Divine Words of wisdom by Sathya Sai Baba – On Gratitude

1. You need to show gratitude for everything you receive

x2003-04-02

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One has experienced so much. Having experienced so much how is one showing the gratitude? God does not expect anything in return and He does not wait for it. But one must do one’s duty. One must express one’s gratitude. An ungrateful person is worse than the worst. People experience much, receive much and progress in many ways and therefore should be grateful to the persons from whom they have received. “Matrudevo bhava, pitru devo bhava,” mother is God. Father is God. A mother carries the child in the womb for nine months, makes many sacrifices and endures many pains in bringing up the child. How grateful must one be to such a mother?! That is why is said, “Mother is God.” She is like God to a child. “Pitru devo bhava”, father is God. A father looks after the child sacrificing his own comforts and providing for the child financially. What gratitude is one showing to such father? The kind of gratitude expressed towards one’s parents today will be received by one from one’s children in future. People speak enduringly in front of others but foster wicked thoughts inside. This amounts to demonic nature. Demons are courageous at night and during day they are powerless. Night is likened to all things wicked. Ignorance is night. Day symbolises wisdom. In the darkness of ignorance one only encounters bad and wicked things. Only demons would want the darkness of ignorance. People wanting wickedness cannot be called as humans. Man is the child of immortality. Human birth is the rarest of all births. It is big mistake to behave like a demon having taken birth as a human. Even animals show some kind of gratitude and love. But today’s man has no limits and has no gratitude. Hence one must redeem one’s human birth by living like a human. Every human is an embodiment of the divine. There is none in the whole of the universe who is not divine.

2. Are youth having any gratitude towards society

x1997-07-16

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Man is born in society, grows in society, earns name and fame in society and learns many skills in the society and develops intelligence and gets reputation for being intelligent. Where did man get all these things? From the society man gets all these things. But have anyone of the young men and women thought of showing gratitude to the society from which they got the name and fame? What service is the youth rendering to the society in return for the good things received? How is one showing one’s gratitude to the society? These questions when put to one self, derive no answers. This is a big mistake. Every human being must possess the quality of gratitude. Having being the beneficiaries one must show gratitude. As an expression to one’s gratitude, one should render selfless service to the society; it is one’s foremost duty towards society and a form of service or ‘seva’.

3. Man needs to have the sense of gratitude

x2002-04-13

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The main quality gifted to man by God is “gratitude”. In the ancient culture of Bharath, it was the tradition to offer “surya namaskara”- salutations to the Sun god. There is an interesting word in the hymns of salutations- “krutagnyagnyaya namaha!” The glory of the Sun god is present in man in a miniature form as sight of the eyes. “chandrama manaso jathaha, chaksho suryo ajayatha!!—moon is the presiding deity of the mind and that of the eyes is Sun.” The man who forgets all the help extended to him is an ungrateful wretch with eyes of no use. Such people can be called blind people as Sun withdraws His light from that person’s eyes. One should never forget the help received. One may give up one’s life but never the quality of gratitude. One receives so many favours and so much help but one is not mindful of those due to selfishness. Man is leading such foolish life today, how can such men be called as humans?

4. One needs to have gratitude towards society

x1993-02-07

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One learns all the knowledge from the society; the intelligence and specialisation is also learned from the society. Many great men have investigated the medical sciences and one is making use of that repertoire in day to day life. One just receives from the one who has already discovered, but one cannot find out by himself. What amount of gratitude should one show to the one who bestows the knowledge and intelligence? When someone hands over one’s dropped towel, one responds by saying ‘thank you’. When gratitude is shown for mere picking up of a towel, isn’t it pertinent that one shows gratitude to the society from which one gets intelligence, knowledge and everything? Having received so much from the society what is it that one gives back to the society? One must realise this. The moment one realises this, one can make proper use of the faculties. No man can accomplish anything without the assistance of the society. One is born in the society, grows in the society, and lives in the society and progresses in society. One does not exist without the society. Single tree will not make a forest. Single person will not make society. One house will not make a village. Many houses make a village. Many make a society. Many trees make a forest. So man is a social being but has lost this social consciousness today. One only thinks of oneself, individual. One should be in society; in collective form with the society. One’s parents were in society even before one was born. So, one is born of parents who belong to the society. So is it not reasonable that one should show gratitude to one’s parents who were a part of society before him? Today man has become ungrateful and cruel being due selfishness and lack of social welfare. And hence there is no scope for man to put his education, knowledge and intellect to proper use.

5. Students should develop Gratitude

x1975-11-22

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Human nature in which there is no gratitude will turn into an animal nature. So, boys and girls! In the very first instance learn to have gratitude. If in this country we are today subject to so many difficulties and so many sorrows, what is the reason for that? We are jealous of good things and good people, we are not able to bear prosperity and be happy when we see good people. We begin to be jealous of them. When you look at happy people, who are enjoying pleasure, bliss, then you also feel happy at that sight. But when you see boys and girls who are suffering and who need help, then, you shed a tear and try to help them. Haste makes waste, waste makes worry.so do not be in a hurry. You should not cause hurt or harm or pain to any other individual. Make your life sacred by which you cause no pain to anyone.