“To acquire certainty in the appreciation of things exactly as they are, and to know them in their due subordination, and in their proper relation to one another—this is really the highest enjoyment to which we ought to aspire, whether in the sphere of art, of nature, or of life.” – Goethe
If there is indeed a divine soul within us, and if we’re not just conscious, earthen jugs animated by purely physical interactions as the materialists might suggest, then surely there is the opportunity to learn to appreciate the people, places and things we are privileged to encounter as God would look upon His creation and not just as sinners in corrupted and corruptible flesh would view the world. Your appreciation for the world around you need not be conditional; it can be absolute.
Gregory Hake 
The deepest and adamantine appreciation for what is beautifully present brings a depth of joy. It also puts us in position to meet and disintegrate the inertia of cursing our worlds. We need no longer the experience of an earthen jug. Here the stage is set for divine transformation moment by moment..
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Appreciation by definition imparts value to that which is observed. This is not to say that whatever is to be observed does not already have value, and yet observation charged with appreciation is not just a passive thing. When we interact with our environments on a value-added basis it is remarkable to discover a power of interaction that goes beyond the expected. Things around us become living symbols in a generative dance of creation.
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Appreciation is certainly what makes the difference in a life fulfilled or a life unfulfilled. Regardless of where you are in your life or what has happened in the past, if you can appreciate, then you can see and experience beauty and ultimately bring value to your world and others.
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One of our greatest liberators from the human condition is appreciation. It frees the heart to see the blessings and the apertures for repentance that are always available.
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I wish to share another writing with you, called The Heart of A Buddha: To be honorable in thoughts, sincere in words, kind in deeds is to have the Heart of a Buddha. Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, focus your mind on the present moment. Develop the quiet, even state of mind. When praised by some, and condemned by others, free the mind from hate and pride, and gently go your way in peace. Even if everyone else is not doing good, I alone will. Even if everyone else is doing wrong, I alone will not. If a man’s mind becomes pure, his surroundings will also become pure. We already have perfect compassion, perfect wisdom, perfect joy. We only need to settle our minds so they can arise from deep within us. Focus, not on the rudeness of others, not on what they have done or left undone, but on what you have and have not done yourself. Life is an illusion, a dream, a bubble, a shadow. Nothing is permanent, nothing is worthy of anger. Nothing is worthy of dispute. Nothing. When we free ourselves of desires, we will know serenity and freedom. Avoid all evil, embrace all goodness, purify one’s own mind with understanding and loving kindness. We will look within ourselves. We will find happiness, wisdom and serenity. We will find the Heart of the Buddha. Written by Namo Amitabha
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