Joy is Simplest form of Gratitude | HPSC Preparation: All subjects - HPSC (Haryana) PDF Download

Philosophy

Since ancient times, most Indian philosophies have preached that the true purpose of life should be full of happiness and satisfaction, but both have been the most elusive of human emotions and endeavours. Joy, similar to all other human emotions, is very subjective and a relative phenomenon. A famous quote says, ‘‘I cried for shoes until I saw a man without legs’’.
Our nature to seek betterment and advancement from the status quo has been the prime reason for most of our growth in life. But when we are blinded by ambition and sacrifice our inner wellbeing, it becomes detrimental to our joyful state. Therefore, Buddhism preaches that desire or the drive to seek/possess material things is the root cause of all misery which is quite true as the former causes the latter.

The Secret of Living Joyfully

When you are in a state of joy, you are neither worried about anything nor do you intend to take stress for things not in your control. Joy is the purest form of the human mind where there is no place for vices like anger, hatred, pride, attachment, or desire. It is a state of surrender to the almighty with full faith. Being in a state of joy shows your faith and love in humanity. Being joyful indicates we have no place for fear of any kind. We are liberated, secure, and content. Our gratitude for all we have gets reflected in our happiness in the small pleasures of life.
Joy is a state of happiness and contentment, and gratitude means being appreciative and thankful for the same. We express our gratitude to others by showing them that we are happy by their actions, gestures, helping nature. Although joy is the simplest form of gratitude, practically, we do not express joy as gratitude very easily. Factors like greed, competition, ego, immaturity, selfishness are few traits in human life that prevent us from expressing joy as gratitude.
Gratitude originates from the Latin word ‘Gratos,’ which means pleasing or thankfulness. Thus, one should be thankful for the help done by others in one way or another. The secret of a happy life lies in making others joyful by our efforts. Bhutan, our neighbouring country, has even ventured to measure the Gross National Happiness of its citizens.

Why Gratitude is so Hard

Lack of gratitude in humans is a big disaster. Suicide is an example of this as it is the inability of humans to express joy as gratitude that leads one to commit suicide. In India, there is female infanticide where a girl child born is not going to be of any boon to the family, and performing infanticide of that child clearly shows that joy is not expressed as gratitude. Child labour, sexual abuses, and early marriages are examples of that we haven’t even left our children. We have only been exploiting our own human race for ages by imposing on us exploitative rituals to satisfy a few.
Today human beings have become barely grateful for anything and have inclined to take everything for granted. Today we know the price of everything but the value of nothing. In today’s modern era, everything comes with a price tag. The attachment of monetary value to everything has reduced us to mere chasers of small joys in life. Bentham wrote that the “Greatest happiness of the greatest number” and for this maximisation of monetary benefit for maximum people was his philosophy.

Is Everyone Happier than you on Social Media?

The capitalistic societies today trace their roots to utilitarian philosophies. Today we often mistake the value price and undervalue the worth of many precious things, including love and care. Few today appreciate moments spent with their loved ones. The rapid intrusion of electronic gadgets and social media into our lives has made us live a more detached existence. A recent study concluded that the more time people spent on social media, the more was the probability of them being depressed as the selective exposure to information makes them compare with others' lives and increases the feeling of missing out.

Why Gratitude is so Important

Daily, we can develop a routine by being helpful towards others, by saying Thank You for every time you are helped, even for the smallest possible reason, by being sorry for hurting or making mistakes, by smiling back as a greeting gesture are few other examples for expressing gratitude and being joyful by our very own self as well as that of others. Gratitude lifts the character of a person; it brings joy in their life. We must not forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words but to live by them whenever we show gratitude.
Gratitude is a conscious choice and process, and people can choose to be grateful even when their emotions and feelings hurt and they feel discontent. It is amazing on how many occasions we can choose gratitude instead of bickering. Roger Ebert said that “I was perfectly content before I was born, and I think of death as the same state. I am grateful for the gift of intelligence and life, love, wonder, and laughter. I believe that if at the end of it all, according to our abilities, we have done something to make others a little happier, and something to make ourselves a little happier, that is about the best we can do.”

Money Cannot Buy Happiness.

Recent studies on Happiness through initiatives like the Global happiness index, and the establishment of happiness department by states like Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan shows that steps are being taken to inculcate gratitude among children so that other virtues are automatically developed and vices should not enter a child’s mind, by understanding that the happiness cannot be earned through the money it is something we can feel rather than thinking that someone or something else shall make us feel.
Living gratefully is a way of life that requires us to notice whatever we desire is already present and around us in abundance, from the tiniest things of beauty to the biggest. Thus no one should take anything for granted. Small grateful acts every day can uplift us, make a difference for others, and help change the world. One’s real success is not measured by how much he/ she earns or owns or, as a matter of fact, anything external, but how many faces light up with a smile when they hear your name.” Gautama Buddha says, “Let us rise and be grateful, for if we didn’t learn a lot today, at least we learned a little, and if we didn’t learn a little, at least we didn’t get sick, and if we got sick, at least we didn’t die; so, let us all be grateful.” Following Buddha’s teaching in letter and spirit is the need of the hour for us human beings to have a balanced and equanimous society. India is a spiritual torchbearer of the world, has a huge scope to resurrect the value of goodness and move towards a peaceful society devoid of the anomalies plagued by Globalisation and Deglobalisation.