Thank you! Very interesting! Here's your chance to re-live in vivid Imagery my comment. This principle actually gets you thinking that maybe we might have wider opportunities for feelings of gratefulness particularly with any of our successes,accomplishments, failures when we realize that we always walk with a partner in these tasks , the grace, the involvement of god, allah, great spirit. Maybe we never act alone but always have assistance in our processes. How we interpret the final outcome or product will encourage resilience or cause us stress . This is a great POST!
This was a great post about the value of gratitude and how it reshapes our brains as a result, well done Zahra! As someone who has been reading some of Dr. Jung's work recently and finding resonance with some of his ideas, I appreciated the quote from Man's Search for Meaning. To me, it really emphasizes how when our actions and lives are assigned meaning and purpose, we find that we are capable of overcoming difficult and challenging trials by acknowledging that they are on the path towards a higher purpose and reason for being.
Gratitude, especially and supposedly before a Divine instance, strikes me as most strange for many reasons.
I’ll skip the neurological part simply because, despite a very prestigious vocabulary, I think it’s a rather dodgy, pop-exposé of Science 101, doomed to go down with the likes of Darwinism, phrenology and embryology in short order.
The ultimate expression of Gratitude for people in the US (commonly and erroneously referred to as ‘Americans‘) is ‘Thanksgiving’. They easily forget that right after ‘Thanksgiving’ (the display of gratitude) for the generosity of the ‘Indians’, they immediately set about barbarically eliminating their generous hosts.
The ‘faithful’ further contend that the One (you know which one I’m talking about, but go ahead and express it in your own terms to facilitate the discussion and avoid any futile irritants), loves to hear praise to Him (do women really believe that it’s a He…?).
Were the One omnipotent and omniscient, capable of understanding & controlling all frequencies throughout the Universe for eternity and beyond (I think it does), what kind of cheap gratification would it perceive from petty gratitude emanating from someone giving thanks for something they likely didn’t need or that was even noxious for their very existence? (Viz, soldiers or soccer players ‘praying’ for help so they can decimate their adversaries…).
For the One is the alpha & the omega, sufficing unto itself with and or without its creations. At birth, do babies express gratitude? Certainly not on an understandable frequency for we humans. Can we thus qualify them as ‘ungrateful’? To do so harks back to the obscene hierarchies of Purgatory and other Manichean perversions to which I shall not adhere.
No one can even remotely speculate about the capacities of the One who bestows all things to us over time in the most arcane manner. The One is also atemporal. To express gratitude would appear akin to the acknowledgement of a DEBT incurred over TIME. Most religions quickly seize upon this so-called spiritual estate to foster bonding between believers & the believed in…via mundane systems of social control.
Express gratitude. Show that you appreciate – even revere – the source of generosity that allowed you to overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles. Have you forgotten that it was the One by which you came into your very existence? Who created the universe in which your joys and pains were spawned? Who will endure after you’ve lived through a trillion reincarnations, the most minute details of which the One, by its very essence, fosters and destroys at its every whim?
Who said that the One needs to understand you in your language? The One allowed Humanity to develop language, an inexplicable, miraculous human attribute.
Who said that the One favors those from this or that religion? To my knowledge, there are no temples in space and, reigning over the Universe, the One does not even need a ‘Heaven to call Home’. Why should the One crave such a silly bourgeois nightmare?
All such pretentions are simply sparks from the fragile ego of mankind that drowns in what only appears to be (because of our imperfect senses) the silence of the cosmos.
The One has known me through countless reincarnations and follows me even better than I follow myself. I am but a tool, a pawn of the One. Experience shows that, over the long term, it is in my best interest to try to tune into the One as best I can. However, my prosperity is no guarantee that the One has ‘approved’ my acts, nor is my misery proof that I have transgressed Divine Law. For perhaps the architect of the project requires such states in my Life, with no need for debits or credits. Further, there is absolutely no proof that such vicissitudes reflect my spiritual ‘value’ (sic) in the ‘eyes’ (sic) of the Divine. Ultimately, we must have the humility to recognize that we in no way understand the criteria on which the jury – if there truly is one – bases its decision. To pretend otherwise is the expression of arrogance in one of its higher forms.
