Thanksgiving is a time for many people to express their gratitude to God and thank Him for what they have. Traditionally, it is a day of thanking God for a good harvest. It is time where families and friends get together for a special meal. But it is often seen that we forget to see what we actually have and run after what we don’t.
The peacock, according to our mythology, is known to be very proud of its multicoloured feathers, which symbolise the beauty of nature. It is said that the peacock smiles when it looks at its own magnificent plumage, but when its eyes fall on its claws, which are without any beauty, it weeps.
God showers us with so many blessings, but He does not give all good things to one person; he always holds something for Himself. And by holding something back, He reminds us that we, as men, are not the acme of perfection. It is man’s nature not to be satisfied with what he has and to crave and lament for what he does not have. The result is that he always remains unsatisfied; he broods, he yearns, he becomes disenchanted and ungrateful.
Guru Nanak has said:
O Nanak, the entire world is in sorrow;
He alone is happy who has been blessed
with initiation by a Perfect Master.
So the peacock, which has been blessed with so much grace, beauty and grandeur by God, weeps when it looks at its own claws. This contrast between extreme beauty on the one hand, and the absolute lack of it on the other, makes it cry. Similarly, in our own lives, we are never satisfied, and we do not show our gratitude to God for the many gifts He has bestowed upon us. We are always longing for something that we do not have, and that makes us sorrowful, even resentful.
There’s a story where one man asked the planet Earth, “You have got mountains and oceans, trees, animals and men laden on you; you must be burdened?” And the Earth replied, “No, it is no burden to me.” Then again the Earth was asked, “Is there anything that weighs you down?” He said, “When men are unthankful to God for the gifts He has given becomes a burden that I cannot bear.”
For example, if we want 10 things that will make us happy and God has given us nine, still we aren’t satisfied; we complain. We forget rest of the nine things we have. Have we thought about the situation when God does not give us the tenth one, and also takes away all our nine gifts? When you are grateful, your mind is at rest. You feel satisfied and your vision changes. So ungratefulness is a heinous crime. We should be thankful and grateful to God for all that we receive. This Thanksgiving, let us thank God for everything we have and not be unappreciative for what we do not have.
Sant Rajinder Singhji, head of Sawan Kirpal Ruhani Mission, works towards promoting inner and outer peace. He can be contacted at www.sos.org
