Last Updated on January 25, 2025 by
Do you want abundance in your life? Not just financial abundance, but abundance on all levels, including relationship, spiritual, and business success?
If so, read how Swami Satyananda Saraswati has manifested abundance in his life in this insightful interview. Learn Swamiji’s methods and three key teachings from the scriptures about how to manifest abundance.
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Question:
Swamiji, your life demonstrates all around abundance. You were a brilliant student, earned coveted college degrees, had a very successful corporate career, and became the foremost disciple of Shree Maa. Materially and spiritually, you are an outstanding achiever. What is your secret? Kindly elaborate for the benefit of all.
Swamiji Says:
My primary objective has always been to discern how I can add value to other people’s lives.
For example, when I go into a deal or almost any transaction, my first concern is determining what value I can add to others’ positions.
I have full faith that God is going to reward me with the fruit of my karma. If I get a little prasad, I will be happy. If others get a greater benefit, I am even more happy!
I believe, and have full faith, that in the long run, I am going to be OK.
In point of fact, we arrived in the USA without a penny, and today we are invested in the global economy. Our only goal was to share the best we possibly can with every resource at our disposal.
Question:
Can the recitation of the Mahalakshmi Stotram really attract all around abundance? Kindly explain how this mantra can be used effectively to achieve abundance.
Swamiji Says:
First, we are not speaking of a mantra, but rather, a series of mantras.
The Mahalakshmi Stotram is actually an Ashtakam: eight shlokas, plus a Phal Shruti, the recitation of fruits, which direct us towards the Laksha, the Goal. Mahalakshmi is the Goddess of Wealth. Laksha is our Goal.
Our Goals are our wealth: what we treasure, what we value, what we hold dear to ourselves.
In this sense Mahalakshmi is the Goddess of Wealth, not necessarily sitting on the cash register, but guiding the values and goals of our lives.
When we recite the Mahalakshmi Ashtakam, we are given the privilege to organize our priorities, to define our objectives, to define our paths, budget our resources, and to undertake the sankalpa to pursue the completion of those goals.
Related: Achieve Your Goals Using Swamiji’s Goal Setting Workshop
Question:
Why do some people seem to suffer from a lack of abundance? How can the weight of bad karma be reduced?
Swamiji Says:
There are two reasons for suffering from lack. Shirdi Sai Baba called it Shraddha and Saburi: Faith and Patience. The lack of faith and patience is what precludes us, inhibits us, from performing sadhana.
The sadhana I refer to is not just spiritual sadhana, but also includes every field of occupation and every level of perception in which we are empowered to observe. This includes spiritual, material, and metaphysical. We are privileged to strive for perfection in everything we do.
We must understand the processes of Yoga – the union with our highest ideals on every level, especially as they apply to our business activities. For example, here is how the eight principles of Yoga apply to Business:
1) Yama – Create a vision, define our goals, objectives, deliverables
2) Niyama – Budget our resources, both human and material, time and money
3) Asana – Define our workspace, our tools, our space
4) Pranayama – Create teams, squad leaders, bring our resources together
5) Pratyahara – Delegate responsibilities, schedule deliverables
6) Dharana – Monitor implementation
7) Dhyana – Pre-delivery inspection, punch list, pick-up work
8) Samadhi – Deliver and Celebrate!
Question:
Kindly elaborate on three teachings from the world scriptures that show mankind how to attract abundance, materially and spiritually.
Swamiji Says:
The first teaching is on Maha Lakshmi. Goddess Lakshmi’s mula mantra is Shreem: the root “Sha” means shanti (peace); “Ra” means our minds; “EE” means our hearts; “Anuswara” means perfection.
Putting this all together, we understand that it is the perfection of peace in our minds and in our hearts which is the root of all wealth. That is our ultimate objective. That is the Goal – the perfection of peace!
The only value of wealth is that it has the capacity to free us from striving in the material world. The only negative quality of wealth is its capacity to bind us to the material world of attachments.
The second principle is Ganesha. Lord Ganesha stands at the door. No one can enter without His approval. The root “gana” means Wisdom and “isha” is the Lord. No one can enter into the sanctum of success without Wisdom.
Therefore, Lord Ganesha’s blessing is necessary to achieve our objectives. We must have the wisdom to know how to implement our plan before we commence action.
Actually, the adage is Lakshmi-Ganesh; Gauri-Mahesh. So, the third teaching is on Gauri and Mahesh. Gauri and Mahesh bring energy and blessings.
The root “Go” means Rays of Light. Gauri is the Energy, which radiates Rays of Light.
We must be inspired, full of energy, an evangelist for our product or service! We must believe in what we are doing, not just for money or because someone said I must, but because we choose projects that are worthy of our commitment!
Mahesh, or Shiva, means we pray for the blessings of God. Our every undertaking is something that we are proud to share with God: no subterfuge, no duplicity, no looking for any undue advantage. We must be proud of our endeavors in order to be successful.
Question:
Is it true that Lord Ganesha’s blessings and puja help in attracting abundance? How can we attract and sustain Lord Ganesha’s grace even though we are often thoughtless and ungrateful?
Swamiji Says:
The Sanskrit term for Grace is Kripa. The root “Kri” means do and “pa” means get. The grace is this – What we do is what we are going to get! This is the Law of Karma: we will receive the fruits of our actions.
Lord Ganesha is the Remover of Obstacles. When he is satisfied that we have studied the circumstances sufficiently to perform the right actions, for the right reasons, with the right motivation, full of inspiration, with great energy, and total focus and attentiveness, then he allows us entrance and gives us the fruits of our karma. He becomes Siddhi Vinayak, He who removes all obstructions to the attainment of perfection.
Lord Ganesha brings our projects to fulfillment, until we are able to commit to the ultimate project of self realization. Then we equate success with detachment, and we become less and less encumbered by the material world.
We pay off all of our debts of karma: Deva Rin, Pitri Rin, Acharya Rin (Gods, Ancestors, Teachers and Gurus respectively).
To the Gods, we discharge our debts by making this world a better place because of our having been here.
To our Ancestors, we discharge our debts by respecting the elderly in the way we will want to be respected when we become old, and by nurturing the next generation in the way that we want this world to become.
Finally, we discharge our debts to our teachers and Gurus by living in accordance with the wisdom they have taught.
When we become free from debt and owe no more, that is called Liberation.
Blessings!