I just came upon this story – “Moving to India & Living With an Indian Family Taught Me the Real Meaning of Gratitude”
https://www.thebetterindia.com/86904/india-gratitude-culture-formalities/
As I read this story, I wondered how “to be grateful” is probably hard wired in our system – so I thought to myself I should do some research to find out more about what our traditional beliefs have been to make our culture have this attitude of gratitude.
Here is what I came by and I feel so blessed having found it.
As per our scriptures (Taittiriya Samhita & Shatpath Brahman ), we come into the world carrying debts we have to pay back over the course of our lifetime. And only when we pay this back are we able to achieve nirvana or moksha.
As you read these you would realize how gratitude is a part of our cultural framework in this country:
1. The first is देव ऋण (dev rin) or debt to God: Think about it –what all do we have to be thankful to God for – our birth, our body, our family, our privileges, all of which came to us as good fortune and we took for granted. Isn’t it? And the way to payback this debt is to be ever thankful for this in all thought and action.
2. The second is ऋषि ऋण (rishi rin) or debt to the wise ones who have come before us. Would we be able to do what we do if we did not have the knowledge created, discovered, articulated by intellectuals before our times? When Newton acknowledged that he had achieved his great breakthroughs by ‘standing on the shoulders of giants he recognized this. By studying and acquiring knowledge (and if possible adding matter to the existing knowledge), this debt can be repaid.
3. The third is पितृ ऋण (pitra rin) or debt to our ancestors for the simple reason that they are the cause for our birth – a unique opportunity called life. This is also meant to induce in us a sense of trusteeship – we have got this earth – as a gift from our ancestors and we owe it to our next generation to hand it in a shape a gift should look like.
4. The fourth is मनुष्य ऋण (manushya-rin) or debt that we owe to all fellow human beings and the society at large. This debt can be repaid by treating others with respect and being of service to them.
5. Finally comes the भूत ऋण (bhuta rin)– Bhuta here is not the ghost you would think of but the panchmahabhuta (पृथ्वी जल अग्नि वायु आकाश) or the 5 elements – earth, water, fire, air and space. All of this material world is a combination of these 5 elements. Being indebted to them would mean indebted to everything; to plants, animals and nature at large
Isn’t this such a wonderful concept?
My new found knowledge gives me a whole new way to look at things – it is difficult to practice but I shall make beginning.
Will you?
