Cultivate Gratitude

Greed has a very short vocabulary. Whatever you offer it, its single response is the same: more. It does not know how to say thank you, because it cannot afford to. Gratitude is its quieter opposite — a divine quality, the tradition says, marked by a readiness to notice what was given and to return some kindness in turn.

Bhakti as the practice of thanks

The whole of bhakti yoga can be read as a long, patient cultivation of this one quality. Each chant, each offering, each small attention given to the holy name, is a way of saying — this was given to me, and I am noticing.

"When human society is grateful to the Lord for all His gifts for the maintenance of the living entities, then there is certainly no scarcity or want in society. But when men are unaware of the intrinsic value of such gifts from the Lord, surely they are in want."

Want, in this reading, is less a condition of the world than a condition of attention. The cure begins where attention turns. Om Tat Sat. Adapted from a reflection by Vaisesika Dasa.