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Vihara => Open Vihara - [Offenes Vihara] => Topic started by: Dhammañāṇa on October 12, 2018, 05:43:18 PM

Title: [Q&A] How to develope, learn and maintain gratitude (right view)?
Post by: Dhammañāṇa on October 12, 2018, 05:43:18 PM
On another place a person, having seen the power of gratitude, asked how to increase and maintain it. Since the fact of goodness and gratitude, giving and receiving, "debts" at least, is something people in outer lands totally reject and try to get ride of this reality of Samsara in ways of denying it, it's seldom to get any approve and encouragements, advices how to develope.

Having shortly accessed such "modern Dhamma place", my person does not even like or feel benefit to backlink to the occasion . (https://buddhism.stackexchange.com/a/29476)

Even for so called advanced scholars, possible especially, this topic, an importand heart of right view and to understand the traditional ways of practice, is stuff hard to bear.

May it be of support for all those who are willing to put Saddha at first place, take it to heart, put it into practice and see for oneself as it really is.



Venerable members of the Sangha,
walking in front Fellows in leading the holly life.

  _/\_  _/\_  _/\_

In Respect of the Triple Gems, Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha, in Respect of the Elders of the community   _/\_ ,

my person tries to answer this question. Please, may all knowledgeable Venerables and Dhammika, out of compassion, correct my person, if something is not correct and fill also graps, if something is missing.

Valued Upasaka, Upasika, Aramika(inis),
dear Readers and interested Visitors,

 *sgift*


Namo tassa bhagavato arahato sammā-sambuddhassa (http://zugangzureinsicht.org/html/homage_en.html)


(a practicing person, was looking for approve if the feeling, that gratitude lead to decrease greed and desire, is right and how to practice to keep it up: )

Yes, having a sense of gratitude, seeing the endless loop of debts in this world, is not only the foundation of letting of all five kinds of stinginess but also leads to the ending of desire and liberation. A person of gratitude, never forgetting that he depended, depends on so many sacrifies, beginging by oneself, voluntary, and not at all voluntary but by force, can be sure that if meeting that of what is beyond debt, hearing the good Dhamma, origin, cause and way of practice to gain the state of one able to give, is not only able to attain Jhana but also to reach paths and the highest fruit.

A person of ingratitude, what ever trying, is and will be lost and it is because of this one should avoid to associate with people who pay no gratitude aside of Maras short enjoyments.

Reflection on the many sacrifices beyond so little joy, is something that should be done by those still rejoicing on sensuality as much as possible, reflecting gain, debt and lose in it, the many pain behind.

All Brahmaviharas, destinated to liberation,, especially Mudita, are based on a sense of gratitude, a sense of right view. The path to liberation start with gratitude, is it's only door.

Gratitude and proper fear of debts, a sense of it, increases all desires to abound what is unskilfull and increases all desires to develope and hold on skilfulness.

The meditation of Mudita (rejoicing with ones own and all other beings done goodness and gains) has gratitude as it's cause, aim and release, embodies the joy of letting go best.

Again (#post_previous), maybe now possible to see, to trace.

Also this lesson might be of support: [En] Karma and Gratitude, Bhante Thanissaro (http://forum.sangham.net/index.php/topic,8155.0.html)

One may find some additional explainings here, or better just start to learn about it by doing where rejoicing with good deeds of others is practiced, giving into at fist hand to understand: Sharing merits - (pattanumodana & pattidana) (http://forum.sangham.net/index.php/topic,326.msg13806.html#msg13806)

Never ever think like a thief, a "smart one", because if doing so, one is lost easy self-overestimation (thinking "I am worthy", all "my merits" ripping...) and not easily will find in the near of the Noble Domain, a borderland (http://forum.sangham.net/index.php/topic,8884.msg16105.html#msg16105) again.

Three kind of people are there, goodness can hardly till never be payed back again: Bahukārasuttaṃ (http://forum.sangham.net/index.php/topic,8308.0.html).