We are who are.
Even if the One did thrive on the praise and flattery that humans so crave (doubtful), would not the One be every bit as pleased that we show respect for our fellow human beings as it would be when we bow down in ‘gratitude’ to absolve our ‘debt’? For what greater expression of gratitude can there be beyond loving the creation and all the creatures bestowed upon us?
To wit, when your children accomplish great things, do you feel the need that they express their gratitude to you? Most likely not. The very fact that they have chosen to leverage what you have given them is worth much more than any thank-you note. You don’t need gratitude. You’re much greater than that. They’ve shown you their love and respect.
Ultimately, it seems childish to express gratitude to the One that is the very author of all of our systems: biological, social, psychological, mental, neurological… and many more upon which we have yet to dwell even superficially with what affectionately refer to as 'science'.
While I shall continue to cultivate love and respect for my neighbours in even the minutest gesture, I shall leave gratitude to the clergy and the bankers. For I’m not convinced the One even needs it.
How dare we say "the One" although you've stated the One many times. Ultimately some of us feel that we are not separate from the One, the One in all of us? I'm not convinced and find it hard to believe this jibberish last small paragraph you wrote right above, but you also wrote.
"Express gratitude. Show that you appreciate – even revere – the source of generosity that allowed you to overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles. Have you forgotten that it was the One by which you came into your very existence? Who created the universe in which your joys and pains were spawned? Who will endure after you’ve lived through a trillion reincarnations, the most minute details of which the One, by its very essence, fosters and destroys at its every whim"?
One of the major points of Zahar's message here is for healing, reducing stress, strengthening resilience in personal life. This is resilience, not religious or banker doctrines. This is self preservation, respect, love,etc. This is conscious interpretation of your behavior . The One is in all. Our thoughts and interpretations can increase anxiety or or increase love, respect, support for ourselves, the minister, the banker, etc. and the ONE
Thank you! Very interesting! Here's your chance to re-live in vivid Imagery my comment. This principle actually gets you thinking that maybe we might have wider opportunities for feelings of gratefulness particularly with any of our successes,accomplishments, failures when we realize that we always walk with a partner in these tasks , the grace, the involvement of god, allah, great spirit. Maybe we never act alone but always have assistance in our processes. How we interpret the final outcome or product will encourage resilience or cause us stress . This is a great POST!
Beautiful food for thought there Cliff, thank you!
Just thinking about the last sincere “thank you” I got was like stepping into the sun.
A very insightful read
This was a great post about the value of gratitude and how it reshapes our brains as a result, well done Zahra! As someone who has been reading some of Dr. Jung's work recently and finding resonance with some of his ideas, I appreciated the quote from Man's Search for Meaning. To me, it really emphasizes how when our actions and lives are assigned meaning and purpose, we find that we are capable of overcoming difficult and challenging trials by acknowledging that they are on the path towards a higher purpose and reason for being.
On Gratitude
Gratitude, especially and supposedly before a Divine instance, strikes me as most strange for many reasons.
I’ll skip the neurological part simply because, despite a very prestigious vocabulary, I think it’s a rather dodgy, pop-exposé of Science 101, doomed to go down with the likes of Darwinism, phrenology and embryology in short order.
The ultimate expression of Gratitude for people in the US (commonly and erroneously referred to as ‘Americans‘) is ‘Thanksgiving’. They easily forget that right after ‘Thanksgiving’ (the display of gratitude) for the generosity of the ‘Indians’, they immediately set about barbarically eliminating their generous hosts.
The ‘faithful’ further contend that the One (you know which one I’m talking about, but go ahead and express it in your own terms to facilitate the discussion and avoid any futile irritants), loves to hear praise to Him (do women really believe that it’s a He…?).
Were the One omnipotent and omniscient, capable of understanding & controlling all frequencies throughout the Universe for eternity and beyond (I think it does), what kind of cheap gratification would it perceive from petty gratitude emanating from someone giving thanks for something they likely didn’t need or that was even noxious for their very existence? (Viz, soldiers or soccer players ‘praying’ for help so they can decimate their adversaries…).
