Generosity on the Pagan Path
click for more discussions fromThe Pagan View thru the eyes of RavenHarte
‘Tis the season of generosity and altruism. The one time of year we as a collective human spirit consciously shift focus on the giving to others. Why do we do it? Because giving makes us feel good. Whether we are giving a present to someone, or food to the hungry, helping a friend move or just offering a tired cashier a warm hello and a smile, by our sharing of something we have, we feel better. We feel connected. We feel hopeful. Not hopes that something will come in return usually, but rather a hope that the feeling will spread. Human nature drives us to want to make connections to other people. We want to be close, we want to form bonds, and we want to be of help. The problem is the more a society’s technology increases, the less emphasis that society places on its social connections. So as an advanced technological society, we as Americans forget for most of the year how much we want to be connected. We forget how much other people matter to us. We forget how much we need others, and therefore forget how much others might need US too. Then the holiday season falls upon us, a time to reconnect, take stock in our lives, and be thankful for what we have, which I think is the key to generosity. Click for more....
|
Generosity on the Muslim Path
click for more discussions fromThe Muslim View thru the eyes of Ibrahim Thompson
Generosity to me is giving truly from the heart. It is unconditional and colorblind. It is not just merely giving someone something who is in need, it is doing more - the "extra mile", so to speak.
As a Muslim, generosity is a requirement. Helping others in ways that are beyond the expected. Giving myself in every facet of my life is very important and gratifying to me.
As a Muslim, generosity is a requirement. Helping others in ways that are beyond the expected. Giving myself in every facet of my life is very important and gratifying to me.
Generosity on the Vedic Path
click for more discussions fromThe Vedic View thru the eyes of Arci Edwards
This month's Vedic view is offered thru the eyes of Arci Edwards.
Although the discussion on the round table is of generosity, I have come to see generosity as being intertwined in its existence with charity - generosity being the heart-space from which we give in charity, uninhibited by and unshackled from the fear of lack. It is not something that can be imitated, but rather comes naturally as a flower of realization and spiritual advancement. The more I have realized that everything belongs to God and is to be used in His service, and nothing, including my body, is owned by me, but rather that I am, at every moment, the recipient of charity, and someone somewhere has sacrificed something for me to exist at this moment as I am - the more fully generous I can be. A realized person will only take what is needed and share the rest with others, seeing all living entities as "brother" and "sister", all plants, animals, stones and people as divine sparks from the Divine Father. They will think, "I am simply the caretaker of this body and of those who share my world." I pray to realize this knowledge so I will be able to use the gifts bestowed upon me - knowledge, wealth, belongings, shelter, food, unconditional love - to uplift others, to have them leave richer than when they came - fuller, centered, satisfied, nourished - thereby making worthy the sacrifice of my benefactors.
Click for more....
Although the discussion on the round table is of generosity, I have come to see generosity as being intertwined in its existence with charity - generosity being the heart-space from which we give in charity, uninhibited by and unshackled from the fear of lack. It is not something that can be imitated, but rather comes naturally as a flower of realization and spiritual advancement. The more I have realized that everything belongs to God and is to be used in His service, and nothing, including my body, is owned by me, but rather that I am, at every moment, the recipient of charity, and someone somewhere has sacrificed something for me to exist at this moment as I am - the more fully generous I can be. A realized person will only take what is needed and share the rest with others, seeing all living entities as "brother" and "sister", all plants, animals, stones and people as divine sparks from the Divine Father. They will think, "I am simply the caretaker of this body and of those who share my world." I pray to realize this knowledge so I will be able to use the gifts bestowed upon me - knowledge, wealth, belongings, shelter, food, unconditional love - to uplift others, to have them leave richer than when they came - fuller, centered, satisfied, nourished - thereby making worthy the sacrifice of my benefactors.
Click for more....
Generosity on the Judaic Path
click for more discussions fromThe Judaic View thru the eyes of Rabbi Mark Strauss-Cohn
One of my heroes in Jewish life is a man who was a great humanitarian and philanthropist. He made his money as a merchant and retailer but his fame came in his giving. Nathan Straus (no relation to me) was a part owner of Abraham & Straus (originally in Brooklyn) and R.H. Macy & Co. (Macy's) of New York. He was born in Germany in 1848 and his family came to this country in the 1850s. He died in New York in 1931. He was a successful businessman and used his wealth to advocate social justice and equity for all peoples. He championed a cause for pasteurized milk in the 1890s and early 1900s, when such a concept was not at all widely accepted. He gave mightily to health-related causes in the land of Israel, making sure to support efforts that benefited Jews, Christians, and Muslims. When he saw wealthy people debating over whether or not to give money for a charitable cause, he would say: "Don't give until it hurts, give until it feels good."Click for more....
Generosity on the Beauty Way
click for more discussions fromThe Beauty Way View thru the eyes of Robin Lynn Rainbowfeather
So many of the Native teachings, stories and traditions involve generosity - true generosity of the heart and spirit, not only in the form of being generous with our physical possessions, but also with our time, friendship, love, creations, words, feelings, knowledge and wisdom. Often a thing of beauty is created just to leave on a tree, by a river or set upon a stone, freely offering hours of work and effort to give back some part of ourselves to Creator, one way of saying thank you. When you think about it, we only have a few things that are truly of our own making - our breath, our voice through words or song, our ability to hold each other in our arms, our tears. So give freely of these things that are totally yours to give. When we give a stone being, a feather or a plant person, it's a wonderful gift but we have to realize that we haven't put any of our energy into that gift, we are just passing along what Mother Earth and Creator have made. When we take those raw materials and lovingly craft them into something of beauty whether for utility or pleasure, we are adding our energy to that gift. Traditionally, when we give tobacco to an elder or teacher, we take some of that tobacco and make a pouch out of cloth, tying it up and adding our prayers. We may decorate it with a feather or a crystal that we have found or that is important to us. We didn't create the tobacco or the cloth, the feather or the crystal but by adding our time and energy to them, we are creating a relationship with these organic energies and our connection to all of life is then honored and acknowledged.Click for more....