Giving thanks

We have just had the Canadian Thanksgiving and, as it often does, it falls during a much older festival dedicated to showing our gratitude to the Higher Power. We refer to the Navaratri festival, a multi-day celebration of the protection and blessings afforded to us by the Divine. It is thousands of years old. Because we have always done that - expressed gratitude for the extraordinary gifts that are within and without and indeed most cultures around the world have similar traditions of thanksgiving around this time of the year.

Being grateful is such a complex positive mood. It contains hues of joy, humility, appreciation, acceptance and satisfaction and really sets the stage for us to seek our greater Self. We are clearly enjoying being human - and of course that happened without any asking…We enjoy even more when we ascend to the higher awareness of the Self, and then we truly realize how we are part and parcel of the Whole and how the all - pervading Divine Love is the ultimate planner and caretaker.

Nowadays in the Western culture the superficial ritual of gratitude has become such a part of every conversation that it is really hard to rediscover any trace of it in our heart. We say “Thank you” a hundred times every day, together with similar numbers of “Sorry”, “Please” and so on. How many times do we actually feel any of the things that those words imply? Do we do that ever ?…Why is that ? Because those norms are artificial and most are aimed at pleasing our collective egos and conditionings rather than express true feelings. The overwhelming presence of material preoccupation in our attention makes for a growing distance from our feelings and this is evident everywhere in the modern society.

The reality though is that matter cannot give us joy unless it is used to convey affection. And in search of that joy we try many things that sometimes harm us. But a good start towards the joy is heartfelt gratitude towards the Divine Power. And the sincere humility that comes with it. And once we bring the Spirit / Self in our attention through Self-Realization, then our attention becomes merged in the stream of Joy itself and we find ourselves at the end of the seeking, in a state of perpetual gratitude for the endless love and care we receive every minute of every day.