.
Many people
ask me questions about
why gratitude is important.
In our meditative
tradition,
we really emphasize
gratitude and appreciation,
and most important is
recognizing
the qualities of
“innate well-being.”
We have a lot of traditional examples of this.
For example,
if there is a treasure,
let’s say 10 kilos of diamonds,
beneath your house,
and you are the owner of the house,
the land, everything,
but you are struggling.
You have no air conditioning,
no good water,
no plumbing, no electricity.
You struggle to live.
But actually, you are a very rich person,
because you own those 10 kilos of diamonds.
But the problem is . . .
What do you think the problem is?
Can you guess?
There is one small problem.
The problem is?
You do not know that there are diamonds
beneath your house.
You do not know that you are wealthy, right?
You do not know
you have these precious things there.
Once you recognize that,
if you buy a big apartment with
just a piece of a diamond,
and you move all the diamonds into the apartment,
do you become richer, or are you the same?
Actually you are the same,
but it looks like your life has now become wonderful.
There is electricity, water, food, and
a big refrigerator that is full of
fresh vegetables.
Everything is there.
So it is the same thing here.
All these great qualities . . .
90% of the qualities that are within us are good,
but at the surface level we have 10%
negative qualities.
But of that 10%
we make
a mountain out of a molehill.
A small molehill,
we make into a mountain.
Let’s try this.
Maybe we will do one small experiment.
Hold your thumb like this.
Cover one eye like that.
Can you see your thumb?
How big is it?
Same as a thumb, right?
The size is the size of my thumb.
Of course I know that.
Now slowly, slowly,
bring your thumb close to your eye.
Now your thumb
is coming
close to your eye.
How big is it?
Now your thumb looks like
it has become bigger, doesn’t it?
Almost half the size of the room now.
Do not put your thumb in your eye, but
bring it closer to your eye.
Now what happened?
Everything has become the thumb.
A huge thumb.
Look at the left side.
There is a big thumb.
The left side.
Now look at the right side.
Also a thumb.
Look up. Also a thumb.
Look down. Also a thumb.
Now draw your thumb away
from your eyes slowly,
slowly. How is it?
Has the thumb become smaller?
The thumb is the same,
but in your perception
it looks like the thumb has become smaller.
That is how our mind is exaggerating
the 10% of negative qualities
to make it seem like 90%.
Most of the time we deny
the 90%.
Innate well-being is manifesting in us
all the time,
but we do not see it. How to see that?
How to see the other 90%?
You need to learn how to be grateful
and appreciative.
At the beginning,
you have to do something small.
Maybe from today on,
buy a notebook, an empty notebook,
and write down three things that you appreciate
and feel gratitude for,
maybe about yourself.
At the beginning,
notice simple things.
“It is wonderful that I can breathe.
I am still alive. How wonderful!
I washed the dishes. How wonderful!”
Three things already!
But these things are great.
They are very important.
We think they are small,
but actually they are really big.
The next day you can appreciate things about
the people around you.
Maybe your family members,
cats and dogs, and colleagues.
Appreciate something about them.
And the next day something about the world.
Three things.
If you want to share this in the comments,
you are welcome.
I think that sharing in the comments
is very meaningful,
and gratitude becomes contagious.
We can see each other’s comments
and influence each other.
So try that.
Slowly, what will happen is
that you will see an entirely new
domain, a new dimension.
Normally we see only the 10% of negative qualities,
and now slowly
you will see so many good things within you,
around you, and about the world.
Once you see that . . .
Remember the
diamonds.
When you discover the diamonds,
it changes your life.
Actually you are the same as before,
your wealth is the same as before,
but now you are completely different.
You have this great treasure within you,
but you need to discover it.
Once you discover it, life can be changed.
Thank you.