The Spirituality of Gratitude Recognising the Blessings We Already Have

The Spirituality of Gratitude  Recognising the Blessings We Already Have

When you woke up this morning, what was the first thought that came to your mind?

Perhaps you thought you could sleep for a little longer. Perhaps your mind immediately turned to the work you had to do, the bills you had to pay, the people you had to meet, or the responsibilities waiting for you. Perhaps you reached for your phone and began looking at the news of the world.

But for a moment, let us look at this morning differently.

You woke up.

Your body is functioning. You are breathing in and breathing out. You can feel hunger. There is food in your refrigerator. You have a home that protects you from the rain, cold and heat. There are people in your life who genuinely care about you. And above all, if your mind is at least somewhat peaceful at this moment...

You did not simply wake up lucky.

You woke up with many of the blessings that countless people pray to God for every single day.

The moment we begin to recognise this truth, our perspective on life begins to change.

It is human nature to think more about what we do not have than what we already have. We look at what the person next door possesses and think about what is missing from our own lives. We compare ourselves with others and begin to feel that our lives are somehow inadequate.

We want more money, a bigger house, a better car, a higher position, greater comfort and more possessions. The mind keeps running after that elusive "little bit more."

And while chasing what we do not have, we forget how much we already possess.

It is often only when our health fails that we understand the value of good health. When we are lying in a hospital bed, we may not ask for great wealth or luxury. We simply wish to be able to stand and walk again.

When we are hungry, we understand the value of an ordinary meal.

When we are in danger of losing our home, we suddenly realise what a great blessing those four ordinary walls have been.

And only after losing someone who loves us do we truly understand how precious their presence was when they were beside us.

This is one of the strange realities of human life.

We often take what we have for granted and give greater importance to what we do not have.

Spirituality begins, in part, with changing this way of seeing life.

Spirituality does not mean merely sitting somewhere on a mountaintop. It does not mean retreating into a forest to meditate. Visiting a temple, observing a fast, performing rituals and reciting prayers may all be expressions of spirituality.

But they are not spirituality in their entirety.

When a person wakes up in the morning and quietly says within, "Thank you. I have been given another day," that too is spirituality.

Taking care of one's body is spirituality.

Respecting the food we have received and not wasting it is spirituality.

Treating our family members with love is spirituality.

Respecting the person who works for us as another human being is spirituality.

Not looking down upon someone who has less than us is spirituality.

When someone has hurt us, choosing not to take revenge immediately and thinking, "They too are only human," can be spirituality.

Helping someone when we are able to do so, without expecting anything in return, is spirituality.

Being honest even when nobody is watching is spirituality.

These may appear to be nothing more than ordinary good habits. But beneath them lies a profound spiritual truth.

Our spirituality is revealed by the way we live.

A person may speak about God every day and yet fail to notice the tears of someone standing right beside them.

Another person may not participate in any religious ritual, yet may feed someone who is hungry, speak kindly to someone who is lonely, or hold the hand of someone going through suffering.

Which way of living is closer to the essence of spirituality?

That is a question each of us must ask our own conscience.

Spirituality is not about making us feel superior to others.

Instead, it should gradually reduce the ego within us and help us become human beings capable of feeling the happiness and suffering of other living beings.

The body we have been given is also a blessing.

We often think of our body as our possession. But in truth, it is a responsibility entrusted to us.

It will not remain with us forever.

Youth passes. Strength declines. Our eyesight may change. Our hearing may weaken. Our steps may become slower.

But every day that our body remains with us is another day for which we can be grateful.

If you can get out of bed in the morning and walk on your own two feet, that is a blessing.

If you can use your hands to embrace someone you love, that is a blessing.

If you can see the face of someone dear to you, that is a blessing.

If you can hear a loving voice, that is a blessing.

If you can say the words "thank you," that too is a blessing.

We often fail to recognise these things as blessings because we treat them as ordinary rights.

