quote:
Originally posted by Bill:
As a father with three kids a wife who works part time...I experience what I interpret as lack in our lives. Much of the time I feel like a dog with my nose to the ground siffing out where the next dollar is coming. So is this path just for the single and or well off...?
Namaste Bill:
I, too, am a married man, and the father of five children. It has been my experience that God loves a cheerful giver
, and generously blesses those who selflessly and joyously provide for the needs of others...i.e. marital partner, children, elderly parents, household animals, the local wildlife, and so forth. I know from long personal experience that family responsibilities can sometimes feel like a great burden. And a burden that is often borne with little or no thanks and appreciation from those for whom the effort is made.
From a spiritual perspective, however, the well borne burden becomes a boon to Self-Realization as a Great Blessing in disguise!
The wish of a good person to provide for the needs of loved ones often necessitates detachment from and abandonment of what one might otherwise strive to obtain solely for personal use and satisfaction. Thus, the karmic weakness of personal greed is overcome, since that which is sought...a suitable place to live, sufficient money to cover household expenses, ample food and clothing, and so forth...are pursued primarily to benefit the needs of others, rather than merely to accumulate wealth and material possessions out of personal greed.
Additionally, a good person will normally be positively inspired and motivated to succeed out of genuinely heartfelt loving kindness towards those for whom they labor. Thus, one can gradually abandon all aversion towards work, all desire to shun responsibility, all resentment over lack of personal acknowledgement, or feelings of receiving insufficient reward, and so forth.
And lastly, a good person with such responsibilities must honestly face any delusions they may have entertained previously regarding their personal talents, skills, and capabilities in order to succeed, since these attributes, whatever they may be, need to be employed immediately to insure that their loved ones are provided for. It can't wait until whenever in the future. Thus, delusion is gradually conquered and abandoned as well.
Such a person can choose to consciously and willingly apply such perceptions to their daily work activities and family obligations by making these responsibilites an integral part of their personal yoga sadhana. All of Life is Yoga then!
I hope this helps a bit.
Hari OM!
Doc