Sri Chinmoy was once asked, if there is one divine quality which encompasses all the rest, or if we should meditate on each one to acquire them one at a time. He answered:
“For a seeker, one quality is enough in his own life and that is gratitude. And in God’s Life one quality is also enough, and that is God’s Compassion. God’s Compassion encompasses all His divine qualities, and the seeker’s gratitude encompasses all his divine qualities. So if one wants to feel the presence of all his divine qualities, then he has to look in his gratitude. And if he wants to feel all the divine qualities of God, then he can easily find them in God’s Compassion. If one wants to see all God’s good qualities or all one’s own good qualities individually, one can easily do that too. But if one wants to see one good quality which embodies all the good qualities, then in God’s case it is His Compassion and in man’s case it is his gratitude.”
– Sri Chinmoy
When asked, if gratitude also helps to increase our receptivity during meditation, Sri Chinmoy answered:
“Yes, a gratitude-heart is of paramount importance. You can be most receptive on the strength of your own simplicity, sincerity, purity and humility. When you bring to the fore these divine qualities, which you have inside you, then you can receive the utmost. And inside simplicity, inside sincerity, inside purity, inside humility, you should try to feel a sense of gratitude to your own Inner Pilot. If you have a gratitude-heart, you will be able to receive the utmost. It is a gratitude-heart that can receive from Above peace, light and bliss in boundless measure and also manifest them here on earth.”
– Sri Chinmoy