Whether joy or sorrow be,
Give thanks to – the Divine
Be happy and joyful today
Tomorrow will also be fine
– Avtar Bani 99
Our gratitude to God, in both good times and in bad, should be expressed every minute of the day, with the firm conviction that just as the present moment is wonderful, the one yet to come will also prove to be equally wonderful.
Over the ages, spiritual masters, sages and thinkers, have laid great emphasis on the question of gratitude – gratitude that a seeker must have as an essential quality of spiritual wellbeing. Meister Eckhart, a fourteenth century German mystic tells us, if the only prayer you say in your life is ‘thank you’ that would suffice. Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It renders what we have in small measure into enough and more. It turns a meal into a feast, a house into a home, and a stranger into a friend. The Holy Bible says, rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. (1 Thessalonians 5:18).
A thankful heart becomes open to receiving greater divine grace, together with peace, contentment and abundance, but self-absorption and a sense of entitlement ever remain massive impediments to gratitude. A story about two angels, sent to earth, to listen to the prayers of humanity, demonstrates this clearly.
The first angel was asked to collect prayers asking God for something – i.e. material substances -, while the other was asked to collect prayers of thanksgiving and gratitude. The first angel became extremely busy, for people prayed for money, better health, latest cell phones, exquisite ornaments, new toys and bigger cars. The other angel, in the meantime, though travelling far and wide looking for prayers of thankfulness and gratitude, failed to find but a few.
It came to pass, while the first angel had a truck load of messages, the second angel had only a handful in his basket. When presented with their findings, God smiled and said: this is nothing new; people are always praying for something or the other. This is fine, for at least they are thinking of me. But very few remember to thank me and enjoy the bounties of gratitude.
To know the importance of gratitude, therefore, is essential, because the right knowledge is truly the first step towards progress. However, the real benefit lies in putting the knowledge in question into practice. The following four steps can solidify our habits into practical gratitude:
- The first step is to thank God when something good happens, like getting a good job, promotion, being blessed with a child, a sibling or a friend coming to your help, narrow escape in a bad accident, and getting any form of recognition. This is easy to practice and a good beginning.
- The second step is not to take for granted the good that already exists in our life – i.e. good health, a loving spouse, obedient children, a comfortable life, a job in hand, good team and office environment, a car, and doting parents. This list, which we can call what we already have, can be quite long, and so can really overwhelm us with gratitude to God.
- The third step is to start making a list of troubles we don’t have. This is because these troubles or problems are such that we shudder at the very thought of them – i.e. untimely loss of a near and dear one, poor health, compulsion of selling one’s only flat for medical treatment of a family member, a nasty spouse, huge property loss in a legal battle, and the only child becoming a source of untold misery in the twilight years of life. The thought of being spared of such distresses can instantly fill our heart with gratitude to God for his saving grace.
- The fourth, and perhaps the most difficult step, is about thanking God when going through tough times. Here comes the real test of our faith in God. In such times, a consoling thought can be that things could be worse. Such a thought alleviates the intensity of grief and induces one to thank God for the shelter provided. From a spiritual point of view, the faithful see God as infallible. Everything that happens, including adversities in life, is part of an overall scheme of God to serve our larger good, whether we understand it or not. In expressing gratitude, even for our pain, we dissolve the resistance to the situation, which in turn releases the divine healing power within, which renders even the worst situations bearable. This also hastens our spiritual growth.
We have heard the old saying practice makes perfect. By following the above steps, gratitude can gradually become a habit in life. Many people have even found maintaining a daily gratitude journal a very useful practice. We must remember that there is always, always and always, something to thank God for. And once we develop the habit of thanking God, we also start becoming more and more thankful to people around us, and more appreciative of their role and contributions in our life. Complaints and heartaches start fading away. Transformation happens.
With regard to gratitude, Sarah Ban Breathnach, author of Simple Abundance, writes, Begin this day to explore and integrate this beautiful principle into your life, and the miracle you have been seeking will unfold to your wonder and amazement.
We are to keep on expressing gratitude to God, as gratitude alone is the true devotion. The Sampuran Hardev Bani (Verse 118) expresses it as follows:
Simply continue to thank the Creator
For gratitude is devotion of Nirankar
Bearing moans groans and disapproval
Sans complaint is devotion of Nirankar
SPS DALAL
Gurugram
