You may think I am joking when I say this. By choice, I will never 'SAVE' money for the next day. That doesn't mean I throw away money that I work so hard for. But let me clarify - I don't work for the money. I work for my learning, my growth and for my awareness of the abundance I create around me by working the way I do - with integrity.
It sounds scary, foolish and impractical, given how 'having money and material comforts' dictates our standing in society and how we are perceived. I believe I have no reason to fear tomorrow. I have gone through the toughest and most difficult tests of life without any so-called 'savings' to prop me up. All I have is Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba whom I revere as my Divine Father and my God. For as long as He is there with me, I fear nothing and I do not intend to 'save' for another day. He is my Provider.
In our frenzy to secure a 'happier future,' we tend to find ourselves in a dilemma of compromising on happiness. Why? We want a financially 'secure and stable' future for ourselves and our loved ones.
'Scarcity of Money' is a Myth
From a spiritual perspective, lets look at this differently.To be more accurate, let us look at the 'scarcity of money' perception that makes us feel vulnerable as human beings in a quest to conquer more.
Sri Paramahansa Yogananda, who captivated millions through Autobiography of a Yogi, often stated that a true spiritual seeker should never save for the next day or worry about the next day. Reason: They are divinely protected. Their lives are subject to the absolute will and protection of God based on the strength of their faith and love towards God.
Sri Paramahansa Yogananda cited Jesus Christ who said, "The birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man hath not where to lay his head." Why?
Sri Paramahansa Yogananda says, "The Power that supports your heartbeat certainly knows your lesser needs. If you live solely for God and have faith in His power, He will give you direct help."
Read up on the life of any spiritual master. You will see that they never save or worry about providing for themselves.
God knows what to give, whom to give and when to give
While serving as Seva Dal in Prashanti Nilayam, with our daily meals, every day I ( and other Seva Dals with me) used to get prasad that is specially blessed by Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba. Usually, we got tasty ladoos. Knowing how blessed it is to receive this from Swami, we used to store it away it in little sachets. We saved these ladoos so that we could take it back home for our families and other devotees.
On second day, Swami sent us a message at the canteen just when we were about to eat. The message was "Whatever I give you, do not save or keep for others. The prasad I give you is not meant to be saved, it is for you to have because it has come from your karma itself. What is meant for your families, I will give you separately to share before you leave Prashanti Nilayam."
The lesson we learned is this: To understand that God knows what to give, whom to give and when to give to spiritual seekers.
All my life, I have seen my parents demonstrate the same absolute faith in God, without keeping anything to themselves. A part of my father's savings, for as long as I can remember, has been kept aside for the poor, the needy and the ill. People used to tell my father to develop a 'saving' mentality so that he could have enough money to buy gold for his daughters' marriage. After all, he has two daughters to marry off.
You may not believe it but it is the truth - my father NEVER spend money on gold jewelry for his daughters. His logic is, "If i can use that money to save some one's life from starvation or illness, I cannot find a greater meaning to use that hard earned money. God will provide for my family when the time comes." I LOVE and RESPECT my dad for his vision and his faith in God.
And yet, when the time came, my father was able to conduct the marriages of both his daughters with abundance. Where did that abundance from? He had no 'savings' tucked away for his family. He spent everything he had usually to help people in need, sometimes even absolute strangers, who sometimes would not even thank or acknowledge his role in saving their lives.
My father's life and faith in Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba has been so strong that I saw and learned one thing from it:
WHEN THE NEED ARISES, GOD PROVIDES. TRUST IN GOD!
The best way to show your commitment to God is by helping people in need without expecting anything in return. God will provide for you.
Believe this because it is a LAW OF THE SPIRITUAL WORLD.
♥♥ I thank you with all my heart for reading my post. I dedicate this post with love and gratitude to all individuals who are on the spiritual path. I am grateful and I appreciate you for reading this post. ♥♥
Comments
@JK - Oops, I didn't understand anything.
@Sujatha - Thanks so much for reading and sharing your thoughts. I consider my parents' life as the best learning I have had. Everything they practise in their life has stood the test of time and very painful challenges in life.
@Magesh - Thanks for reading the post and sharing your thoughts. Autobiography of a Yogi is a book that can change your life and perspective. Hope you do read it!