Praise Her
A Goddess for Invoking Abundance and Finding Your Purpose
Unlocking happiness with the Hindu goddess Lakshmi
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Have you ever met someone who was totally at ease in the world? They seem to live effortlessly; they’re able to give and receive without a lot of drama. Their finances may fluctuate with the economy, but they always seem to have faith that the situation will improve. These people are content. Most importantly, they know they have enough.
People like this are in sync with Lakshmi, a Hindu goddess whose energies operate from a place of abundance. Some would call them “lucky” but really, they’re just thankful for what they have. They invite more good into their life as a result of this optimism.
The story of Lakshmi
Lakshmi is the Hindu goddess of fortune, beauty, and love. She is often described as auspicious, favorable, promising, and optimistic. She’s the wife of Vishnu, one of the three gods in the Hindu triumvirate, and she provides him with the feminine energy (shakti) he needs to keep the world in balance. Without Lakshmi, the world would become barren. Crops and forests would die, the economy would halt, and happiness would fade. Similarly, a person’s life will feel depleted without Lakshmi energy.
Lakshmi is beautiful, gracious, and most importantly, generous. She bestows great fortune on those who follow her path. She is also quick to retract those blessings if we’re not grateful and appreciative, or if we fail to reciprocate with our own generosity. Lakshmi rewards hard work, devotion, and sincerity. In addition to providing worldly, tangible goods, she also provides inner wealth like peace of mind, health, spirituality, and love.
Lakshmi has four arms which represent the four goals of life in Hindu philosophy: kāma, artha, dharma, and moksha. Artha can be explained as the resources needed to create your ideal state (like a job, a home, and food). Kāma refers to pleasure and emotional fulfillment. Dharma is your life’s purpose; it’s the reason you get out of bed in the morning. Moksha is freedom or liberation in life. Moksha is the ultimate goal, while the other three are necessary to attain it. The first two represent qualities in the physical world…