Gratitude As Prayer (Part 2)

There was a great saint who lived in Maharashtra. During the last ten years of his life, he was asked to eat the same type of food. He was asked to eat a little rice and greens everyday, because his stomach had become sensitive. Every day, he would eat the same food. The devotee who cooked for him got tired of cooking the same food. Every day the same food! She went to the Master and asked, 'Master, are you not bored eating the same food? I am bored of cooking the same food. Are you not bored eating the same food?' The Master said, 'I am not eating the same food. How can I eat the same food? Everyday it's different. Everyday it's new. How can I eat the same food the next day? No!'

When we generalize, we feel bored. When we understand, when we live moment to moment, everything looks fresh. When we live moment to moment, things really look fresh and we live and feel grateful to Existence. When we take things for granted, we feel bored, dull, tired and depressed.

The biggest problem I see, at least in this country, (referring to USA), is people's attitude of taking everything for granted. That is why, even though there are so many possibilities for entertainment, you feel so much boredom. Depression has become a big disease.

Obesity is nothing but taking our food for granted. When we take food for granted, we try so many new techniques. Again we feel unfulfilled. Again we try some other techniques. Continuously, we take things for granted and try new things. The more we try, the more we get bored and depressed.

When we live with deep sensitivity, with deep understanding, without taking things for granted, we experience a new space in our being; we experience a new joy in our being. Then we experience gratitude towards the whole of life. We feel gratitude towards life, towards people, towards situations and ultimately, towards the whole of Existence.

Gratitude is the ultimate prayer and the ultimate attitude. Gratitude is the greatest attitude that we can have towards human beings, towards life and towards situations and towards God.

May you experience this gratitude and through this gratitude, the Eternal Bliss, nithyananda.

Enlightenment flowers when individual consciousness disappears into Universal Consciousness. When you start living enlightenment, you automatically raise the human consciousness around you. Living enlightenment holds the key to global peace and inner bliss. Every individual should be a pioneer in the transition of human consciousness to Divine Consciousness.