“Do unto others, as you would have them do unto you.”
– the Golden Rule
It is a spiritual law: the more we give, the more we receive.
This law applies not to a form of giving calculated to bring an interest on investment; but to unconditional self-offering from the heart, to giving motivated by love, compassion and concern.
The working of this law is simple: when we give, our hearts open and expand. When our hearts open and expand, our inherent spiritual qualities are released, to sport, sing and dance within us: oneness, peace, love, light and joy. When our hearts’ goodness is unlocked, we are the first to feel its blessings and reap its benefits.
Following this law, many spiritual seekers and groups rightly focus on giving and service as integral to their spiritual practise. Yet in our eagerness to serve, we sometimes forget that giving is only one side of a two-sided coin: the other, complementary side is receiving.
To be complete, we must not only give unconditionally: we must also receive wholeheartedly. Chicken and egg: as the more we give, the more we receive; so the more we are able to receive, the more we are able to give. So the spiral of fulfilment coils ever upward.
To receive wholeheartedly requires sincerity and humility, the acknowledgement that we are forever beginners in the spiritual life. It applies equally to receiving material gifts, moral support, wisdom and learning from all quarters: friend and foe, failure and success, progress and setbacks alike.
The master key to receptivity is gratitude. To receive with gratitude is as beautiful, powerful and significant as to give with love.
Meditate on gratitude. Become gratitude. The radiance of perfection dawns as your gratitude-flower blooms in giving, blossoms in receiving.