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On this day of Thanksgiving in the US, I take this opportunity to

offer thanks to all in our group for their presence, contribution and

good energies in our satsangh.

 

No matter how transient material life is, each moment determines the

next step, the Present Moment exists in all its glory - with its ups

and downs, the relationships, the teachers, the detractors,

the "successes" and "failures", the blessings we "have" or what has

been taken back. This Present Moment is our chariot and our

Kurukshetra, all combined. Even though this chariot has to

disintegrate at the end of the "war", right now at this Present

Moment we have to ride it, and ride it well. For this Present Moment

containing all transient but real part of my journey, I give thanks.

May you all be showered with blessings, and receive all the joys you

wish.

 

A question for our experts. Aside from peace prayers, most that I

have read are usually asking for more and more .. whether its more

enlightenment or more stuff, or glorifying the various deities and

their energies. Are their any prayers for Gratitute in Sanatan Dharm?

 

_/\_ Tat twam asi

 

Uma

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I got no response for my question. So do I take it that in Hinduism we

have no prayers of thanks?

 

 

 

, "Tatwamasi" <tatwamasi> wrote:

>

>.

>

> A question for our experts. Aside from peace prayers, most that I

> have read are usually asking for more and more .. whether its more

> enlightenment or more stuff, or glorifying the various deities and

> their energies. Are their any prayers for Gratitute in Sanatan Dharm?

>

>

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  • 2 months later...

, "Tatwamasi" <tatwamasi wrote:

>

>

>

> A question for our experts. Aside from peace prayers, most that I

> have read are usually asking for more and more .. whether its more

> enlightenment or more stuff, or glorifying the various deities and

> their energies. Are their any prayers for Gratitute in Sanatan

Dharm?

>

> _/\_ Tat twam asi

>

> Uma

 

Very good observation...yess i do not recall that we have any

thanksgiving in our prayers..Most of our Aartis, bhajans, hymns

either praise the God or most of them are begging this thing or

that..even most of the Richas of vedas ask for more rain more milk,

children, wealth....

 

Sikhs I have seen saying "Vahe Guru Tera shukar hai"...on every

gain...they thank god at every moment.

 

Only Tagore's songs are full of thanks and gratitude for god.

 

I think it will be a very good sadhna to sit quietly for some

time...count our blessings and thank god to have given us this

opportunity to enjoy his universe...or to become his tool in this

world.

 

There are thousands of things to THANK HIM...but we like eteral

beggars..do not count the blessings and only blame him for the

shortcomings...and always begging more and more from him.

 

who knows...this begging be the tool for evolution !!! but still

poor God must be waiting for "Ahobhava" or gratitude or

thanks...from us.

 

baba

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Also amazing that this is the first respose to my question!

 

Is it that Sanatan Dharma is essentially a selfish, self centered

religion or that selfish self centered, selfish people have taken

control of informaton dessimination for the lay person?

 

I know the reasoning about one has to work on oneself which triggers

changes in our world. (The world is as we are!)But at the same time

the power of gratitude to chop of the ego is ruthless, and I am

surprised at its apparent absence!

 

_/\_ Tat twam asi

 

Uma

 

 

 

, "Baba ji" <beirut_ka_baba

wrote:

 

> Very good observation...yess i do not recall that we have any

> thanksgiving in our prayers..Most of our Aartis, bhajans, hymns

> either praise the God or most of them are begging this thing or

> that..even most of the Richas of vedas ask for more rain more

milk,

> children, wealth....

>

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, "Tatwamasi" <tatwamasi wrote:

>

> Is it that Sanatan Dharma is essentially a selfish, self centered

> religion or that selfish self centered, selfish people have taken

> control of informaton dessimination for the lay person?

--

very harsh and judgmental views about Sanatan Dhaarma !!!.

 

It is not neccesarily "selfish", and self centeredness when we do

not thank !!!

 

A mother does not need thanks from her children for keeping them

in the womb...or for breast-feeding them.

 

I do not really know why this aspect was kept away from our

prayers..but it certainly had some purpose, otherwise our rishis who

have reached such great hights and explored such depths of the

psychology of living beings, could not possibly have forgotton it.

 

Perhaps thanking is a westerner idea, to be more formal and to

look more civilised. All other religions prepare God fearing lot,

whereas Sanatan Dharma prepare God Loving persons.

 

It may be possible that our rishis left this deliberately out and

asked us to demand more and more...so that dissatisfication is

always alive in us...and perhaps this dis-satisfication..would be

used to reach the highest of realms.

 

Or perhaps they left it to the individual...to understand the

Tantra of Universe...and have an inner thankfulness for the System

to have given us so much !!! After all the real Thanks would be the

one which will arise from within....not as mere words...formal words

as used in the West.

 

with love

 

Baba

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We all know that Sanatan Dharm, as we see it presented, has gone

through ups and downs, and through that journey evolved into a

message appropriate for its time (Yuga). Because the Dharm is secure

in its roots and origins, it is not afraid of looking at itself, and

evolving according to needs appropriate to the times aka

consciousness. That is the strength and beauty of Sanatan Dharm, and

that is why it is perhaps the most revered, though not always

understood, faith in the world today. So the question of harsh and

judgemental is misplaced.

