Volume 33. November 22, 2022
Thanksgiving is upon us. At this time of year when the leaves have fallen from the trees, and before we tuck in for a long winter’s nap, our minds turn to the simple blessings of life.
Good food, secure homes, being happy in our ways.
Gratitude is a trait among cheerful people. You won’t find gratitude in Mr Scrooge. He lacks an appreciation for kindness.
The Scrooge inside us might need a lesson in thanksgiving.
In the Pali language, the word for gratitude — kataññu — literally means “to have a sense of what was done.”
The Buddha picks upon this notion when he says, “There are two people hard to find in this world. The one who does a kindness, and the one who is grateful for a kindness done.” (AN 2.118)
In Buddhist understanding, a valuable step in learning gratitude is to give thanks for our parents.
In the Sutra on Gratitude, the Blessed One says, “I tell you, there are two people who are not easy to repay. Your mother and father.
“Even if you were to carry your mother and father on your shoulders for 100 years, you would not repay them.
“Why is that?
“Mothers and fathers do so much for their children.
“They care for them, nourish them, introduce them to the world.
“Mothers and fathers are your first gods and your first teachers.
“They are worthy of our gifts.
“The wise pay them homage.
“Give them food and drink, clothing and bedding.
“Anoint them, bathe them and wash their feet.
“Performing these services, the wise are praised right here, and after death they rejoice in heaven.” (AN 2.32) (Iti. 106)
A few years after my mom died, I was sitting in church listening to a priest give a homily. He must have been over 80 years old. Looking back on his life, he concluded the one thing for which he was most grateful wasn’t God. It was his parents.
That homily hit home.
No one gets to choose their parents. They’re a gift from God.
But we can be grateful for them.
The Blessed One says, “A rude person advocates ingratitude. Whereas, a polite person advocates thankfulness.” (AN 2.32)
If you’re ready to show appreciation for the kindnesses done to you in your life, and if you’re ready to return those kindnesses to other people, you’re ready for Thanksgiving.
Gratitude, integrity, thankfulness — lessons Mr Scrooge never learned at his mother’s knee.
The Buddha Times 