THE ALCHEMY OF ABUNDANCE
"As long as our thoughts - and consequently, the general, economic, and social thoughts - remain centered on scarcity, we will achieve nothing but poverty. However, by abandoning competition with others and realizing within ourselves that our creative power is limitless, all the infinite abundance of the universe becomes ours."
The law of abundance, T. Troward - W. D. Wattles
STONES THAT HELP WITH ABUNDANCE
There are several stones that can help us to achieve the eight forms of abundance in our lives (see below), but one in particular I feel inclined to recommend in relation to Dhanya Lakshmi, the second form of abundance of good food and money, and especially in relation to money itself.
Our relationship with money often is not serene and balanced: on one hand, excessive attachment can lead to accumulating more wealth and things than we truly need, on the other hand, our perception of money is often linked to something dirty, vile, and selfish, so much so that it makes us feel guilty for wanting it for ourselves.
As always, for most things, the virtue lies in the middle, and it is therefore important to be able to balance our relationship with money. In this, green jade can support us with its vibrations and by reminding us of our intention.
The stone of artists, entrepreneurs, and leaders, green jade transforms simple desire into concrete action. It is the symbol of divine abundance that is attracted by those who wear it, bringing it to heart level, it can help us quickly change our attitude towards money so that it can become more serene: you will no longer consider earning well as unworthy, as long as it is done ethically. Thus, the brake that prevents you from achieving your desires, both material and spiritual, will be removed. It will help us to use our resources productively. It is necessary to wear it especially if you are about to make important decisions on the economic level or, better still, if you find yourself in a position where you need to invest money and energy in the right direction.
OM HRIM SRI LAKSHMI BHYO NAMAHA
The "Lakshmi Beej Mantra" is an invocation to the goddess and what she represents. "Beej" means base or root, and this mantra is indeed considered fundamental for invoking the benevolence of Lakshmi.
"Om" is the primordial sound, while "Hrim" is the bija mantra (seed) associated with Goddess Lakshmi, representing her creative energy and power. "Sri" is a Sanskrit term denoting beauty, prosperity, and fortune. "Lakshmi" is the name of the Goddess herself. "Bhyo Namaha" is an expression of reverence and homage.
Reciting this mantra, one appeals to Goddess Lakshmi for her blessings and protection, to attract abundance, prosperity, and fortune into one's life. The constant repetition of this mantra can help purify the mind, elevate spiritual vibrations, and open the doors of abundance for those who practice it with faith and devotion. When prayed with a heart full of love and devotion, it can yield astonishing results.
This Mantra cleanses and purifies the heart and home, opening opportunities that will transform life: all you need is consistency and trust in its power. It is not strictly necessary to be Hindu or embrace any particular faith: the idea is primarily to invoke what the goddess represents and have faith that, with the right intentions and with an active attitude and behavior, it will manifest in our lives.
To be recited 5, 11, 21, 51, or 108 times, as preferred, believing that the Goddess will surely bless you and grant you all that you desire.
THE GODDESS OF ABUNDANCE
Lakshmi, in the Hindu tradition, is one of the most benevolent female deities, associated with light, material and spiritual prosperity, and purity. Despite being the consort of the god Vishnu, she enjoys an independent cult, quite widespread and extensive in almost every Hindu tradition.
She is the goddess of wealth, abundance, light, wisdom, and destiny, but also secondarily of luck and beauty. Lakshmi plays a central role in creation; her birth from the ocean brings unlimited fertility, and she is also the nature, the creative force of the universe, and the mother of all living creatures. Mahalakshmi (the great Lakshmi) is also the bearer of spiritual wealth, and she is associated with gifts such as intelligence, enlightenment, and inner awakening. She is the mother, with Vishnu, of Kama (Kamadeva), the god of love and sexual pleasure.
Lakshmi also represents the active energy of Vishnu, which in Hinduism has a feminine character, and both govern the realm of "virtue," the energies that nourish and maintain existence, and the energies of purity and knowledge.
Lakshmi represents the benign aspect of femininity, the creation of wealth, good luck, and opulence, the multiplying and inexhaustible femininity.
The goddess Lakshmi is associated with kings because, in ancient Hindu scriptures, the sovereign was considered to be a representative of the Divine, almost an incarnation of it, and therefore was required to ensure that their wealth and privileges were used in the service of God. Indeed, her characteristic animals are also elephants, which she is often surrounded by, symbolizing royal power.
Lakshmi is depicted as a beautiful woman who is usually adorned with jewels, wears red clothing with a golden border. The color red represents activity, and the golden border represents prosperity. All this signifies that the goddess is always busy distributing wealth and prosperity to her devotees.
FEATURE 1: Lakshmi is Dharma, virtuous conduct. It is not easy to translate the Sanskrit word Dharma, and in fact, authors usually give it a whole series of meanings, including harmony, balance, "virtue, harmonious relationships, spirituality, etiquette, social duties, law, ethical conscience, right behavior, doing the right thing at the right time." Indeed, a true devotee must not acquire wealth solely to satisfy their material desires but must share it with others in order to bring them happiness. Therefore, even though she is invoked primarily to achieve success and wealth, the Goddess does not consider a person who is lazy or invokes her solely for this purpose for long.
