GRATITUDE AND RECOGNITION
‘True joy is a state of the soul, which experiences life beyond its difficulties, obstacles and sorrows, as a gift from God for which it can feel only gratitude and the need to give thanks. If you wish joy to visit you often, cultivate within yourself this feeling of gratitude towards the Creator, but also towards nature and human beings. In this way, even when you have no particular reason to be happy, this feeling that you have grown accustomed to nurturing will come and take you by surprise—just as when friends sometimes arrive unannounced for a visit when you least expect it.’ Meditation for January 2, 2011
‘So, it is through care, love and gratitude that you will be able to gather within yourselves a little of the Elixir of Life that is spread everywhere…’
‘A lack of gratitude leads to so many ills, while so much good can come from a simple gesture of gratitude! Why? Because it goes far beyond the mere feeling you experience at the time. Let us set ingratitude aside and focus solely on gratitude. When you are moved by a sense of gratitude towards the Creator, towards life, towards nature and all beings—even the most insignificant—this feeling does not remain passive; it is active. Because of the law of affinity, its vibrations attract impressions and sensations of the same nature as itself. And then all blessings come to you from this small thing, this feeling of gratitude.’ Meditation for October 15, 2012
‘Our Master, and all the Masters, have studied human nature in the finest detail—this nature that is so difficult to decipher, to handle, and with which it is so hard to establish harmonious relationships. Yet it is one of the most important aspects of life.’ Unpublished lecture of April 2, 1945
‘You may not always have time to pray and meditate, but you must set aside at least an hour every day to eat. So, why not make the most of mealtimes to take a break from your worries and the agitation around you? This is the ideal moment to remind yourself that you also have a soul and a spirit to nourish, and to send the Lord a thought of gratitude for what He is giving you through this food… For what is food? It is a love letter. Yes, a love letter written by the Creator, and much depends on how you read this letter. Those who do so carelessly will derive no benefit from it…’
‘Look, I bring you life!’
‘When you receive a letter from someone who is very dear to you, you read and reread it carefully so that you can detect and appreciate every nuance; each word seems to contain a whole world of meanings waiting to be discovered. Try to give the same consideration to the love letter from the Creator. It is the most powerful and eloquent letter, for the message it contains is: ‘Look, I bring you life!’
Meditation for September 8, 2014
— Omraam Mikhaël Aïvanhov