In giving, we receive Paramahamsa Prajnananda The line ''it is in giving that we receive'' contains a concept that may at first strike us counterintuitive. This is because we usually want to get something from others without having to give them anything in return. While we ourselves like the idea of getting a free lunch, we would rather not be the ones providing others with the free lunch. We forget that, whatever we may do, we will reap the result, and that result will come back to us many times over.
If you plant one seed, that seed will grow into a tree bearing many fruits. Just doing a little good work will give us many good fruits. However, a few bad deeds will bring us bad fruits. The old adage “what goes around comes around” is the law of life. We usually expect everything to go well for us, but do we ever reflect whether the things we do are done in the spirit of goodness? Life consists of relationships that are all about give and take. Whatever you give, you will receive accordingly. In the Bible, it is said: “ … A man reaps what he sows.” (Galatians 6:7) If we are going around doing good things, good things will come to us – there is no doubt about it. Yet, there are many who say. “I have been so good. I have done so many good things, so why are all these bad things happening to me?” Remember, when you sow a seed, it takes some time for the tree to grow and bear fruit. If you do something now, the result of your actions may become evident much later, depending on the circumstances. If you plant some spinach seeds, you will have some spinach in just a few weeks, but if you plant a mango seed, it will take several years for the tree to grow and bear fruit. With some things we do, the result may be instant, and with other things, the results may not be apparent for quite some time. When we help someone who is in trouble out of a genuine desire to be of assistance, we will experience inner fulfillment in that moment. Here, we have an instant result. When we wonder why we do not receive the immediate benefits of our benevolent actions, we must remember that whatever is happening to us is the result of some past karma, which may no longer remember. Ultimately we will reap as we sow, and whatever we do, whether good or bad, will eventually come back to us in this life or another. This is why Saint Francis said that it is in giving that we receive. If you stand in front of a mirror and smile, will you see a frowning face? Impossible. If I smile at you, will you be angry with me? Not very likely! Whenever I smile a little, I always see all of your smiling faces looking back at me. A little smile and a few good deeds will give us many good fruits. If we have understood this law of life we should not invite any bad impressions into our minds by entertaining negative thoughts about people. If we have something unpleasant to communicate to another, we should say it in a loving way.
Nothing is permanent. Everything is always changing. We live in this changing world and we should accept whatever comes our way without becoming worried, agitated, or emotional. If something has happened and you can change, then go and do it, but if you cannot do anything to change it, then accept it. Whenever an unpleasant or bad thing happens to us, we should try to maintain a positive attitude and remember that we are experiencing the fruits of our past karma. We should also be grateful that our negative karma is being exhausted through our suffering so that we will be free from our bad karma. Do not get too excited when things are going really well, because it means that your good karma is being used up. When you receive a good job offer, a reward, or appreciation from your friends– it means that some of your good karma has been used up. It was in your stockpile, and now it is gone. Instead of being excited at your good fortune, you should remind yourself you have just enjoyed the return on your karmic investments and must now reinvest in your karmic savings account by doing something good.
from Oasis Deccan Herald
If you plant one seed, that seed will grow into a tree bearing many fruits. Just doing a little good work will give us many good fruits. However, a few bad deeds will bring us bad fruits. The old adage “what goes around comes around” is the law of life. We usually expect everything to go well for us, but do we ever reflect whether the things we do are done in the spirit of goodness? Life consists of relationships that are all about give and take. Whatever you give, you will receive accordingly. In the Bible, it is said: “ … A man reaps what he sows.” (Galatians 6:7) If we are going around doing good things, good things will come to us – there is no doubt about it. Yet, there are many who say. “I have been so good. I have done so many good things, so why are all these bad things happening to me?” Remember, when you sow a seed, it takes some time for the tree to grow and bear fruit. If you do something now, the result of your actions may become evident much later, depending on the circumstances. If you plant some spinach seeds, you will have some spinach in just a few weeks, but if you plant a mango seed, it will take several years for the tree to grow and bear fruit. With some things we do, the result may be instant, and with other things, the results may not be apparent for quite some time. When we help someone who is in trouble out of a genuine desire to be of assistance, we will experience inner fulfillment in that moment. Here, we have an instant result. When we wonder why we do not receive the immediate benefits of our benevolent actions, we must remember that whatever is happening to us is the result of some past karma, which may no longer remember. Ultimately we will reap as we sow, and whatever we do, whether good or bad, will eventually come back to us in this life or another. This is why Saint Francis said that it is in giving that we receive. If you stand in front of a mirror and smile, will you see a frowning face? Impossible. If I smile at you, will you be angry with me? Not very likely! Whenever I smile a little, I always see all of your smiling faces looking back at me. A little smile and a few good deeds will give us many good fruits. If we have understood this law of life we should not invite any bad impressions into our minds by entertaining negative thoughts about people. If we have something unpleasant to communicate to another, we should say it in a loving way.
Nothing is permanent. Everything is always changing. We live in this changing world and we should accept whatever comes our way without becoming worried, agitated, or emotional. If something has happened and you can change, then go and do it, but if you cannot do anything to change it, then accept it. Whenever an unpleasant or bad thing happens to us, we should try to maintain a positive attitude and remember that we are experiencing the fruits of our past karma. We should also be grateful that our negative karma is being exhausted through our suffering so that we will be free from our bad karma. Do not get too excited when things are going really well, because it means that your good karma is being used up. When you receive a good job offer, a reward, or appreciation from your friends– it means that some of your good karma has been used up. It was in your stockpile, and now it is gone. Instead of being excited at your good fortune, you should remind yourself you have just enjoyed the return on your karmic investments and must now reinvest in your karmic savings account by doing something good.
from Oasis Deccan Herald
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