What is True Giving?

As we celebrate Thanksgiving in the United States, the “holiday season” in the West begins…. Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, New Years. It’s called by many as the “Season of Giving.” In India we celebrate that at Diwali and other holidays. But giving, of course, is not only during holiday seasons and birthdays – it should be part of our daily life. One of the most fundamental teachings in every faith tradition is the importance of giving. But, what exactly is True Giving?

As Sadhviji shares in this beautiful teaching, true giving is giving of ourselves. It might be our money, our time, our energy or our resources, but real giving is to give in a way that it impacts us. True giving is not about the “bare minimum,” that we can give without thinking about it. Real giving is that which brings us into awareness of the fact that we are giving of our self.

Another way of true giving, Sadhviji shares, is giving simply as though we are nothing more than a channel through which giving is happening. As though we are an empty channel or simple vehicle through which giving takes place.

In either case, we realize that we are blessed to be the path for Divine Grace to flow. And, if we use both of these models of giving, Sadhviji explains, our giving becomes deep and real, and a beautiful experience for us – the giver.