During Diwali Hindus worship Lakṣmī, praying that She brings wealth and well-being into our households. Lakṣmī’s appearance is described in a sacred story beloved by Hindus, the Samudra Manthan or churning of the Milky Ocean. Less well known is that Lakṣmī has an older sister Alakṣmī, who is her opposite and appeared out of the Milky Ocean before her sister. This goddess of discord always seeks to exist beside her younger sister, bringing Her tension along with Lakṣmī’s blessings of prosperity. We certainly seek abundance in our lives, yet at the same time we seek to avoid strife. The solution, according to our scriptures, is dāna. It is through charitable giving that we retain Lakṣmī in our households while keeping her elder sister Alakṣmī at bay.
In this season of dāna, we ask you to donate to NAHCA, an organization founded to bring heart-centered spiritual care to Hindus in North America. Help us support the work by current Hindu spiritual caregivers and build this into a robust professional field.
Donate $20, $50, $100 or more. But please donate today.
How to donate:
You can donate via PayPal - search for NAHCA108@gmail.com and choose “friends and family” so you incur no fee.
With deep gratitude and Diwali wishes –
May Diwali be a time of sweetness, friendship, well-being and prosperity
May the diyas you light within and around your home nourish your own inner flame
So that you may be a source of joy, radiance and knowledge in this world.
Om Shanti
Love and light,
Asha
