The Buddha's Guide to Gratitude: The Life-changing Power of Every Day Mindfulness (Stillness, Shakyamuni Buddha, for Readers of You are here by Thich Nhat Hanh)

Gratitude―The Key to a Happy Mind

“Do this simple thing every day; wake up, be grateful, be kind and help others. If you do this, your life will be filled with joy." –His Holiness, The 14th Dalai Lama

Follow the advice of Buddhist leader Thich Nhat Hanh, “With all I have experienced in my own life, the power of gratitude stands above everything else. In your mindfulness practice, use gratitude until it becomes your way of life.” In this book discover how gratitude is your key to a happy mind.

Buddha’s teachings. Buddha had a lot to say on the subject of gratitude, including citing it as one of the four keys to the Gate of Heaven. Why is this? Perhaps the sheer simplicity of gratefulness is a key, as it is available to all of us at any time. Even in the midst of stress and chaos, we can find plenty to be glad about, and The Buddha’s Guide to Gratitude starts your journey towards Zen and gratefulness.

Count your blessings. According to Buddha, “You have no cause for anything but gratitude and joy.” Being thankful is one of the most powerful tools we humans have to attain peace of mind and happiness. Take time each day and count your blessings. This can be done with a prayer or mindfulness mediation, whichever works for you. This lovely, uncomplicated approach featured in The Buddha’s Guide to Gratitude may be life-changing.

Building a happy mind. Studies show―and experts agree―that gratitude is a key component of our happiness. People who are grateful about experiences and celebrate triumphs instead of focusing on losses, tend to be happier. Gratitude helps transform our fears into courage, our anger into forgiveness, our isolation into belonging, and another’s pain into healing.

Inside find:

• Hands-on exercises
• Inspiring quotations
• Space for notetaking and journaling
• Thought-provoking questions

If you liked books such as No-Nonsense Buddhism for Beginners or Chakra Healing, you will want to read The Buddha’s Guide to Gratitude.

Becca Anderson is a writer, gardener and teacher living in the San Francisco Bay Area. Originally from Ohio, Becca’s background in sustainability and landscaping inspired her to become a part of the seed-saving and seed-sharing community with chapters across the US and Canada. Becca Anderson credits her first grade teacher as a great inspiration and runs several popular classes and workshops including “How to Put Your Passion on Paper.” Anderson is currently at work on a book about the healing power of gardening.

His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, was born in 1935 to a peasant family in northeastern Tibet and was recognized at the age of two as the reincarnation of his predecessor, the Thirteenth Dalai Lama. The world's foremost Buddhist leader, he travels extensively, speaking eloquently in favor of ecumenical understanding, kindness and compassion, respect for the environment, and, above all, world peace.