A small story:
In a Christian household, a girl was sitting at the dinner table with her mother.
Food was served at the table and she started eating her food without saying grace.
The mother was shocked and asked her how she could do such a thing.
The girl promptly replied, “There is nothing on this plate that I have not said thanks for at least once before.”
This is what I mean by the attitude of taking things for granted. It is saddening to see it taking root in young children.
One more small story:
A young girl asked her mother, “Mom, how many more days remaining for Christmas?”
The mother asked, “Why do you want to know?”
The girl replied, “I was just wondering whether it was time for me to start being a good girl.”
This is how we train children to think and behave. We teach them how to do transactions. We teach them that everything is nothing but a transaction. We don’t teach them to be spontaneous and flowing. We don’t teach them to live without a purpose. We make everything goal oriented for them. All these things are utterly nonsensical.
Because of all these things that have been done to them, you have to work hard in undoing them first. Be very clear: All that I am doing to you is only undoing. I am continuously undoing. Imagine the amount of doing that has been done to you! Over generations, people have been passing on their ideas to you. I have to first undo all that and then create a space in you for you to flower.
When I tell people to feel a continued sense of gratitude in them, they go and come back, and tell me, “Swamiji, these days I say thank you to the cab drivers and to the servants at home.” Be very clear - when gratitude becomes your Being, you will not even report these kinds of things.
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This excerpt has been taken from the book: Guaranteed Solutions.
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