By Rama (Ruth) Brooke, SVA Board Member
The practice of true generosity is powerful in many ways. Generosity creates abundance. You might have thought that it was the other way around — that abundance creates generosity. However…generous givers often have normal finances; they love to share and prioritize it in their life. They give of their time and energy to others, as well as their financial contributions.…
Abundance is attracted to generosity. “Abundance” is MahaLakshmi, the benevolent Goddess, the divine personification of the flow of material blessings. She is attracted to those who will use Her gifts appropriately.” — Swami Nirmalananda, Generosity & Abundance
For me, the easiest way to gratitude, grace, generosity and abundance is through surrender, specifically surrender to the flow of Grace, which is also the Guru and the Self. Grace is powerfully present within the Svaroopa® Sciences.
As a Svaroopi, you are trained in the sweet art of surrender, specifically surrender to your own Divinity. It works. Swamiji describes gratitude as including a “pinch, not a quart” of humility, to free you from the bindings of your ego. Our practices elicit just the right amount of humility. You learn how to surrender, how to be humble without debasing ourselves and, most importantly, to live with your guard down. This makes you able to function in the world in a grounded and powerful way. To paraphrase Swamiji’s familiar question, “How do you want to live?”
Such a yogic surrender naturally leads to an immense, overflowing gratitude. When you act on that gratitude, your action comes from authentic generosity, which leads to abundance. The Goddess MahaLakshmi is the cosmic or celestial form of abundance. She is the circular flow from gratitude through generosity to abundance, and around again.
Gratitude and Grace move you. They overwhelm in a wonderful way. They open your heart, not only to others, but to a deeper perspective. They make you able to see what you have, truly an ever-expanding inner abundance. And that creates generosity.
Please join me and others, and participate in our Gratitude & Grace fundraiser for our Ashram. Let the spirit of gratitude move you to give generously. When you give a gift to support the Guru’s work, great blessings flow to you, both outer and inner. It’s part of the science of yoga. It is also MahaLakshmi’s promise. Click here to donate.
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