GRATITUDE IS HIGHEST SPIRITUALITY

The essence of all of spirituality in one sentence is an attitude of gratitude.   It is the hall mark of spirituality. We typically spend life with an attitude of entitlement.  This is caused by our ego that is strong and thick. As we advance in spirituality our ego start melting and we become porous,  more mellow and humble. With this humility comes the attitude of gratitude. This shows our porosity and transparency. Through this transparency (purity of heart) we will have the experience of Divinity (Moksha).

Gratitude is an expression of inner purity. Inner purity connects us to the omnipresent Divinity. This connection to Divinity connects us to the properties of Divinity, the cosmic energy, cosmic intelligence and cosmic sustenance (abundance).

How is this attitude of Gratitude attainable by the seekers?  First by understanding and awareness of the obstacles for the gratitude to express. Number one enemy is the ego which is the mind’s identification with the body. This is the me and mine syndrome it creates. It is the one that creates the attitude of entitlement. It creates the feeling that the world vows to us. Everyone is indebted to us and we are the center of this universe. We become self centered and selfishness rules all our expressions and activities. We are blinded to the abundant blessings that are all round us and lead a life of misery and sorrow. This is a life in a cocoon with thick wall of ego.

Other five enemies other than ego are the, desire, anger, miserliness, delusion, jealousy. All of these are bad companions of ego. When ego goes, so do the other five.

Best way to dissolve the ego is awareness. In the presence of awareness ego cannot survive. With every moment of egos raise, we should bring awareness of its raising into our consciousness. In that awareness ego melts down. This is like darkness cannot co-exist in the presence of light. All these six enemies of mankind disappear in full awareness of their presence in us. Initially this awareness comes only through effort. Later on it becomes our second nature. This is like swimming and bicycling initially and afterwards.

As this wall dissolves through awareness, the true picture of our role and place in the world is experienced by us. We realize the abundance and the abundant contribution of the world to our well being. When we experience this, real life begins. Till such time we are a walking corpse.

We should be grateful to air, water, fire, earth, akāsa, parents, teachers, friends, spouse, sunrise, sunsets, moon shine, cool breeze and for life and living. It is moving from an attitude of entitlement to attitude of gratitude. Giving back always more than one receives is an expression of that gratitude.

Tears of gratitude should flow down when we smell the fragrance of a flower, when cool breeze touches our check, when we see a beautiful sunset, when we think about parents, spouse, children, grand children, in fact everything and anything. This means that we are experiencing the omnipresent Divinity. Our vision has transformed. Our third eye (inner vision) has opened and burnt the attitude of entitlement and with it our ego.

We should feel free to express this gratitude in thoughts, words and deeds at every opportunity that we get. Our lives get sanctified, our life’s journey becomes a pilgrimage and our world becomes a holy place to live.

Gratitude is a paradigm shift in our consciousness from attitude of entitlement to attitude of gratitude. This brings abundance and abundant joy, peace and tranquility into our life. It transforms our vision and makes the world we live into beautiful tapestry of colors. We see and experience connectivity of all of the creation. This is Viswaroopa Darshan in its true sense.