Ten Tenets: Charity

The first Tenet we are going to be inspecting is one that is, primarily, anyway, high vibrational in nature: Charity. Like all energies in the universe, however, even "good," things have downsides. We will be discussing not only why this Tenet is high vibrational, but how, in the right circumstance, or abused, this Tenet can become something negative or harmful.

Charity is the act of giving from the excess you have to those who have too little of it. While, in our modern world, this is strongly correlated with donating money, charity can involve donating absolutely anything of yours to someone else. You can donate your strength or time to an elderly or busy neighbor, by helping them with yard work. You can donate your energy to someone who is tired or sorrowful, by taking the time to help them through some tasks, or talk through their problems. The key to being truly charitable is to not expect anything from this other person in return, but to believe that this positive energy will return to it in whatever way the universe sees fit, when it sees fit.

While you may ready to get into how being charitable improves or raises your vibration, I am actually going to touch on the ways that charity can be harmful first. This is to make sure that we are all entering into the concept of charity with a clear, concise vision of what being truly charitable asks of us, not just the parts that are "shining," or "golden," so to speak.

Failing to give humbly is actually one of the pitfalls of charity, and will actually lower your vibration, rather than raise it. Giving to someone else with an expectation of reward, praise, or something in return is not charitable, but an act derived from a place of Ego. Charity does not involve any self centered, expectant thought process such as: "I deserve a reward now because I gave so much." Rather, it asks us to look inside of ourselves to find the excess in our lives, and to say to someone else who is lacking: "You deserve to have enough, too. I am rewarded with our mutual prosperity."

It is also never our place to force someone else to take what we are offering, or to treat them as if they are lesser than we are for needing it, either. This is low vibrational in nature, and actually harms the other person more than helping them. They now feel ashamed, rather than grateful, that they now have what they need, or had to ask for more in the first place. The intention of charity should be to help or alleviate a form of suffering by giving from your own surplus, not to create new wounds, problems, or hurts in someone who is already persevering.

Giving what we do not actually have is also harmful, for what I feel are more obvious reasons. Asceticism, a complicated word for a simple concept, is the act of harming your own prosperity in an attempt to give to someone else's. This is detrimental on a vibrational level because we are, in essence, stealing from ourselves. While theft is a negative vibrational behavior in and of itself, it does slightly tie into charity for the same reasons: taking from others is ultimately wrong, even if the "other," is ourselves. The universe, and its naturally charitable essence, wants everyone to have enough, and that includes you. Don't forget to be charitable towards yourself from time to time, or to ensure that you are, in fact, being charitable, and not just participating in asceticism.

Despite having its pitfalls, however, being charitable is a fast, easy way to elevate your vibrational energy, so long as we focus on the right aspects of the process. Charity is so good for raising vibration because of the many positive concepts it entails.

The primary positive concept that charity relies on is that of community. We are not only drawn to be charitable towards our communities more than others, but also strengthen or improve the communities which we donate to. Our own connection with individuals in the community, or the community as a whole, are often deepened by acts of charity. This raises, not only our vibration, but everyone in that community's vibration, as a result. Taking care of one another by ensuring that we do not ever have so much that someone else does not have enough is, if you ask me, is one of the primary elements of any strong and thriving community. No one person is left out or not taken care of, because the charitable nature of those around them help ensure that each individual part of the whole is being given the best possible opportunity to grow and reach its full potential.

Being charitable also involves gratitude. Anyone who has done manifestation work in combination with the power of gratitude knows the power of this universal energy. We do not know we have too much or an excess if we have not first acknowledged that we have enough. We do not believe we have enough to give if we do not believe we will still have enough, even after giving some of our prosperity away to those less fortunate. When we are grateful for what we have, we can appreciate why others would want what we have, too. When we understand that we are blessed, we begin to see, too, that we have the ability to bless others, too, becoming the creative, divine energy of the universe in action.

When we are able to express gratitude, we can more fully extend generosity - or the sharing of what makes us grateful - towards others. This is possible because we have come to a deepened understanding of what is wholesome and pleasant about our life experience, and, as a result, wish to share that understanding with others. What better way to know that light than to experience it yourself? Charity asks. What better way to understand the meaning of life than to channel the essence of life itself?

What ways have you personally used charity to raise your vibration and improve the energetic resonance of your life as a whole? I'd love to hear your stories or thoughts.

Affirmation:

I readily give to others in need what I possess an excess of.