What do you express your gratitude toward in your daily life? I think they are lots of things. They are for your mother, father, ancestors, friends, animals, flowers, trees, the world in which we are living, the Buddha, the Teachings, and so forth.

Before the meals, we express our deep gratitude by saying "Namo-Amidabutsu, Itadakimasu." After the meals, we also express our gratitude by saying "Namo-Amidabutsu, Gochisousamadeshita." How many of you have thanksgiving for the meals and their lives in your everyday life. Every time, I give a thanksgiving at our temple. However, we need to express our gratitude not only at the temple but also every possible occasion. Do you give thanksgiving in your home, restaurant, and so on. There is a religious thing, but it is mainly an expression of thanks for the various things that make our life possible. It is a way of showing appreciation for the people, things, conditions, and so on.

We, Shin Buddhists, express our gratitude especially to the Buddha and His Teachings. Our founder, Shinran Shonin awakened the inner immovable ‘awareness of gratitude’ through the various occasions and Amida Buddha’s Light.

"How joyous I am, Gutoku Shinran, disciple of Shakyamuni! Rare is it to come upon the sacred scriptures from the westward land of India and the commentaries of the masters of China and Japan, but now I have been able to encounter them. Rare is it to hear them, but already I have been able to hear. Reverently entrusting essence of the Pure Land way, I am especially aware of the profundity of the Tathagata’s benevolence. Here I rejoice in what I have heard and extol what I have attained."

(The Collected Works of Shinran, page4)