Donald Rothberg, a member of the Teachers Council at Spirit Rock Meditation Center, talks about the relationship between generosity and gratitude: the spirit of giving can rest on the feeling of gratitude.
On Generosity and Gratitude
Most of us have learned that it’s good to be generous and grateful, and intuitively, we understand this to be true. When we are grateful for the blessings in our lives, we tend to feel happy and content with the world as it is. In these glimpses of real appreciation, we may feel more aligned with the present moment, and our mental health, our relationships, and our experience of life may benefit. While we sense all of this to be true, we don’t always experience it. Sometimes gratitude is hidden beneath a mind that is caught up in thoughts and beliefs that run contrary to it.
As we deepen our understanding of why gratitude matters, and learn how we can draw on it (by listening to a meditation on gratitude, for instance), we may find it easier to return to that place of appreciation more often.
More from: Donald Rothberg
