Is gratitude necessary for accepting the moment as it is?

[Monkey-man]

I found that mere acceptance of reality and moment is very dry and just not enough for enlightenment work.

Just cold acceptance seems to be insufficient, I think this coldness is a barrier between you and reality.

Is gratitude a necessary thing to add? If yes, how are you being grateful in the moment?

I watched Leo's video on gratitude journaling and listing

But I think I'm faking gratitude when I do that. I have understanding that there are so many non-obvious things to be grateful for, but I just don't know how to actually fully feel that.

What I am missing?

 

[MarkusSweden]

Why accepting the present moment, that's duality, and will never be satisfying. 

BE the present moment, don't add positive or negative connotations to it! 

Then there is flow with what ever is, not even flow, it's just what is, beyond any concept of good/bad, positive/negative

 

Edited February 5, 2018 by MarkusSweden

[Kevin Dunlop]

I feel a deep gratitude because I am used to looking at the world I am presented with and it appears stunningly beautiful. I take time to relax, slow down and observe the miracle of life I am surrounded with and I smile. All the plants and birds each leaf in the sun the fresh air the good people, the colours etc. If we go too fast or get too focused on the fucture we miss the impact reality should have on us. So just get into a state where reality can fully absorbe in without being washed down, passed over as not being part of your mental objectives, filtered out by numbness, overly simplified by language and definitions. Everything is a masterpiece enjoy it and you may become thankful for this possability you have. 

[Patang]

@Monkey-man accepting reality with full surrender is according to the "Code of Behavior", while being gratitude is how you respond to reality as a whole. the two are complementary.

Edited February 5, 2018 by Patang

[YaNanNallari]

For me gratitude and beauty are linked to the infinite or unknown nature of reality. I don't have to be especially grateful for things, if I find beauty or joy, I'm grateful for that.

[h inandout]

I love this question.  It's so real!

Here's my take: sure, you can pop in some old videos of Carl Satan's Cosmos, looking for that same sense of wonder, but if you're not feeling it, it's really not gonna work for you.  I am finding a pattern in me where about every three days, and amplified of three months, life feels so fucking goddam fucking shitty and there no fucking escaping it.  At this point, awareness of the availability of surrender becomes much more readily apparent.  When I have acknowledged the level of shittiness I feel, there are simultaneous waves of insights about things I can do to change my situation, and realization of my powerlessness to access what I need immediately.  Gratitude rushes in during moments where I am straddling the line between hating everyone, and realizing that their behaviors come about from similar humanness.  They are glimpses that are inevitable to my experiences and are as simple as landmarks along the road.

[Elisabeth]

Try looking up Tara Brach and RAIN.  When she teaches meditation, she's stressing the need for both mindfulness and compassion. Compassion is not gratitude, but close enough. Something in your question gives me the feeling that her way of putting this may be something you're looking for.  

[sgn]

@Monkey-man I recommend this https://www.amazon.com/Gratitude-Revolution-Inspired-World-Around/dp/1521170819/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

[okulele]

I suggest that you contemplate gratitude.

• Contemplate the way Leo teaches in his contemplation video. Sit down and ask "What is gratitude?".
• Catch the moments of gratitude through the day and ask "What is this feeling?".
  • When something good happens to you, acknowledge it and get interested in the feeling it makes.
  • When you are about to have a good meal, see how lucky you are and again, get interested in that feeling.
  • The more you inspect the feeling, the more familiar you will be with it, the easier it is to reproduce.
• If you are a dreamer, I suggest intending to have a dream about gratitude.
  • Before going to sleep, think about having a dream that reveals more about gratitude to you.
  • While falling asleep repeat the question "What is gratitude?".
  • Really believe that a dream will come, that makes you understand. Maybe not the first night or the second, but if you really want to know and keep asking, you will get it!

I wish you a lot of gratitude!

Edited February 6, 2018 by okulele

[Monkey-man]

Thank u folks for all advices, you are beautiful creatures