#301 Devi Lakshmi speaks to the one who says ‘I don’t have enough’
Asantosha is pacing nervously.
Asantosha – Just so much to do and not enough time. No matter how hard I try, I never have enough. I am a millionaire but I feel insecure and quite honestly, poor. Why is it that I have not been able to forget my humble lower middle class childhood?
I have been praying to you Devi Lakshmi. You, who are the source of all abundance and prosperity. Only you can guide me. After all that I have acquired and achieved, why do I feel like I do not have enough?
Devi Lakshmi: (appearing in a soft golden light) You called and I responded. Here I am
You speak of not having enough, yet you may not see the wealth that already surrounds you. Let me explain the true nature of prosperity and abundance.
Asantosha: (skeptically) Don’t ask me to think positive about the few millions I have. There are mounting bills to be paid, plus rising cost of inflation plus the rising cost of living in cities. There is never enough.
Devi Lakshmi: I will not ask you to think positive. But I will help you return to basics and question your fundamental assumptions about wealth. After I finish you are still free to think what you want? Is that a deal?
Asantosha – Ok, deal
Devi Lakshmi: I appear in many forms. One of them is Ādi Lakshmi, the primordial form of abundance and all resources who also is the eternal nature of time itself.
Do you know that Time is a form of wealth?.
Asantosha: Time wealth? But I never have enough time!
Devi Lakshmi: Time is a gift equally given to all. No matter how rich or successful or intelligent you are, all you get is 24 hours a day.
Even though you are a successful investor you can earn money if you lose it.
Even though you have a major illness, you can regain most of your health.
Even though some of your relationships break down, you can work towards better communication and closeness.
But once the time is gone, it is gone. It is never coming back.
It’s not about having more time, but about how you use the time you have which can only come with clarity.
Please be clear, I have not been partial at all in giving some people less time or more time in a day. Everyone gets the same amount of time every day.
The question is – At whichever age and stage of life you are in, are you clear about your life priorities?
Are you using the time you have to fulfil your life priorities in the areas of your health, your work, your interests and your relationships in a dynamic balance?
Mark my words – It is a dynamic balance. It can never be 25% importance given to all four areas. If you are in your early twenties, career and marriage may take top priority but the other areas cannot be allowed to slip or else you will become poor in those areas.
So, in terms of time wealth, recognise the time you have as a treasure. Focus fully on the present. Your mind will go to regrets of the past or the anxieties of the future.
Just bring your mind back gently to the present and enjoy contributing to and building the different areas of your life – work, relationships, health and wealth.
People talk about time management You can never manage time. What will you manage as time ebbs away?. Tick tock tick tock.
You can definitely clarify and manage your life priorities in the time you have.
Asantosha: (sighing) Devi Lakshmi, that is a wake up call for me. But in this material world, don’t we also need financial security? I never seem to have enough money.
Devi Lakshmi: Ah, now we come to Money wealth, which many mistakenly see as the only form of wealth.
My manifestation as Dhana Lakshmi supports the acquiring, management and investment of wealth. But remember as Dhana Lakshmi, I value not just the accumulation of wealth, but its wise use aligned with Dharma. Don’t you have the saying that I, Lakshmi am happy only if Saraswati is also around? Wealth is a great means to an end when it is backed by wisdom.
True financial abundance isn’t about hoarding riches, but about having enough to meet your needs and share with others.
The Bill Gates and Elon Musks and the Narayan Murthys of the world speak about living fulfilling lives not by acquiring more but by investing a lot of their wealth in philanthropy and contributing to impact in society.
My manifestation as Dhaanya Lakshmi, wealth in the form of foodgrains and other forms of food ensures sustenance for living beings.
Every being has its unique food. The bee has its nectar, the birds eat insects, the deer eat plants, the tiger eats other animal’s meat, the big fishes eat some of the small fishes and the human being eats everything! Everyone is provided for by me. If only human beings provided more food to each other so that no one would sleep hungry at night, I would be very pleased.
