November Reflection: Practicing GratitudeReflecting on Generosity and Appreciation

As autumn deepens and the year starts to turn, I’m reminded of the power of gratitude.

Gratitude softens the edges of the wanting, greedy mind, reconnects us with the blessings already present in our lives, and opens the heart to generosity. The Buddha often spoke of gratitude (kataññu-katavedi) as a mark of a wise person, one who both recognizes what has been received and seeks to repay it through kindness and care.

In the Itivuttaka (26), the Buddha says:

“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 and thankful for a kindness done.”

When gratitude is alive in us, the world appears differently. Even ordinary moments, the taste of morning coffee, a friend’s voice, the feel of breath in the body, can become sacred.

Gratitude doesn’t require perfect conditions; it flourishes precisely when we pause to notice that, despite everything, life continues to offer continuous gifts.

Generosity (dāna) and gratitude are two sides of the same open heart. When we receive with awareness, gratitude blooms. When we give with love, generosity deepens. In both, self-centered striving softens, and interconnection becomes a felt, direct experience, rather than just a concept.

Ajahn Sumedho once said:

“When we develop gratitude, the heart opens naturally. It’s not something we can make happen, it’s the result of wise reflection and letting go of resentment and self-pity. Gratitude is a doorway to joy.”

Practice Suggestions

1. Three Blessings Practice

   Each night, name three things you feel grateful for, not as a list of achievements, but as simple recognitions of goodness received. Let the feeling of gratitude settle into the body.

2. Gratitude in Relationship

   Begin to silently or verbally thank people, for their presence, guidance, or simply their being. Notice how expressing appreciation affects both your heart and theirs.

3. Generosity as Gratitude in Action

   Engage in an act of giving this month: time, attention, or support. Offer freely, without expectation. Afterward, reflect on how giving expands the sense of abundance.

Suggested Readings

• Suttas:

  – Itivuttaka 26 – On the difficulty of finding the grateful and the generous

  – AN 2.31 – Kataññu Sutta – On gratitude and ingratitude

  – SN 1.42 – Nakhasikhā Sutta – The smallness of what we see compared to the vastness of blessings received

• Modern Sources:

  – Ajahn Sumedho, The Sound of Silence (sections on gratitude and letting go)

  – Jack Kornfield, The Wise Heart (chapters on gratitude and joy

  – Sharon Salzberg, Lovingkindness (especially “Gratitude and Joy”)

  – Brother David Steindl-Rast, Gratefulness, the Heart of Prayer

Mantra for the Month

“Gratitude is the quiet joy of knowing nothing is missing.”

Closing Reflection

To practice gratitude is to remember our belonging - to the earth, to one another, to life itself. Each breath, each kindness, each moment of awareness is a gift freely given. When we meet life with appreciation rather than demand, the heart becomes spacious and light. In this season of reflection, may we see clearly the abundance that surrounds us, and may our gratitude naturally overflow into generosity and love.