For the One is the alpha & the omega, sufficing unto itself with and or without its creations. At birth, do babies express gratitude? Certainly not on an understandable frequency for we humans. Can we thus qualify them as ‘ungrateful’? To do so harks back to the obscene hierarchies of Purgatory and other Manichean perversions to which I shall not adhere.
No one can even remotely speculate about the capacities of the One who bestows all things to us over time in the most arcane manner. The One is also atemporal. To express gratitude would appear akin to the acknowledgement of a DEBT incurred over TIME. Most religions quickly seize upon this so-called spiritual estate to foster bonding between believers & the believed in…via mundane systems of social control.
Express gratitude. Show that you appreciate – even revere – the source of generosity that allowed you to overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles. Have you forgotten that it was the One by which you came into your very existence? Who created the universe in which your joys and pains were spawned? Who will endure after you’ve lived through a trillion reincarnations, the most minute details of which the One, by its very essence, fosters and destroys at its every whim?
Who said that the One needs to understand you in your language? The One allowed Humanity to develop language, an inexplicable, miraculous human attribute.
Who said that the One favors those from this or that religion? To my knowledge, there are no temples in space and, reigning over the Universe, the One does not even need a ‘Heaven to call Home’. Why should the One crave such a silly bourgeois nightmare?
All such pretentions are simply sparks from the fragile ego of mankind that drowns in what only appears to be (because of our imperfect senses) the silence of the cosmos.
The One has known me through countless reincarnations and follows me even better than I follow myself. I am but a tool, a pawn of the One. Experience shows that, over the long term, it is in my best interest to try to tune into the One as best I can. However, my prosperity is no guarantee that the One has ‘approved’ my acts, nor is my misery proof that I have transgressed Divine Law. For perhaps the architect of the project requires such states in my Life, with no need for debits or credits. Further, there is absolutely no proof that such vicissitudes reflect my spiritual ‘value’ (sic) in the ‘eyes’ (sic) of the Divine. Ultimately, we must have the humility to recognize that we in no way understand the criteria on which the jury – if there truly is one – bases its decision. To pretend otherwise is the expression of arrogance in one of its higher forms.
We are who are.
Even if the One did thrive on the praise and flattery that humans so crave (doubtful), would not the One be every bit as pleased that we show respect for our fellow human beings as it would be when we bow down in ‘gratitude’ to absolve our ‘debt’? For what greater expression of gratitude can there be beyond loving the creation and all the creatures bestowed upon us?
To wit, when your children accomplish great things, do you feel the need that they express their gratitude to you? Most likely not. The very fact that they have chosen to leverage what you have given them is worth much more than any thank-you note. You don’t need gratitude. You’re much greater than that. They’ve shown you their love and respect.
Ultimately, it seems childish to express gratitude to the One that is the very author of all of our systems: biological, social, psychological, mental, neurological… and many more upon which we have yet to dwell even superficially with what affectionately refer to as 'science'.
While I shall continue to cultivate love and respect for my neighbours in even the minutest gesture, I shall leave gratitude to the clergy and the bankers. For I’m not convinced the One even needs it.
Gratitude? No thanks.
How dare we say "the One" although you've stated the One many times. Ultimately some of us feel that we are not separate from the One, the One in all of us? I'm not convinced and find it hard to believe this jibberish last small paragraph you wrote right above, but you also wrote.
"Express gratitude. Show that you appreciate – even revere – the source of generosity that allowed you to overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles. Have you forgotten that it was the One by which you came into your very existence? Who created the universe in which your joys and pains were spawned? Who will endure after you’ve lived through a trillion reincarnations, the most minute details of which the One, by its very essence, fosters and destroys at its every whim"?
One of the major points of Zahar's message here is for healing, reducing stress, strengthening resilience in personal life. This is resilience, not religious or banker doctrines. This is self preservation, respect, love,etc. This is conscious interpretation of your behavior . The One is in all. Our thoughts and interpretations can increase anxiety or or increase love, respect, support for ourselves, the minister, the banker, etc. and the ONE
Indeed, the One is in all.
Wishing you a very fine Sunday.
thank you!