Oh Lord!
You alone are my mother, Father, Relative, and friend;
you are my knowledge and wealth.
Oh! Supreme Being, you are everything to me.

The theme of "thanksgiving" constitutes a common element in the religions of humankind. We need to make this precious element central to our lives. Where the roots of spirituality are watered by the spirit of "Thanksgiving", all cultures and religions become dynamic, creative, altruistic and counteract the evils of greed, and selfishness in society. The spiritual unity of "thanksgiving" can establish mutual and harmonious relations among the great religions of the world and work as a fit instrument for world peace.

The world has suffered too much because of wars fought in the name of religions. The attitude of sectarian and dogmatic intolerance leads to persecution and worse. Now is the time to open a new chapter in history based on love and trust. The attitude of gratefulness will bring happiness and harmony to society and to humanity at large.

The problems that press humanity appear to be mostly political and economic. However, the underpinning of the solution of all these problems remains moral and spiritual. If our inner attitudes to life are wrong, then political and economic affairs go wrong. Ego-centric and insolent attitudes are divisive. They goad people to hurt and humiliate others, and commit offenses against God and others. Apart from God, we are slaves of egoism. The way to honor God is to honor God's creation. Humans are essentially spiritual beings, spirit-souls. Spiritual values bring all of us together.

Humans are capable of not only rationality but also, and most importantly, of gratitude, a significant spiritual attribute. Human distinctiveness consists in a sense of thankfulness to the Almighty. We please God by acknowledging the divine Presence and sharing with our neighbors the gracious gifts showered on us - the riches of nature and society and the blessings of life, health, intelligence and freedom. Gratefulness is a reciprocal relationship. God is grateful to saints and sages. We should cherish and vitalize the spirit of "thanksgiving" by reciprocating the love of God and accepting our obligation to serve humanity.

When we dwell in the thought of gratefulness to God, we are saved from wicked and sinful ideas. The burden of human shortcomings and failures is lifted by forgiveness and grace. Thankfulness and forgiveness are so closely related that we can not have one without the other. They are like two sides of the same coin. Even at the human level, thankfulness is meaningful only when it is accompanied by forgiveness of the shortcomings of our neighbors.

The recognition of the spiritual basis of "thanksgiving" has many and deep implications. It means that separation and isolation of human beings is impossible as we are all knit together as children of one God; consequently, the same life throbs in every human heart. It implies that behind all the outer differences is a basic unity. One should, therefore, look upon all human beings with equality, whether s/he belongs to this or that nation or this or that religion. All of us are one in truth and love, one human family. Indeed, it is only on the recognition of the spiritual unity of life and brotherhood of human beings that the safety of the world depends. Gratitude leads to mutual reverence, recognition and cooperation.

Thanksgiving enhances the quality of the inner life. It enables the mind to rest firmly in God. Our life, health, friends, society, the food we eat, and our very body with its fingers, muscles, sense and motor organs are gifts, which we take for granted frequently. Gratitude is a virtue and a philosophy of life.It harmonizes the body and its actions with the inner spirit. Periodic thanksgiving such as the observance of the Thanksgiving Day is only a reminder that we should practice it continuously in our hearts.

Mental pollution is the cause of physical and environmental ravages.They are engendered by greed, lust and anger. Disharmony, conflict, sickness and degradation of nature are their results. They are the result of the desire for profit, power, and self-aggrandizement. All actions start in the mind. Evil deeds are caused by ignorance and selfishness. The important thing about actions is the motive with which they are done. Psychological and social motivations of activities are important. If the ego is allowed to grow, it generates anger, greed, lust, hatred, etc. and make life miserable for all. Mental environment has to be kept clean and focused. By sacrificing the ego, one burns these impurities. When it is accomplished, one's society and environment are purified. A wiser thought, a cleaner vision, and a greater kindness appears; then honesty, love and selfless service emerge in life.

Exclusive pursuit of materialistic values makes people aggressive, arrogant, exploitative and selfish. Ego-centric materialism undermines the world and threatens our survival. All world's religions declare that materialism is a shallow if not an empty philosophy of life. They believe in the primacy of the spiritual over the material in human nature. Leaders of world religions should cooperate in drawing the attention of young people to the virtue of thankfulness, a deep aspect of spiritual life.

Gratitude is a purified emotion. It is an attitude of love and trust. Impure emotions are purified when they are directed to God. Our love of God increases as we become aware of the glory of God. Love and sympathy generates mutual understanding. Pure love generates sweetness. A lover of God hates no being. Such a person is friendly and compassionate to all. When the light of divine love shines on the us, our attitude changes. We are contented and self controlled. The knowledge of God's unlimited majesty, power and grace dispels human pride. The ineffable perfection of God makes us humble. The proper attitude to God is one of gratitude.

Natural elements air, water, fire, sky and earth are all life-giving and life promoting. They all glorify God's mercy. They are all God-given. Without these gifts even life itself would be impossible; they also heal and rehabilitate. They turn toxic materials into whole and wholesome things. The natural resources are not for selfish exploitation of one group or nation by another, but they are to be shared by all living beings. God's creation is sacred. We have no right to destroy what we can not create. Our gratitude to God should make us good stewards of what God has given to us.

Unfortunately, our shortsightedness and selfishness have landed us in an ecological crisis of immense proportions. Natural resources are being depleted and degraded on a large scale for immediate profit. Air and water are being polluted. It is high time that we realized our follies and turned to God in repentance. Our gratitude for the gift of earth should take the form of cleaning water, purifying air, protecting forests and arresting erosion of land.

Family is a great gift of God. The continuation of the human race and the welfare of the posterity depends on loving relationships between parents and children, husband and wife and brothers and sisters. The family that prays together stays together. Actually, the whole world is and should be seen as one family; only then can all humankind reap the benefits of the advances made in science and technology, art and humanities and culture and spirituality. Otherwise, scientific knowledge and technological skills would be used for mutual destruction.

The institution of family is under severe attack in our times. We do not count our blessings.Hence, the instability of marriage, increasing rate of divorce, over emphasis on the physical aspect of sex, teenage pregnancies, addiction to drink and drugs and lack of communication between parents and children have contributed to undermine the family structure. The collapse of the family is a disaster to the society and the individual. The world religions have a big challenge here. They should cooperate in bringing back the sacred values of the family in domestic life.

Thanks to the advances of modern means of transport and communication, every part of the world is becoming increasingly multi-cultural and multi religious. In the emerging global culture, the world needs a fresh approach toward the welfare of the humankind as a whole. The new approach should be on the basis of thankfulness linking the human community through many households of faith.

Hindus are grateful for the insights and values of the world's religions. They are proud of, for instance, Jews, Parsees, Tibetan Buddhists, Christians and Muslims in India for their contributions to the richness of cultural life in the country. This approach of the Hindus coming down from the Rgveda thankfully recognizes the divine revelations announced in other religious traditions.

The theme of "thanksgiving" is pervasive in the Hindu tradition. Its most touching expressions are in the Vedic literature: Rgvedci, Bhagavadgita and Bhagavata Purdna. Even Hindu festivals are thanksgiving celebrations for the restoration of dharma, righteousness, by Divine incarnations. The birth days of Sri Ram and Sri Krishna, and their triumph over wicked rulers are observed as public festivals.

Spiritual life of "seekers" is nourished by divine revelations given in love as children are cherished by mothers with love and kindness. We can never return, but only express our gratefulness for such love. There are many ways in which we may practice the presence of God. But of all the ways the way of gratitude from an innocent heart is the most important. God appreciates what comes from a pure heart.