Monday 15 December 2014

GRATITUDE OR OBLIGATION

Gratitude is heart felt, obligation is heart burdened.
Gratitude is inspiring to do more for the person who we are grateful to. In obligation we want discount, and some times release without being paying the due.
In gratitude we look for the opportunity to  be grateful. In obligation we look for the opportunity to over come it by avoiding it, or making it less.
Obligation is legal, gratitude is moral.  Legality is an external force, morality is internal awakening.
Therefore when gratitude is forced upon a person rather than an internal awakening then it becomes an obligation. The same obligation when transformed and made into a personal decision it becomes gratitude. Eg:- loan paying off is an obligation, but a  good son, understanding the value of  money which  his father had received from the giver, the son takes the responsibility and pays it off, and thanks the person for lending the money at the right time.
In the Mahabharata we see how most people who were fighting on the side of Kauravas were obliged. But those who were fighting on behalf of the Pandavas like, Abhimanyu, Ghatodgaja, Virata, and other such warriors, were fighting  had taken the responsibility  of fighting on their own shoulders and they were willing to sacrifice. People who are obliged  want release and those who are grateful they are free, by their inner awakening.  Obligation is binding therefore it restricts our movement it stifles creativity,   Gratitude is an expression of freedom  it empowers,it opens up creativity, it builds every aspect of life.
Gratitude in Sanskrit is called “krtajna” means, to carry the memories of the favors received by us. 
In gratitude there is nothing to give back except one’s consciousness and gifts.  In obligation, we have to pay everything we have taken with interest, without our mind and consciousness being involved in it.  Obligation is heartless, gratitude is hard-less, or in other words, it softens heart.
In this world if we really want to grow, it is better to be grateful than to have the burden of obligation. Choice is ours, do we want an obligation or gratitude. Depending upon whether we chose obligation or gratitude it changes everything around us including our mental structure. In turn it gives us a healthy and integrated growth .

4 comments:

  1. HK pr, pamho! 1) Is it that expectations from a person makes the other one obliged.... if so, how can a person be without expectations...... & i feel its a natural phenomenon( as far as we dont trouble the other person with our expectations even unintentionally on the name of a loving relationship... ) can we be without any expectations from the other ones in a pure loving relationship... if so how... can u pl clarify…
    2) if a person becomes obliged by his so called compassionate nature in spirituality, is it not still binding to him/her...if so how can we avoid it to practice healthy spiritual loving relationship between each other... and yet be compassionate....

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  2. expectations are natural on a conditional stage, and therefore they cause pain, when unfulfilled. Krishna, therefore advises in Gita to do our dharma, since we have taken the roll. its father's dharma to be father, but expecting exact reciprocation or more from the son or daughter will only bring pain or false happiness.

    2nd. compassion is not obligation it is a grateful opportunity to serve, since lord has given some resources. it is not burdensome. but one looks forward to serve. when there is a pressure then compassion becomes obligation. it is all about how we prepare our conciousness

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    1. hk, pamho! thank you very much prabhuji.1) yes, if we are truly duty bound then there are no expectations & thus no pain in any relationship 2) i did see some people, while receiving compassion from great souls, bring pressure and become an obligation & pain to them. so, whenever i receive compassionate mercy from great souls out of their exalted nature,i always check back myself that i dont become a pressure & thus obligation and pain to them by my own conditionings. b cos i need to be grateful and respectful for their compassionate nature... "compassion is a grateful opportunity to serve" ... so much depth & culture in it..we have heard and seen Lord Rama with great ideals & culture only through scriptures, but we now truly feel that we are with Lord Rama by being with such great souls in this movement...all glories to Srila Prabhupad & his movement...-ys Harsha Lalitha devi dasi

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