THE ZEN MIRROR

The Cultivation of Gratitude

By Jeff Brooks

We live in a world that is over-stimulated – that is our senses are continually disturbed by our environment and our heart and mind are continually disturbed by our desires. We learn to be continually disturbed. One of the disturbances to which we succumb is a perpetual dissatisfaction with our current circumstance. This is a pervasive human malady. It can be overcome and it should be, because it makes us always unhappy and it makes us bother the people around us and degrade the natural environment around us, all the time.

The chief antidote to this perpetual dissatisfaction is not working harder, protesting, reducing carbon footprint, becoming more insistent upon our victim status, making other people suffer more, gaining more power or status, or having more sex activities – or any of the usual methods we employ to try and end our disturbance.

The chief antidote to perpetual dissatisfaction is gratitude.

Gratitude is rarely taught or encouraged, but it has three transformative effects. First it makes us appreciate what we have so we can be happy here and now. Second it stops us from doing non-virtuous actions to make ourselves happy – a futile approach that inevitably leaves us exhausted and envious and always wanting even more. Third it brings us into the present moment. This ontological transformation, produced by the sincere and continual practice of gratitude, has the deepest transformative effect and can lead us toward enlightenment.

The past and the future do not exist. They are fantasy lands concocted by our minds, in which we store our desires, regrets, fears and other negative mental states. The past and the future have no other content. To the degree that we live in turmoil – filled with grievances, anger, desire, jealousy and so on, we neglect what is possible now.  Instead of engaging in virtuous action in the present, we are carried away by ignorance and non-virtue.  In this way we miss our entire lives. We cultivate a habit of looking toward the next stage, never really mastering – or enjoying – this one. It is wasteful and it causes us to lose the opportunity this precious human life offers us to be kind, strong and decent, to take care of the people who may need us, and to build something of lasting value for all time by our virtuous acts in the present moment.

This is why it is useful to consider the blessing and good opportunities we presently enjoy. A healthy body, a clear mind, good friends and family to share our lives, time to do good things, freedom of action are all blessings which we can enjoy ourselves and which we can put at the service of others.

We cannot afford to anticipate the actions of an opponent, being tricked into premature movement, lulled into complacency, or hesitate when the moment for action has come. We must engage the opponent only in the present moment. When we train we cannot afford to dwell on the past or future. We will make best use of our training time when we are fully dedicated to the moment in which we are training.

Therefore it is very practical to cultivate gratitude, appreciate what we have, and not squander this one brief chance at real happiness.

Copyright Jeff Brooks and FightingArts.com 2010

Jeffrey M. Brooks

Jeff Brooks (9th dan), began martial arts training in 1978 and opened his first karate dojo in Northampton, MA (1988 through 2009), while also conducting self-defense seminars, professional programs in combative skills and served as a regular contributor on Zen and karate-related topics to FightingArts.com.

Jeff then moved to South Carolina  and started a career in law enforcement, serving as a police officer, then  detective, defensive tactics instructor, firearms instructor, PPCT instructor, Deputy US Marshal, and Deputy Sheriff. After retirement, he founded Mountain Karate in Saluda, NC.

In karate Brooks received his 5th degree Black Belt from the Nagamine honbu dojo, his 7th degree black belt in 2004, and his 9th degree black belt in 2022, in recognition of his formation and leadership of Yamabayashi Ryu. He studied with leading teachers in Okinawan, Japanese, and Chinese traditions, in the US and overseas, including Katsuhiko Shinzato (the translator of Shoshin Nagamine’s Essence of Okinawan Karate Do, and formerly a student of the Kishaba brothers’ karate and kobudo); Sogen Sakiyama, Roshi (direct student of Miyagi Chojun, and practitioner of Goju-ryu karate); and Shoshin Nagamine (Chief of the Motobu District Police, Mayor of Naha, and founder of Matsubayashi Shorin Ryu).

Jeff Brooks has written hundreds of published articles on martial arts, and Zen and has been cited widely online and in print. He wrote speeches and presentations for high profile public figures in politics, media, business and the arts.

He is author of several books including “True Karate Dō”, available on Amazon.com