 

Thank you for attempting to addressing the probable reasons for this

aspect that APPEARS to be missing. APPEARS because it MAY be only an

appearance, because it is possible that it has been left out by

those in control of the dessimination of popular religion.

 

Every relationship has two sides. In your example the mother is

doing her duty by feeding her child. She brought the child into the

world. At the same time the child has a duty, to at least feel the

gratutude which may be expressed in a variety of ways. Each party in

a relationship especially this one, has a dharm and that is exalted

in no faith more than in Sanatan Dharm.

 

Gratitude also assists in the process of learning humility.

Spiritual arrogance, material arrogance is an obstacle in the path

of all, where the ego is desperately attempting to survive, by

claiming control of the journey. Thanksgiving/ gratitude is a small

tool that can be used very effectively to help chisel away at

this "i" which stands in the way of experiecng the complete Truth of

who we are.

 

As far as mere words, anything anywhere can become that. My favorite

exapmple is the parroting of chants and prayers and words by rote,

clueless about its experiential meaning, beacuse one hasn't bothered

to actually put it to practice and make it one's own.

 

Its interesting to see again and again how people become quiet when

we get away from quotes and lectures, and attempt to bring focus

onto how we are personally experiencing our journey, a far less

secure place to be when we are not hiding under the words of Gurus

and texts. I am constantly reminded of one of my teachers from

Swami Chimayanandajis ashram where she commented on the lack of

participation in a discussion. She said, 'it takes actual practice

and application for one to have questions, opinions and thoughts.

Mere listening to my lectures, and saying how great I am is of no

use!"

 

But now I am beginning to see, that perhaps its a question of time

and readiness. When we are ready, we will move on.

 

_/\_ Tat twam asi

 

Uma

 

 

, "Baba ji" <beirut_ka_baba

wrote:

> very harsh and judgmental views about Sanatan Dhaarma !!!.

>

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  • 1 month later...
Guest guest

In , "Tatwamasi" <tatwamasi> wrote:

Are their any prayers for Gratitude in Santana Dharma?

 

 

Yes of course we do have "Thanks Giving" but without slitting the throat of

dumb fellow creatures and without feasting on the dead Turkeys. Here are

some examples:

 

Let us first consider surrender, it takes various forms, shapes, and

attitudes depending upon the evolution of one's soul, but the ultimate

surrender is God Realization, where one becomes One with Him after

surrendering every thing.

 

Similarly the best and the highest form of gratitude is remembering the Lord

before undertaking any auspicious work. Most people would or should think of

the Lord, for example, before eating food. Most Ashrams chant some prayers

glorifying the Lord before serving Lunch, dinner etc.

 

Vedic way of life or Santana Dharma is nothing but glorifying the Lord, from

birth till death, in one way or another, through various Vedic rituals. A

child is born, there is a ritual, someone getting married, there are

rituals, someone dies, there are rituals. All these rituals involve the

remembrance of the Lord, in one form or another, which is the highest form

of gratitude. Lord provides all necessities of life like, air, fire, water

etc. and that too free of cost, therefore the best form of gratitude is to

remember Him at all times, for all he has provided to us including life to

enjoy or suffer!

 

Another way to put it is to say, Have an Isvara Arpana Buddhi and Parsad

Buddhi, meaning whatever we get in life, offer it to the Lord first and then

put into use as his Prasad (Gift). What can be a better way of gratitude

than living in God consciousness at all times. Vedas is a manual of life

that teaches us how to live a life of God Consciousness at all times.

 

God Bless

radhakutir

OM

 

******************************************************************************

Know the Lord to be the only real thing in the midst of things unreal.

Remember God.Take His name always. Meditate upon Him. Feel His presence

everywhere. Surrender yourself to Him. He will bless you with peace, bliss,

plenty, prosperity and immortality. ----Swami Sivananda

********************************************************************************

Please visit our website on Vedanta:

http://www.geocities.com/radhakutir

and also

http://www.geocities.com/vedicfoundation

********************************************************************************

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Thank you for your response Radha Kutir ji _/\_

 

 

>>> question for our experts. Aside from peace prayers, most that I

have read are usually asking for more and more .. whether its more

enlightenment or more stuff, or glorifying the various deities and

their energies. Are their any prayers for Gratitute in Sanatan

Dharm?>> /message/7479

 

My question was whether there are prayers amongst our multitudes of

texts that deal specifically with gratitude. So far I haven't

recieved any, either from members here or from my Indian community

in real life. This is not to say it doesn't exist, but I haven't

been able to find any, and none here have been able to assist. Of

course it doesn't limit anyone, because communication with "God" is

personal.

 

Expressing gratitude by living a life of truth or praising the Lord,

is prescribed by all faiths. The sincerity or hypocricy of followers

wasn't my query. As I read some of our older messages by our

members, I see some very beautiful expressions of gratitude as they

experience it.

 

As far as "slitting throats" of turkeys or goats, its a whole

different issue, and is aways open for discussion.

 

_/\_ Tat twam asi

 

Uma

 

 

 

, radhakutir <radhaktr wrote:

>

 

> Are their any prayers for Gratitude in Santana Dharma?

>

>

> Yes of course we do have "Thanks Giving" but without slitting the

throat of

> dumb fellow creatures and without feasting on the dead Turkeys.

Here are

>

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