- Namo tassa bhagavato arahato sammā-sambuddhassa -

24. "Bhikkhus, these three persons have done much to a person. Which three? Bhikkhus, the person gone to whom this person takes refuge in the Enlightenment, in the Teaching and the Community of bhikkhus.

"Bhikkhus, the person gone to whom this person knows as it really is, this is unpleasant, this is the arising of unpleasantness, this is the cessation of unpleasantness and this is the path leading to the cessation of unpleasantness.

"Again, bhikkhus, the person gone to whom, this person destroys desires, releases the mind and released through wisdom, here and now abides having realized. Bhikkhus, these three persons have done much to this person.

"Bhikkhus, it is not possible that these three persons could be thoroughly repaid with gratitude, by this person revering him, attending on him, clasping hands towards him and honouring him with robes, morsel food, dwellings and medicinal requisites."

But "gifted" of such, the end of tasks and duties is secured and reached. (Debts are unavoidable, but to whom? (http://forum.sangham.net/index.php/topic,7854.msg11301.html#msg11301)

So is it that a sign of having entered the Noble Domain is overwhelming gratitude toward the Sublime Tripple Gems, having the Sublime Buddha as it's leader.

Gratitude is the paths beginning and it's very end.

Usual training an technics to get familar to a minset of gratitude:

Note that this giving falls actually into the sphere of Silas/duties for one having gone for refuge and are required to not lose the refuge (e.g. breaking the Refuge)

Namo tassa bhagavato arahato sammā-sambuddhassa

"These two people are hard to find in the world. Which two? The one who is first to do a kindness, and the one who is grateful for a kindness done and feels obligated to repay it. These two people are hard to find in the world."
Quote from: AN 2.119 (http://www.zugangzureinsicht.org/html/lib/authors/thanissaro/headandhearttogether/Section0004_en.html): Dullabha Sutta — Hard to Find

- Namo tassa bhagavato arahato sammā-sambuddhassa -

He bears no ill will and is not corrupt in the resolves of his heart (http://zugangzureinsicht.org/html/ptf/dhamma/sacca/sacca4/samma-sankappo/index_en.html). [He thinks,] 'May these beings be free from animosity, free from oppression, free from trouble, and may they look after themselves with ease!' He has right view and is not warped in the way he sees things: 'There is what is given, what is offered, what is sacrificed. There are fruits & results of good & bad actions. There is this world & the next world. There is mother & father. There are spontaneously reborn beings; there are brahmans & contemplatives who, faring rightly & practicing rightly, proclaim this world & the next after having directly known & realized it for themselves.' This is how one is made pure in three ways by mental action."

Once, again, right view is adopted by faith, certain vision or even clear seen and gained, generosity, after virtue and gratitude proper and right placed is no more a matter at all. At this point, not out of reason, one is incapable to do grave, even deliberated misconduct and behave improper.

May it be for release and ease, who ever might be capable to take, make use and understand.

And be carefull, it's not free and not without strings and one might be already hardly caught, with no chance to fall back any more!

- Namo tassa bhagavato arahato sammā-sambuddhassa -

Bahukārasuttaṃ (http://forum.sangham.net/index.php/topic,8308.0.html)
Has done much

Of course very useful and in same value Utopia: Opening the Door to the Dhamma: Respect in Buddhist Thought & Practice (http://zugangzureinsicht.org/html/lib/authors/thanissaro/respect5_en.html)

The orderline duties » sila » generosity ... from the gross to the fine, can btw. be also traced likewise, as tried to point out at the beginning, in the Mangala Sutta (http://www.zugangzureinsicht.org/html/tipitaka/kn/snp/snp.2.04.piya_en.html) and at each level of fullfilment or able to renounce certain relation and it's benefits, debts are growing void and giving is step by step growing to real generosity and compassion. Once a state around the stanca 6. and 7 is reached, no more falling back, downward, will accur for one.

Anumodana!