During Deepavali Hindus all over the world will pray to me to seek more wealth and I will bless them too.
But as Pujya Swami Dayananda ji would say –
‘Only the insecure need security. And no security is secure enough.’
Rather than feed the insecurity of ‘I don’t have enough’, I would suggest to you to consider having more than one revenue stream of income.
Seek guidance from a financial advisor to invest your wealth such that you can lead a comfortable lifestyle, contribute to society and most importantly free your time so that you can focus on all your life priorities.
Bhagavan Krishna has given the commitment to all his devotees
अनन्याश्चिन्तयन्तो मां ये जनाः पर्युपासते।
तेषां नित्याभियुक्तानां योगक्षेमं वहाम्यहम्।।9.22।।
Those people who (see themselves as) non-separate from Me, recognising Me, gain Me. For those who are always one with Me, I take care of what they want to acquire and protect.
Practicing santosha, contentment for what you have as you aspire to manage your resources wisely is a good way forward.
Asantosha: (thoughtfully) In this mad race of making more and more money, I took my family and friends for granted. At the drop of a hat, I would cancel family get togethers or postpone them due to lack of time.
And now when I have slowed down in my career and have more time, they don’t have time for me. With the wealth of time and the wealth of money that is there now, I still feel so alone in my struggles even though we are a close-knit family. Since I was not around in the children’s formative years, they started to bond more with my wife and now they often gang up against me in major decisions.
Devi Lakshmi: Yes. My manifestation as Santaana Lakshmi, wealth is in the form of children and your legacy that lives on through your relationships.
Griha Lakshmi, wealth in the form of partner is meant to be valued and treasured.
This brings us to Relational wealth – the wealth of relationships and connections. Like you have discovered, you could have a lot of time and wealth but feel poor if you are lonely and disconnected from the rest.
All of you are deeply interconnected to your families, friends, colleagues and even strangers through cords of karma.
Every cord of karma that ties us to each other must be acknowledged in the form of performing our responsibilities towards one another, to the extent that one can.
Relational wealth creates a wonderful web of appreciation, support and care for each other so much so that one creates positive change in society and builds a brighter future together.
Even kind words and deeds are a form of currency. Every act of generosity, no matter how small, enriches both the giver and the receiver.
Do nurture your relationships. Do offer your time and care freely, and you’ll find yourself rich in love and support.
Asantosha: (nodding slowly) My school friend became a millionaire at a really young age. But then he got diagnosed of stage 3 cancer and passed away recently.
Devi Lakshmi: Sorry about your loss! This brings us to Health wealth, governed by me as Arogya Lakshmi.
Your body is a gift, given by me in accordance with your karma. It is your most precious asset. Only with good health can you acquire and maintain Money wealth, Time wealth and Relational Wealth. If your health goes for a toss then money is lost, time is lost and relationships become strained.
When you prioritize your health through proper nutrition, exercise, rest, and stress management, you lay the foundation for all other forms of abundance to flourish.
Asantosha: (looking thoughtful) I’ve also neglected my health in pursuit of other goals. But even if I address all these areas, I still feel like something’s missing. Like there’s a deeper purpose I’m not fulfilling.
Devi Lakshmi: (nodding approvingly) You touch upon the most profound form of wealth – Daivi sampattih, the wealth of Dharma. This is also my manifestation as Vijaya Lakshmi, wealth in the form of victory and Dhairya Lakshmi, wealth as courage.
Sri Krishna devotes the 16th chapter of the Bhagavad Gita to the wealth of becoming and unbecoming dispositions – Daivi Sampattih, the wealth of the devas and Asuri Sampattih, the wealth of the Asuras, who are not aligned with Dharma.
Daivi sampattih is the wealth of Dharma, the wealth of virtues – ahimsa, non violence, abhayam, fearlessness, daya,compassion, indriya-nigrha, mastery of the senses, arjavam, straightforwardness and the other virtues.
