Gratitude

When you sacrifice a thank offering to the LORD, offer it so that it may be acceptable on your behalf.

Give generously to him, and do not let your heart be grieved when you do so. And because of this the LORD your God will bless you in all your work and in everything to which you put your hand.

When you eat and are satisfied, you are to bless the LORD your God for the good land that He has given you.

Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good. His loving devotion endures forever. Give thanks to the God of gods. His loving devotion endures forever. Give thanks to the Lord of lords. His loving devotion endures forever.

Hallelujah! Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; His loving devotion endures forever.

“Give thanks to the LORD; call upon His name; make known His deeds among the nations.

as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the favor shown us in answer to their prayers.

Give thanks in every circumstance, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

You may be giving thanks well enough, but the other one is not edified.

§ The Gemara returns to discuss the response of the congregants to certain parts of the prayer service. While the prayer leader is reciting the blessing of: We give thanks, what do the people say? Rav says that they say: We give thanks to You, Lord our God, for the merit of giving thanks to You. And Shmuel says that one should say: God of all living flesh, for the merit of giving thanks to You. Rabbi Simai says that one should say: Our Creator, Who created everything in the beginning, for the merit of giving thanks to You. The Sages of Neharde’a say in the name of Rabbi Simai that one should say: We offer blessings and praises to Your great name, for You have given us life and sustained us, for giving thanks to You. Rav Aḥa bar Ya’akov would finish the blessing as follows: So may You give us life, and show us favor, and collect us, and gather our exiles into Your sacred courtyards, in order to observe Your laws and to fulfill Your will wholeheartedly, for giving thanks to You.

We learned in the mishna if one repeats: We give thanks, we give thanks, they silence him. Rabbi Zeira said: One who repeats himself while reciting Shema and says: Listen Israel, Listen Israel is like one who says: We give thanks, we give thanks.

Rav Ḥisda said: What is the meaning of that which is written: “Give thanks to the Lord for He is good” (Psalms 136:1)? It means give thanks to the Lord who exacts one’s debt, the punishment for a person’s sins and wickedness, in accordance with the goodness of each individual. God punishes each person based on his means. He punishes a wealthy person by taking his ox, and He punishes a poor person by means of his sheep. He punishes the orphan by taking away his egg, and He punishes the widow by means of her chicken. God punishes each person based on his ability to endure deprivation, and He does not punish people with more than they can handle.

As grace from Us. Thus We reward him who giveth thanks

As for the good land, its vegetation cometh forth by permission of its Lord; while as for that which is bad, only the useless cometh forth (from it). Thus do We recount the tokens for people who give thanks

A gift of welcome from One Forgiving, Merciful

Narrated ʿAbdur-Rahman bin Abi Laila: Kaʿb bin Ujrah met me and said, "Shall I not give you a present I got from the Prophet?" ʿAbdur- Rahman said, "Yes, give it to me." I said, "We asked Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) saying, 'O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! How should one (ask Allah to) send blessings on you, the members of the family, for Allah has taught us how to salute you (in the prayer)?' He said, 'Say: O Allah! Send Your Mercy on Muhammad and on the family of Muhammad, as You sent Your Mercy on Abraham and on the family of Abraham, for You are the Most Praise-worthy, the Most Glorious. O Allah! Send Your Blessings on Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, as You sent your Blessings on Abraham and on the family of Abraham, for You are the Most Praise-worthy, the Most Glorious

Narrated ʿAbdullah bin Masʿud: We used to say the greeting, name and greet each other in the prayer. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) heard it and said:--"Say, 'at-tahiyyatu lil-lahi was-salawatu wat-taiyibatu . Assalamu 'Alaika aiyuha-n-Nabiyu warahmatu- l-lahi wa-barakatuhu. _ Assalamu alaina wa-'ala 'ibadi-l-lahi as-salihin.. Ashhadu an la ilaha illa-l-lah wa ashhadu anna Muhammadan ʿAbdu hu wa Rasuluh. (All the compliments are for Allah and all the prayers and all the good things (are for Allah). Peace be on you, O Prophet, and Allah's mercy and blessings (are on you). And peace be on us and on the good (pious) worshipers of Allah. I testify that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah and that Muhammad is His slave and Apostle.) So, when you have said this, then you have surely sent the greetings to every good (pious) worshipper of Allah, whether he be in the Heaven or on the Earth

Narrated Aisha: The people used to look forward for the days of my (ʿAisha's) turn to send gifts to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) in order to please him

The joys that spring from external associations bring pain; they have their beginnings and their endings. The wise person does not rejoice in them.

In the light of wisdom, our ancestors who sought deliverance performed their acts. Act thou also as our fathers of old did.

Therefore, I prostrate myself before You, O Lord! Most Adorable! I salute You, and I ask for Your blessing. Only You can be trusted to bear with me, like a father to a son, like a friend to a friend, and like a lover to his beloved.

Yama said: The good is one thing and the pleasant another. These two, having different ends, bind a man. It is well with him who chooses the good. He who chooses the pleasant misses the true end. The good and the pleasant approach man; the wise examines both and discriminates between them; the wise prefers the good to the pleasant, but the foolish man chooses the pleasant through love of bodily pleasure.

The great-soured Yama, being well pleased, said to him (Nachiketas): I give thee now another boon. This fire (sacrifice) shall be named after thee. Take also this garland of many colours.

O Agni (Bright Being)! Lead us to blessedness by the good path. O Lord! Thou knowest all our deeds, remove all evil and delusion from us. To Thee we offer our prostrations and supplications again and again.

A friend in need is a blessing; it’s a blessing to be content with whatever; good deeds are a blessing at the end of life, and giving up all suffering is a blessing. In this world it’s a blessing to serve one’s mother and one’s father. And it’s a blessing also to serve ascetics and brahmins.

