supreme compassion that develops all great qualities. It is like the heat in the oven that bakes delicious cakes. It is like a womb that incubates life. Holy compassion is the life force energy that creates worlds. I will commit myself to developing my heart limitlessly, since the number of beings in the universe is limitless.

I see these marvelous qualities in my own spiritual teacher and I rejoice that he is showing me their power and how to develop them. I pray that he remains in my life and guides me. I pray that he has a long and fruitful life, teaching others these valuable lessons, as well. And when we shall die, I beg the powers of the universe that I am reborn near him and continue under his tutelage until I am also liberated.

I will joyfully go about my day eagerly and mindfully keeping all these things in my heart and mind. I look forward to the growth and expansion that such a mindset creates. May all beings have such joy and find the path that leads to final liberation.