Gratitude Unbound

(Image: “Turning Contrast into Gratitude”, Amrita Grace.)

Gratitude brings us immense joy

when we see the delicate magic in its translucent wings

that flit quickly past in our field of attention

sprinkling our eyes with stardust, and allowing our vision to expand.

We then have the startling realization,

that we are swimming

in an endless sea of divine blessings.

Something wondrous is awakened

possibly for the first time in the painful brevity of our lives

wonder comes alive in our mind with sharpened senses, refined by grace

which gives us the power

to behold a multiplicity of kindnesses.

We become intrepid soul explorers

Intimately tracing the subtle, ever-changing geography of bliss

by expanding the limits of our vision.

We can still perceive ugly truths

when judgment displaces generosity of spirit

otherwise, the all is seen for what it truly is.

We see the cosmos as good and bounteous

every little experience is understood to nourish the soul

this, in spite of the well-meaning admonitions of others.

These bosom friends, who we hold in great esteem,

nonetheless

warn us away from soul lessons

because, friends though they may be

they lack a certain spiritual perceptiveness.

Namely, the ability to understand

that contained in even that which is judged to be horrific

is a certain divinity, able to only be discerned

by those with intuition enough

to glimpse into the mind of that who we might call God

even though we are not big enough to name this thing

that is too big to be named.

They do not yet understand the greatness of the cosmic map

These beloved companions

see only treacherous shoals, upon which,

our pitiful vessel buffeted on all sides,

by waves of unimaginable power,

will be utterly destroyed,

and our dreams with it.

We, on the other hand

see goodness everywhere

our bounteous joy expands, and our

eyes agog with a million and one exquisitely beautiful examples

that are a part of our lives every day.

Nothing but goodness

nothing but kindness

we train ourselves to perceive the hidden good

that is contained in the unfathomable depths of the ordinary.

We set out on a venture to encounter goodness

anywhere and everywhere we look.

The stones arrayed in simplicity at our feet

sing to us hymns particular to their singular place in the celestial hierarchy.

No good thing will escape our sight

we increase our joy beyond measure and see delight everywhere

when we sip the indescribably sweet wine of gratitude.

We rediscover the eternal part of ourselves,

and we wear the filigreed garments

of ecstatic awareness,

when we are grateful for every part of existence.

We array ourselves in this sort of splendor,

everyone and everything who enters our field of vision becomes a god of sorts,

but a god, nevertheless

worthy of our devotion.

And when we don these garments

we are only capable of seeing great joy, and an all-encompassing transcendent love

expressed in an infinitude of forms.