The miserly don’t ascend to heaven, it takes a fool to not praise giving. The attentive celebrate giving, and so find happiness in the hereafter.

Here they rejoice, hereafter they rejoice, one who does good rejoices in both places. They rejoice and celebrate, seeing their own pure deeds.

Then another deity expressed this heartfelt sentiment in the Buddha’s presence: “Good, good fellow, is giving! Even when one has little, giving is good. Some who have little are happy to provide, while some who have much don’t wish to give. An offering given from little is multiplied a thousand times.” Then another deity expressed this heartfelt sentiment in the Buddha’s presence: “Good, good fellow, is giving! Even when one has little, giving is good. And it’s also good to give out of faith. Giving and warfare are similar, they say, for even a few of the good may conquer the many. If a faithful person gives even a little, it still brings them happiness in the hereafter.” Then another deity expressed this heartfelt sentiment in the Buddha’s presence: “Good, good fellow, is giving! Even when one has little, giving is good. And it’s also good to give out of faith. And it’s also good to give legitimate wealth. A personage who gives legitimate wealth, earned by his efforts and initiative, has passed over Yama’s Vetaraṇī River; that mortal arrives at celestial fields.” Then another deity expressed this heartfelt sentiment in the Buddha’s presence: “Good, good fellow, is giving! Even when one has little, giving is good. And it’s also good to give out of faith. And it’s also good to give legitimate wealth. And it’s also good to give intelligently. The Holy One praises giving intelligently to those worthy of offerings here <j>in the world of the living. What’s given to these is very fruitful, like seeds sown in a fertile field.” Then another deity expressed this heartfelt sentiment in the Buddha’s presence: “Good, good fellow, is giving! Even when one has little, giving is good. And it’s also good to give out of faith. And it’s also good to give legitimate wealth. And it’s also good to give intelligently. And it’s also good to be restrained <j>when it comes to living creatures.

Giving, you’re loved and befriended by many people. You get a good reputation, and your fame grows. A generous man enters an assembly bold and self-assured. So an astute person, seeking happiness, <j>would give gifts, having driven out the stain of stinginess. They live long in the Third Heaven, enjoying the company of the gods. Having taken the opportunity to do good, <j>when they pass from here they wander self-radiant in the Garden of Delight. There they delight, rejoice, and enjoy themselves, provided with the five kinds of sensual stimulation. Having practiced the word of the unattached, <j>the unaffected, disciples of the Holy One rejoice in heaven.”

“Giving what do you give strength? Giving what do you give beauty? Giving what do you give happiness? Giving what do you give vision? And who is the giver of all? Please answer my question.” “Giving food you give strength. Giving clothes you give beauty. Giving a vehicle you give happiness. Giving a lamp you give vision. And the giver of all is the one who gives monastic quarters. But one who teaches the Dhamma gives the gift of freedom from death.”

The Lord, the Great Giver, Himself gives His Gifts. Celebrate and praise the Great Giver! ||3|| Granting His Grace, the Lord unites the mortals with the True Guru. O Nanak, the Naam is enshrined within the heart. ||4||6||

Maajh, Fifth Mehl: I shall never forget You-You are such a Great Giver! Please grant Your Grace, and imbue me with the love of devotional worship. If it pleases You, let me meditate on You day and night; please, grant me this gift! ||1|| Into this blind clay, You have infused awareness. Everything, everywhere which You have given is good. Bliss, joyful celebrations, wondrous plays and entertainment-whatever pleases You, comes to pass. ||2||

Please bless me with the rice of truth and self-restraint, the wheat of compassion, and the leaf-plate of meditation. Bless me with the milk of good karma, and the clarified butter, the ghee, of compassion. Such are the gifts I beg of You, Lord. ||3||

All the world says that, while my Tao is great, it yet appears to be inferior (to other systems of teaching). Now it is just its greatness that makes it seem to be inferior. If it were like any other (system), for long would its smallness have been known! But I have three precious things which I prize and hold fast. The first is gentleness; the second is economy; and the third is shrinking from taking precedence of others. With that gentleness I can be bold; with that economy I can be liberal; shrinking from taking precedence of others, I can become a vessel of the highest honour. Nowadays they give up gentleness and are all for being bold; economy, and are all for being liberal; the hindmost place, and seek only to be foremost;—(of all which the end is) death. Gentleness is sure to be victorious even in battle, and firmly to maintain its ground. Heaven will save its possessor, by his (very) gentleness protecting him.

Tao has of all things the most honoured place. / No treasures give good men so rich a grace; / Bad men it guards, and doth their ill efface. (Its) admirable words can purchase honour; (its) admirable deeds can raise their performer above others. Even men who are not good are not abandoned by it. Therefore when the sovereign occupies his place as the Son of Heaven, and he has appointed his three ducal ministers, though (a prince) were to send in a round symbol-of-rank large enough to fill both the hands, and that as the precursor of the team of horses (in the courtyard), such an offering would not be equal to (a lesson of) this Tao, which one might present on his knees. Why was it that the ancients prized this Tao so much? Was it not because it could be got by seeking for it, and the guilty could escape (from the stain of their guilt) by it? This is the reason why all under heaven consider it the most valuable thing.

Heaven and earth do not act from (the impulse of) any wish to be benevolent; they deal with all things as the dogs of grass are dealt with. The sages do not act from (any wish to be) benevolent; they deal with the people as the dogs of grass are dealt with. May not the space between heaven and earth be compared to a bellows? ’Tis emptied, yet it loses not its power; / ’Tis moved again, and sends forth air the more. / Much speech to swift exhaustion lead we see; / Your inner being guard, and keep it free.