A couple of weeks ago, a slight tremor of earthquake shook northern India. Everything trembled, as if, at the sight of death. People ran in panic for their lives. The earthquake lasted for a few seconds and blew over peacefully. It made me realize what a great miracle our daily survival is. In the midst of danger and uncertainty, we go on surviving. It indicates that there is some kind of life-force, intelligent and vigilant, surrounding us.

Look around and you will see how precarious our existence is. We are sitting on the mouth of a volcano that can erupt any moment. There are no comfort zones, all zones are danger zones because death can penetrate the thickest security walls. There are accidents, disasters, catastrophes, deadly viruses, insects, terrorist bombings, and whatnot. They claim thousands of lives every year. However, the very fact that you are reading this blog must be enough to convince you that you have been protected till date by some invisible entity. Call it god or whatever–words are insignificant–but the presence of this abstract power is too compelling to deny.

Most of us are unconscious of this truth; therefore, our survival is only a matter of chance. It is like driving a car through a dark street with headlights off. The driver may reach the destination safely, but it would be just a chance landing. But for the ones who are conscious daily survival is a joyful experience. They feel an altogether different quality in their lives. They feel connected with the whole existence and express their heartfelt thanks to it. To me, prayer is precisely meant to express one’s gratitude to life. Unfortunately, prayers are often said ritually and thus mechanically. They are also offered as bribes to “god” to settle one’s problems or simply to be in “god’s” good books. Prayer is dead unless it has the beauty of gratitude, and this gratitude must be unconditional. An unconditional gratitude can grow only out of a blissful and conscious soul.

In short, our daily survival is, indeed, a great miracle that has been happening ever since we were born, without even our being aware of it. Existence’s love is unconditional. However, it can be a profoundly joyful experience if we learn to live with awareness.