Attitude of Gratitude – Keynote Address CMDFW Banquet 2016

The annual banquet for Chinmaya Mission DFW was held at Chinmaya Chitrakoot on Dec. 10, 2016. Below is an excerpt of the keynote address delivered by Pujya Swami Sarveshananda.

Dec. 10^th, the day we celebrate Gita Jayanti and Tapovan Jayanti seems to be such an auspicious day to host our banquet.

Gita Jayanti – About 5140 years ago, Bhagwan Shri Krishna gave the beautiful message of Bhagawad Gita to Arjuna.

Tapovan Jayanti – Meanwhile, about 70-75 years ago, our Pujya Gurudev Swami Chinmayananda wanted to investigate and find out what was happening and what did sadhus and sanyasis achieve under pretext of ashrams? Towards the end of his quest, he himself became a part of the movement! He was sent to Swami Tapovan maharaj without whom we’d not have Pujya Gurudev as our guru.

Salutations and prostration to entire Guru Parampara Sampradaya due to whom we are ensured of coming together and sustaining this sacred knowledge for generations together.

Attitude of Gratitude – One common question we get asked repeatedly – what is distinction between serving in India or here in the US? It is commonly seen that as humanity progresses towards materialistic prosperity, we have too much and don’t know what to do with it. We have an excess of everything. In this plentiful providence, we ignore and forget the basics. Recognize that we have received far more than what we could’ve ever asked for. But have we ever thanked god who has given us all these ornaments? We have so much in excess that even acknowledgement is difficult! We abuse what we’ve gotten.

1. First and foremost, acknowledge that we are blessed with plenty. We are well equipped with a good functioning instruments such as the body, mind and intellect.
2. Secondly, what we do with that equipment is a choice we all have. We don’t seem to know how to use them. We go to the altar and stand in front of god grumbling that we’ve received nothing! If only we realized the blessings we’ve been showered with, we can not only survive, but thrive abundantly if only we knew how to use it. Imagine how would you feel if you gifted your friend with a special present only to find out two weeks later that the gift was still unwrapped? Or worst, what if you found that gift was trashed? On the same token, imagine what god goes through when he finds out that instead of recognizing His grandeur, we not only abuse it, but simply trash it around. Use His gifts in plentiful, and accomplish your tasks with such perfection that looking at the dexterity of its usage, even the benefactor would yearn to supplement your bounty “I wish I had given him more!” All these opportunities are His gifts to us. What we do with it is our gift to Him. That is Attitude of Gratitude.
3. Last but not the least, Serve – Our seva (service) with this attitude of gratitude is serving the Ishwara. Just like we saw in the CHYK’s skit, we aren’t independent but rather, we are interdependent beings. Serve everyone as though you are serving the Lord in that form. Take care of everything and everyone around you because what you see and experience is nothing other than the Lord Himself expressing in that form.

My heartfelt thanks to every person who has helped the growth of Chinmaya Mission in Dallas/Fort Worth. Thanks to you, the attendees for helping and being a part of Pujya Gurudev’s movement for generations to come. His vision has inspired so many lives that they have dedicated their entire lives for His cause. We have a prime example here with our newest Acharya, Brahmachari Yatindra Chaitanya, a Balavihar graduate who was an active member of the Yuva Kendra and now has chosen this path to serve the mission for his entire life. It is indeed a humbling Attitude of Gratitude to our entire Guru Parampara Sampradaya. With everyone’s continued support we can fulfill Pujya Guruji Swami Tejomayananda’s vision and grow spiritually in leaps and bounds while serve humanity.