I have once told this mantra a decade ago, but didn’t really understand the deep meaning.

The phrase above is just literal translation of the Japanese.

Here is the English version of the ZEN story:

”Thank you for everything.

I have no complaints whatsoever!”

The story is told about a woman Zen master named Sono who taught one very simple method of enlightenment. She advised everyone who came to her to adopt an affirmation to be said many times a day, under all conditions. The affirmation was, “Thank you for everything. I have no complaint whatsoever.”

When I was told this, I understood only the surface of the phrase, and have been forgotten about it for a decade.

Now I can see how powerful the mantra is.

It contains one of the powerful Japanese phrases “arigatou” and one universal law, “everything happens for a reason”.

有難う Arigatou

”Arigatou” is a Japanese phrase meaning “Thank you” in English.

However, it is just a literal translation.

The original meaning is:
something or someone rarely exist.

• 有る （Aru）means “be”
• 難い （Gatai）means “rare” or “difficult”

So, the deep meaning of “Arigaou” is the appreciation of something or someone rarely exists. You could also say that as a miracle.

• お陰さま （okagesama)

It also literally means “thanks to you”, however,

• 陰 KAGE means shadow, shade, darkness, negative side
• Also, it is YIN 陰 of YIN and YAN 陰陽

Hiragana parts お O, and さま（様）SAMA are the honorific prefixes are used to add a feeling of politeness or respect to a word.

That makes 陰 KAGE YIN (negative things) respectable.

So お陰さま shows the full of respect to the negative things happen to your life. Honoring shadow sides.

お陰さまでありがとうございます。
okagesama de arigatou gozaimasu

means:

• I deeply appreciate this miracle which seems negative to my eye at the moment, (but I know it turns good).
• Thank you so much for the very bad situation, (but I believe it will be fine).

いいことがあったときも、悪いことがあったときも、
iikoto ga atta toki mo, warui koto ga atta toki mo,
whatever happens, even it is good or bad.

”Thank you for everything.

I have no complaints whatsoever!”

In my life, there are some bad life situations, such as severe illness or childhood traumas.

But so far, they all turn good. I have learned a lot from those experiences, and some brought big shift in my consciousness.

I grateful for all the things and people in the past. Furthermore, since I know this life secret now, I want to and try to perceive all challenging situation as positive as possible.