Page 60 - Mystic Pathways through the Bible

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54 Mystic pathways through the bible
An interesting parable is told about Goddess Lakshmi, the Goddess of Prosperity: A devotee was practicing meditation and had a strange vision when he invoked the presence of Lakshmi Devi. The Goddess, whom he expected to appear before him in a luminous and radiant form, manifested with her forehead and feet badly bruised. Seeing Lakshmi Devi in this strange condition, the devotee asked, “Oh Goddess, how is this possible? How can you, who are the giver of prosperity to all, have such terrible bruises?”
The Goddess replied, “Oh devotee, I will explain to you. There are so many worldly-minded people who pursue me, and yet do not deserve me. And I have to go on kicking them from morning until night. Imagine how much my feet hurt because I must go on doing that day after day! And then there are some rare souls who tread the path of spirituality and are so dispassionate that they don’t want me at all. In the Divine plan, however, they must have some of my wealth in order to help mankind. So I go to their doors and, adopting the Eastern method, repeatedly bow and strike my head against their thresholds to persuade them to accept my prosperity. Since this goes on day by day, my forehead has become terribly bruised!”
The parable shows that if you are devoid of greed, you attract the Goddess of Prosperity, who wants to bestow her blessings. On the other hand, if you pursue objects through greed, then the Goddess of Prosperity continues kicking you, as it were.