What do Lakshmi and Love have in common?

​Lakshmi is the bringer of abundance and sweetness.  She helps to remind us of the beauty of all that we have by enlivening the senses and keeping us in the flow of gratitude. With her grace we can recognize and stay true to what we value, which can be a difficult task in this world of chock full of social media, instant shopping and all of the other distractions the world of technology and busy mind brings.

The tantric yogis define love as the unending experience of bliss.  What is bliss?  We could define bliss as experiencing everything we encounter as wonder full, or being full of wonder. When we are full of wonder we are not busy judging, indulging in criticism, or experiencing lack. Isn't this also true when we are experiencing love?  We are full of wonder for that which we are loving!  We experience the object that has inspired love freshly, with all of our senses awake, and we take in all of the details.  We sit in the precious present moment as we interact with that object that is sparking the love in us.  As with many things, it is a razors edge to experience the power of love.  If we desire it too much, we co-opt it by our attachments and craving, if we fear it, we push it away, if we are unsure of ourselves, we get jealous and that leads down the road of mistrust.  What can keep us balanced on that razors edge of love?  Lakshmi of course. That is one of her jobs and delights. 

Let's face it, we all fall to one side or the other of the razors edge when it comes to interacting with love.  We grab too hard, or we don't make a move forward, we push it away, or we miss the opportunity because we were stuck in paralysis.  These things apply not only to human love, but to love of all things- nature, art, literature, non-human animals etc.

One of my favorite songs by Neil Young is "Love is a Rose".  Take a listen to the very beginning of the song, I think he captures the essence of the razors edge in the first 4 lines. When our busy minds co-opt love, we forget how to dance with  the fear may come in which makes us grabby or stingy, or the lack that comes in and makes us arrogant and rigid in our interactions.  We forget the essence, the beauty of the rose, and we forget that we can stay in wonder of its delicate petals and it's heady scent, without needing to grab it. Lakshmi reminds us that to be the observer of this beauty is actually all we need, as we can be showered with bliss by being the witness more so than by being the owner.  And as the observer we might be able to see how much the rose gives without requiring anything in return. Lakshmi does this because she keeps us in harmony with what we value at our essence.  She helps us perfect our dance with fear so we can sit by the beautiful rose, and simply be with it. She does this because she wants us to be close to what we value, what we adore, and what brings us closer to our true nature. 

If you want to know more, join me on the 15th for the Lakshmi Sadhana.  It is true, all you have to do is ask Lakshmi and she will show you these things, but you do have to know how to ask. She is a bit more particular than some of the other deities- after all what she gives is the pure wealth of awareness, and if you value that, you will value knowing her. 

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