Only when we lose one of them do we understand its value.

That is why a spiritual way of living means learning to appreciate something while we still have it, rather than only after we have lost it.

The same thought applies to the home we have.

It does not have to be a palace. It does not have to be large. It does not have to be luxurious.

Simply having a place where we can sleep safely at night is itself a great blessing.

There are many people in this world longing for a safe place they can call home.

While we complain about the size of our house, someone else may be waiting for a small room of their own.

While we complain about the food before us, someone else may be hoping for even one meal that day.

While we become angry over small disagreements within our family, someone else may be living in loneliness, without even one loving person with whom they can speak.

This does not mean that our problems are not real.

Every person has their own worries. Life contains pain, disappointment, loss, illness, financial difficulties and broken relationships.

But spiritual maturity means learning to see the good that exists alongside those difficulties.

Gratitude does not mean denying what is missing; it means having the ability to recognise what is still present despite what is missing.

Some people believe that spirituality is not meant for those living ordinary family lives. They imagine that to be spiritual, one must withdraw from the world.

But the real test is not in leaving the world.

The real test is how pure, compassionate and disciplined we can keep our minds while living within the world.

Remaining calm when anger arises within a family is spirituality.

Living together as husband and wife while respecting one another is spirituality.

Raising children while also listening to their opinions is spirituality.

Caring for ageing parents with love rather than treating them as a burden is spirituality.

Conducting business without cheating is spirituality.

Carrying out the responsibilities entrusted to us at work honestly is spirituality.

When we are given authority, refusing to use it to oppress others is spirituality.

When we have wealth, not looking down upon those who have less is spirituality.

When we have knowledge, not mocking those who know less is spirituality.

As we grow older, making an effort to understand the younger generation is spirituality.

All these things may appear to be ordinary aspects of life.

But in reality, they are profound spiritual practices.

It may be easy to sit peacefully in meditation for half an hour.

But remaining calm when someone deliberately provokes us can sometimes be a greater meditation.

It may be easy to stand quietly in a temple and think of God.

But speaking kindly to someone at home who irritates us may sometimes be a greater act of devotion.

We can repeat a mantra a thousand times.

But choosing to swallow a harsh word rather than wound another person's heart may be a more meaningful expression of that mantra in everyday life.

That is why spirituality cannot be measured only by the number of rituals we perform.

It can also be seen in how much we have grown into better human beings.

Gratitude takes us along the same path.

When we wake up in the morning, instead of thinking, "I don't have this. I don't have that," let us ask ourselves:

"What do I still have?"

Take a few moments.

"I have life."

"My body is still with me."

"I have food."

"I have a home."

"There is someone who cares about me."

"There are people whom I love."

"I can still learn."

"I can still help someone."

"I can still speak a kind word."

Think about these things.

The mind slowly begins to change.

Our problems will not suddenly disappear.

But the way we look at those problems will change.

That is where spirituality begins.

Gratitude leads us towards contentment.

Contentment helps free us from greed.

When greed decreases, comparison decreases.

When comparison decreases, jealousy decreases.

When jealousy decreases, peace of mind increases.

And when peace of mind increases, love has more room to grow.

Thus, a simple feeling of "thank you" can gradually transform the quality of our entire life.

So let us be grateful for the abundance that the universe has given us.

But gratitude should not remain merely a word.

Turn gratitude into a way of living.

When food is available, do not waste it.

When love is given to you, return it.

When someone helps you, do not forget it.

When you gain knowledge, share it.

When you have money, use at least a portion of it to help someone in need.

When you have time, spend some of it speaking to someone who is lonely.

When you have physical strength, use it to help someone who cannot help themselves.

The greatest way to thank life for every blessing we have received is to use those blessings for something good.

Before asking God, "Give me more," perhaps we should sometimes ask ourselves:

"Am I using properly what I have already been given?"

That is a deeply spiritual question.

