The quality of our life is determined by our mind’s response to the circumstances of our life. It is not determined directly by the circumstances. We make the mistake of trying to produce happiness and meaning by controlling circumstances, mistakenly thinking that they are the primary cause. In the old texts, this is referred to as “beating the cart to make the horse move.” …
Since this is the culture of our society— that meaning comes from wealth, status is in the eyes of others, and love is dependent on performance, and so on— one needs great courage to go against the current. The wisdom that says these goals are meaningless in the face of our temporary stay here is hidden in our culture. The grace of a gentle, noble spirit is not valued. The fact is that every day we are gifted with the incredible present of a body and mind, and a universe that supports our life. Instead of living in deep gratitude, people take that for granted and go off on egotistical binges; this is a sign of the darkness of our time.
And it is all so simple—wake up with a profound “Thank you” and cultivate that mood as much as possible.