Gratitude — The only legitimate function of mind

The following is an excerpt from a samvaad (dialogue) session with Acharya Prashant.

Question: I once heard you say, “A healthy man does not run away from the disease.” I have observed that after listening to this, I have become caring towards myself and for everyone else because now I have stopped running away from my disease. I am trying to be healthier. I have started taking steps to cure the disease in me. Thank you!

Acharya Prashant (AP): See, even this, ‘thank you’ should not come with a reason. Even the ‘thank you’ should not be objective, because you never know what to thank for. And you never know that what you are thanking somebody for, will actually turn out to be what. A ‘thank you’ directed towards heaven is sufficient. “Thank you.” For what? “I don’t know.” “Thank you.” To whom? “I don’t know.” A general sense of gratitude.

We had begun today’s session talking about attention. We may as well say that attention is gratitude. Attention is gratitude! A general sense of well-being. ‘It’s alright’. Even in the middle of the deepest chaos, you say, “It’s alright.” Even in the middle of the deepest pain, you say, “It’s alright. It’s just alright.” That is attention. That is gratitude.

Today you are acting in one particular way, tomorrow you may act in another way. Still say…