The life we have been given is not merely for enjoyment. It is also an opportunity to make our existence meaningful.

Every person we meet in life teaches us something.

Some teach us love.

Some teach us patience.

Some teach us forgiveness.

Some reveal our own mistakes to us.

Some hurt us, and through that pain, they help us discover something about ourselves.

Therefore, instead of expecting everything in life to happen exactly as we want, if we begin asking,

"What can I learn from this?"

then life itself becomes a school of spirituality.

The happiness we seek every day is also connected to this.

Happiness is not determined only by how much we possess.

It also depends on how deeply we appreciate what we already have.

If we can drink an ordinary cup of tea with gratitude, there can be a small spiritual experience in that moment.

If we can appreciate the morning sunlight, there can be a spiritual experience in that.

If the laughter of a grandchild fills our heart with joy, there can be a spiritual experience in that.

If we can sit quietly beside our life partner, there can be a spiritual experience in that.

If we can speak openly with a friend, there can be spirituality in that too.

We do not need complicated theories to recognise these moments.

We simply need a mind that is awake to life.

What matters more than where we are is the state of mind with which we live.

Therefore, spirituality is not an escape from life.

Spirituality is learning to live life more beautifully, honestly, lovingly and responsibly.

Being a good father is spirituality.

Being a good mother is spirituality.

Being a good husband is spirituality.

Being a good wife is spirituality.

Being a good son is spirituality.

Being a good daughter is spirituality.

Being a good friend is spirituality.

Being a good neighbour is spirituality.

Being an honest worker is spirituality.

Being a responsible member of society is spirituality.

Respecting the rights of others, fulfilling our own responsibilities and trying, as far as possible, not to cause suffering to others — all of this can be a profound spiritual journey.

Tonight, before you go to sleep, take a moment to remember the blessings you received this morning.

Ask yourself:

Did I speak kindly to someone today?

Did I hurt anyone's heart?

Did I respect the food I received?

Did I express gratitude to those who showed me love?

Did I do at least one small thing to help someone?

Was I a slightly better human being today than I was yesterday?

Asking ourselves these questions can itself be a form of spiritual practice.

We do not know whether we will wake up tomorrow.

But we are awake today.

And that alone is reason enough to be grateful.

We are breathing today.

That alone is reason enough to be grateful.

We can love today.

That alone is reason enough to be grateful.

We can help someone today.

That alone is reason enough to be grateful.

We do not need to have everything.

We only need to recognise what we have.

Life does not have to be perfect.

We only need to live it with gratitude.

Spirituality does not have to separate us from the world.

It should connect us more deeply with the world through love.

Spirituality should not make us think that we are superior to others.

It should make us more humble.

Spirituality should not remain only on our lips.

It should be visible in our conduct.

Spirituality should not exist only inside a temple.

It should exist in our homes, our workplaces, our streets, our relationships and even in our moments of solitude.

Only then do we truly understand:

A family life is not opposed to spirituality.

Every ordinary day lived with good character, gratitude, love, honesty and responsibility can itself become a spiritual day.

So, tomorrow morning, when you wake up, before thinking about everything that is missing from your life, take a moment to recognise everything that is already present.

Look at your body.

Look at your home.

Look at your food.

Look at the people who love you.

Feel your breath.

Look into your own mind.

And then quietly say:

"Thank you for this life that has been given to me today."

That one expression of gratitude may change your day.

That change may transform your behaviour.

Your behaviour may transform your relationships.

Your relationships may transform your family.

And the peace within one family may eventually contribute to peace within a community.

So there is no need to search somewhere far away for a great spiritual transformation.

It may be present in our next word.

It may be present in our next action.

It may be present in our next act of forgiveness.

It may be present in our next expression of gratitude.

Let us recognise the blessings we have received, value them, and use them for good.

That is the highest spirituality available to an ordinary human being.

That is the true wealth of a life lived with gratitude.

You can do it.

With love,
Sakthi Sakthithasan