"Let us turn a life of resentment into a life of gratitude." This is the main teaching I remember from Won Buddhist youth services in Korea. When I first learned this teaching as a teenager, I was told to find gratitude in everyday life and live with a sense of gratitude. I soon realized how easily I became resentful and how frustrating this could be. Gratitude helped me redirect my attention from complaining to appreciating.
After a few years of practice, I was able to find more gratitude in life, which brought me more joy and contentment. I could experience and appreciate what is here instead of feeling a lack of what is not here. However, deep down I felt something wasn't quite right. I realized that I was mostly grateful for things that were going well for me and for people who favored me. My gratitude was limited in self-centeredness. Wanting to go beyond this, I started to revisit the teaching of the Fourfold Grace – an essential practice in Won Buddhism that cultivates genuine gratitude.
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