All of you are gifted these in some measure. Investing in cultivating these values is about aligning all areas of one’s life with your highest values and understanding your place in the cosmic order.
Daivi sampattih or the wealth of Dharma becomes your guiding framework to manage our time wealth, health wealth, relational wealth and so on.
Dharma makes everyone happy.
When you cultivate this daivi sampattih, the wealth of the Gods, you find a sense of purpose and contentment that no external circumstance can shake.
Asantosha: (looking overwhelmed) This is all so much to take in, Devi. How can I possibly cultivate all these forms of wealth?
Devi Lakshmi: (smiling warmly) Remember, my dear that all these aspects of abundance are interconnected, like my many forms. Let me show you how they weave together:
Every day when you take the right decisions regarding your nutrition, exercise, sleep and rest, I am watching over you happily as Arogya Lakshmi.
As Vidya Lakshmi, the goddess of knowledge, I bless you in understanding the ways of the world and responding accordingly.
Hence you also wisely build your Time wealth by taking one step at a time, savoring each moment rather than rushing to the next and reviewing your life priorities from time to time.
As Vijaya Lakshmi, the goddess of victory, I allow you to be victorious in upholding Dharma in all your relations building your relational wealth.
यतो धर्मस्ततो जयः
Where there is Dharma there is victory
As Veerya Lakshmi, the goddess of valor, I encourage you to embody the courage required to walk the path of Dharma.
Your Wealth of Dharma or Daivi sampattih grows each time you choose integrity over convenience, compassion over indifference.
Asantosha: (taking a deep breath) I’m beginning to see how all these forms of wealth are already present in my life. I’ve been so focused on what I lack that I couldn’t see the abundance around me.
Devi Lakshmi: That’s right. Abundance is not something to be chased mindlessly, but to be recognized and cultivated. The feeling of ‘not enough’ comes from forgetting your inherent wholeness.
Asantosha: But how do I maintain this perspective, Devi? It’s so easy to fall back into old patterns of thinking.
Devi Lakshmi: Remind yourself.
Start each day by acknowledging the wealth you already possess.
Be grateful for the gift of time, cherish your relationships, use your resources wisely, honor your body, and align your actions with your highest values.
Remember I as Vara Lakshmi grant boons to the sincere and deserving ones.
My blessings flow not to those who merely wish for them, but to those who create the conditions for abundance through their thoughts and actions.
Asantosha: (looking more peaceful) Thank you, Devi Lakshmi. I feel a sense of calm I haven’t experienced in years. But I worry – what if I face challenges or setbacks?
Devi Lakshmi: Challenges are inevitable, my child. But with each form of wealth we’ve discussed, you build clarity and resilience.
Time wealth gives you perspective,
Relational wealth provides care and support,
Money wealth offers comfort and time,
Health wealth ensures stamina and longevity,
and Daivi sampattih grants you unwavering inner strength.
When faced with difficulties, remember Dhanya Lakshmi, the goddess of agricultural abundance.
Just as a farmer must weather storms and droughts, trusting in the cycle of seasons, so too you must trust this gift of life.
Asantosha: (smiling genuinely) I understand now, Devi. True abundance isn’t about never facing lack, but about recognizing the fullness of life in all its forms.
Devi Lakshmi: You’ve learned well, my child. Carry this wisdom with you, and know that you are always enough, exactly as you are.
And then when you are ready, I will teach you that the limitless abundance you seek is not separate from you – it is your very nature..
Asantosha: (bowing respectfully) Thank you, Devi Lakshmi. I will strive to see the world through these new eyes of abundance.
Devi Lakshmi: (beginning to fade) Remember, dear one, I am always with you, in every moment of gratitude, every act of kindness, every breath of contentment.
Embrace the fullness of life, and you will never feel lacking again.
(Devi Lakshmi disappears in a shower of golden light, leaving Asantosha standing peacefully, a serene smile on the face as he gazes at the world around them with new appreciation.)
ll Om shree lakshmyai namah ll
