"Will you please tell me, then - what is gratitude?"
Meher Mount
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The following is an excerpt from Conversations with The Awakener, written by Bal Natu, a close follower of Avatar Meher Baba. This conversation, “An Ever Flowing Stream of Gratitude,” is part of a collection of internal conversations between Bal and his Divine Beloved, Meher Baba.
“Will you please tell me, then - what is gratitude?”
Meher Baba: "Gratitude is a most lovable way of acknowledging My unconditional compassion. And it strengthens your relationship with Me. I have no expectation of it, for My own sake, but it is for your personal good."
Bal Natu: "In what way?"
Meher Baba: "It opens up new informal avenues through which you may feel My presence more and more."
Bal Natu: "Will You please tell me, then — what is gratitude?"
Meher Baba: "In a sense, gratitude is the art of accepting life, moment by moment, in whatever situation one finds oneself, as being My Will. You offer everything to Me, and receive everything from Me."
Bal Natu: "I wonder how in my daily living I can remain grateful to You."
Meher Baba: "Well, if you are honest about wanting to do this, then you will recognize My tender little graces — and these are many — while attending to daily chores or any important work."
The extended internal conversation between Bal and Meher Baba is included in the free Meher Mount eBook on gratitude, "Does Meher Baba Want Us to Thank Him?"
Sources
Bal Natu, Conversations with the Awakener, pg. 24. (c) 1991 Sheriar Foundation. Used by permission.
Image: Avatar Meher Baba in Mahabaleshwar, India, on December 25, 1950. Photographed by Faredoon (Padri) Driver. MSI Collection, Meherabad, India. Used with permission.