The eight forms of abundance
According to the Vedas, Lakshmi is the representation of abundance in the universe, which manifests itself in eight forms. There is no balance in life if these forms are not in harmony with each other: we must be aware of the eight forms of abundance in order to activate them. Only by meditating and working on them can we live in the right inner and outer balance: you cannot pursue spiritual and transcendental goals if you are economically struggling to get the bare necessities or if you have poor health; or if you have lots of money but no time to enjoy it or suffer from loneliness and isolation.
Ashta Lakshmi are the eight forms of Lakshmi and are the aspects of the goddess commonly worshipped. In each form, she bestows a different type of wealth upon her devotees.
Adhi Lakshmi is the first form of wealth, considered the most important. It concerns inner spiritual knowledge or enlightenment, the one with which you are always yourself, happy, and content in any situation. With this wealth, you are not disturbed by anything. You are protected in every situation, and serenity is guaranteed.
Vijaya Lakshmi concerns wealth in success, in victory. The success of moving forward in any project for the common good, the success of existing, of breathing, of being able to overcome any difficulty. Vira Lakshmi is the wealth of courage and faith. When you have courage and faith in yourself, you can conquer the world.
Gaja Lakshmi (elephant) is the wealth of being famous, of reputation. When you have many virtues in the absence of selfishness, everyone will speak well of you, and you will be enriched with honors.
Raja Lakshmi, the wealth of authority, of trusting in oneself, of planning. It is essential to take the right initiative and to be able to successfully manage fear in order to move forward in life towards our goals and receive respect from the people around us.
Santhana Lakshmi is the wealth of those who consider everyone as their own family, never feeling alone and never suffering from loneliness because everyone will smile at them.
Dhanya Lakshmi, the abundance of good food and money, that is, acquiring a solid and strong economy. Without this form of wealth, it is impossible to sustain oneself spiritually.
Bhagya Lakshmi, the wealth of health. If you are not well in body and mind, how can you enjoy other riches?
Therefore, remember that abundance is not just money but also happiness, love, time, health, family, children, etc. If you are aware of this, then ask Lakshmi with all your heart full of love, and she will bring you everything you want, making you rich and abundant!!
FEATURE 2: Another epithet associated with Lakshmi is Chanchala (pronounced as chiyanciala), meaning unstable, changeable, restless, vacillating, highlighting the tendency of the deity to not remain steadfastly by anyone's side. Indeed, it is said that Lakshmi leaves when one succumbs to laziness, apathy, fear, and the decline of one's values. And when Lakshmi departs, her counterpart arrives, that is, Alakshmi.
Learning to be grateful is the second secret of abundance. Every minute we have a thousand reasons to be grateful. Let us meditate on this truth: on the possibility of having a hot meal, a bed to sleep in, friends to rely on, on the simple fact of being able to walk, smile, see, hear.
Aren't all these miracles that we often fail to appreciate? Many times, we think we are poor, ignorant, or lacking in affection, but it is only our impression, our way of victimizing ourselves: scarcity lies in our insecurities and convictions.
What is abundance? Is it having, possessing, or simply living in harmony and being joyful by developing harmony within ourselves? Abundance is every material thing and every wonderful sensation; it is our divine inheritance, a spiritual and material wealth that lies in the soul and, from the soul, blossoms and takes shape.
Arrogance that loses fortune
At some point in their history, the gods had been abandoned by Lakshmi because of Indra's arrogant behavior. Vishnu told Indra that it would be necessary to extract his treasures from the Ocean of Milk to regain Lakshmi's favor and bring prosperity back to the Universe.
The gods, working together, churned the ocean for a thousand years, with patience and energy. Finally, the treasures of the ocean, like butter after so much churning in the churn, began to surface. Among these was a beautiful woman standing on a lotus flower (similar to the myth of the birth of Venus). It was the rebirth of Lakshmi, returning among the gods, assuring them good fortune and success.
The sense of the story is that success and prosperity can be lost due to arrogance, but they can be regained through work and harmony.
ALAKSHMI
Lakshmi also has an older, frightening and ugly sister, called Alakshmi (the initial "a" in Sanskrit, as in Greek, is privative). She represents misfortune and rides on a donkey; she is the dark side of wealth, its stagnant and greedy aspect, of darkness and misfortune. Sometimes, Alakshmi takes the form of an owl and accompanies Lakshmi, thus indicating the arrogance and stupidity that often accompany excessive fortune.
The vehicle, the animal that accompanies Lakshmi, is indeed the owl (ulooka in Sanskrit). It is interesting to note that the owl and the owl represent wisdom and reflection, but also misfortune, as in European traditions.
The nature of Shri Lakshmi is the result of the harmonious fusion of these two characteristics. Excessive attachment or contempt for money and material benefits are of the same nature, they are a-dharma attitudes and therefore manifest A-Lakshmi.