joy and gratitude

Joy and gratitude

Go hand in hand

In a way, these two words are synonymous. They mean the same thing: gratitude, that energy of thankfulness for what we have, for the life we have, for all the gifts that we are showered with in this moment; and joy, joy, enjoyment of life, enjoyment of this moment. And these two aspects, if they are indeed two and not one, these aspects of our psychology are of fundamental importance to our spiritual journey. If we have no gratitude, if we are not thankful for this amazing life, this miracle, if we are not thankful for this, our mind will become busy with what it wants, always focusing on what is wrong, what could be better.

Our mind is greedy, and it's always looking for trouble, for problems, for things that are wrong. It's the nature of the thinking mind. And this takes us away from the present moment, from what is here and now, and instead we start imagining what could be, what we would like to be. And whilst we are busy with such thoughts, we are missing life, we are missing the moment, we are not present. And also we stay in the mind, in a superficial aspect of life, without any depth to our being. We do not really touch the divine. We do not savour that subtle yet pervasive flavour of godliness, in our day to day life.

So fostering a sense of gratitude is of immense importance. And it should not be difficult: if we open our eyes and look around at the flowers, the leaves on the trees, the sound of the birds singing, nature is such a gift, and it's all so unlikely. Much more likely would be that there would be nothing at all, just a sort of emptiness. So life is rich, it's a rich gift, and if we take it for granted, then we have lost something.

So let's be grateful. Let's feel that gratitude in every moment, and not pay much attention to that greedy mind that wants more, the mind for which there is never enough. And with this gratitude will come the joy, joy in life. We will be rejoicing, rejoicing in what is, rejoicing in the moment, rejoicing in this miracle that is existence, and the miracle that is ourselves. For we too are a part of the great miracle of life.

And of course, feeling that joy, that sense of rejoicing, we are fulfilled, and we do not need anything more. The divine gifts of the moment are enough. They're more than enough. They are everything we need. They are more than we could ask for. And with that fulfilment, our greedy, busy thinking mind can take a rest. It can become silent. And in that silence we are present,

we are present with the moment with what is here now in our life around us, physically present with us. And we will not be reaching out and grasping for other things. This is the way to be fulfilled. And in this silent, joyful fulfilment, we are in a space to once more become one with the divine.