Gratitude-III

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Vedanta Kesary (1992, January p.2-5)

Time cannot be divided. All its so-called divisions are man-made, but they do serve some useful purpose. Take, for instance, the division of time into years, months, and days. The beginning of a year is a good time to review how grateful we have been so far. Let us look back at everything we have received from the world and ask ourselves whether we have made a proper use of all those things. Let us also turn our eyes inward and face the silence of the Eternal Presence within our hearts. 'Have I made a good use of all that came to me through the boundless mercy of God? Have I done anything? Oh! how many things to displease Him! Have I, His child, betrayed the faith He reposed in me when He sent me forth to study in this big school called the world? Have 1 been an ideal child of God? Have 1 been a good student of life?' Answers to these questions will determine how grateful we have been.

There is no need to despair if our past performance hasn't exactly been what we wish it was. What has happened, has happened. Time cannot be rolled back like a carpet. Perhaps our past failures were necessary to prepare us for our future successes. If we take care not to repeat our past failures, success can be ours for the asking.

The question before us today must be: 'If I continue to do what I am doing now, would I be a better person next year. If some change in our life-pattern is called for, let us make it at once. It is never too late, but certainly, the earlier we wake up the better. Let us, if necessary, rearrange our lives, get our priorities straightened out, and wipe the dust off our minds to get a clearer vision of what lies ahead, so that when we begin to review our lives this time next year, we should be in a happier position than we are now in. This will, of course, depend on how we handle our lives in the course of this year. Success is not a destination, it is a journey. There is no end to being successful in life, secular or spiritual. Real success always depends on how much we have learnt to be grateful. The spirit of gratitude and lasting success are inseparable.

About the author

Swami Tyagananda

Swami Tyagananda is a monk of the Ramakrishna Order and presently head of the Ramakrishna Vedanta Society in Boston.

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