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Awaken to Presence Transform your life. How can I feel more gratitude towards my Sustainer? How can gratitude transform my life?. Gratitude. w orkshop series. . . اَفَلاَ يَشْكُرُونَ.. وَسَنَجْزِى الشَّاكِرِينَ
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Awaken to PresenceTransform your life How can I feel more gratitude towards my Sustainer? How can gratitude transform my life? Gratitude workshop series
.. اَفَلاَ يَشْكُرُونَ.. وَسَنَجْزِى الشَّاكِرِينَ لَئِنْ شَكَرْتُمْ َلاَزِيدَنَّكُمْ بَلِ اللهَ فَاعْبُدْ وَكُنْ مِنَ الشَّاكِرِينَ Will they not then give thanks?(36:35, 73) And we shall surely reward those who give thanks.(3:145) If you give thanks, I shall increase [my favors] to you.(14:7) Worship God and be of those who give thanks.(39:66)
Gratitude The most important result of the human The result of all creation
What is gratitude? Dictionary: a feeling of being thankful to somebody for doing something
There are 2 ways to looks at creation… We make our choice, every moment we are created…
The Choice This conscious choice determines the magnitude of our gratitude
Where is the Sustainer in my mind and heart? How beautiful it has been made… How beautiful it is…
This choice makes all the difference… Is what we have/own/are given or is it … just is?
فَبِاَىِّآلاَءِرَبِّكُمَاتُكَذِّبَانفَبِاَىِّآلاَءِرَبِّكُمَاتُكَذِّبَان So which of the favors of your Sustainer do you deny? (mentioned 31 times in the Compassionatechapter of the Quran) If you want to feel the love and compassion of your sustainer, then recognize His favors…
The more I realize the Real Giver of what I claim to be mine, the more I feel gratitude towards the Divine
Who am I again? Someone who has infinite taste buds!! Why were these taste buds given? To feel the Divine Loving Compassionate Presence through gratitude.. and discover my real humanity…
Gratitude is life transforming I am loved, I am being taken care of, I worth a lot! I am by myself, life is dull, nobody loves me!
I am loved, I am being taken care of, I worth a lot! Wow, thank you, thank you The One who is sustaining me through all the gifts I received… Thank you my Sustainer, I love you, too! I adore you
Sustenance…Pleasure is either… My senses are pleased… My heart is pleased much more! Only my senses are pleased, very temporarily… Then, there is darkness! Temporary, limited pleasure Infinite real pleasure
Gratitude comprises pure belief and a sincere affirmation of God’s unity. When a person eats an apple and says, “Praise be to God!” is declaring through his thanks: “This apple is a gift given directlyby the Compassionate.” By saying this and believing it, s/he is ascribing everything, particular and universal, to the One. S/he recognizes the reflection of the Compassionate in everything.
Gratitude is recognition that we are guests in this universe of the Loving Compassionate… Maximizing gratitude lies in asking the host how to approach his sustenance.
فَبِاَىِّآلاَءِرَبِّكُمَاتُكَذِّبَانفَبِاَىِّآلاَءِرَبِّكُمَاتُكَذِّبَان So which of the favors of your Sustainer do you deny? (Compassion chapter of the Quran) If you want to feel the love and compassion of your sustainer, then recognize His favors…
ۖ وَمَن شَكَرَ فَإِنَّمَا يَشْكُرُ لِنَفْسِهِ ۖ وَمَن كَفَرَ فَإِنَّ رَبِّي غَنِيٌّ كَرِيمٌ …However, he who is grateful [to God] is but grateful for his own good; and he who is ungrateful [should know that], verily, my Sustainer is self-sufficient, most generous in giving!” (27:40)
In conclusion… Gratitude is the most essential tool to feel and experience the Divine Loving Presence… The way to increase gratitude lies in recognizing our need/dependencetowards the Divine (and his all-encompassing loving compassion)