What do we mean by ‘giving’? Certainly, it is widely accepted as a good quality, and we can probably never know the enormous amount of giving that takes place in the world, especially the unseen acts of giving that take place every moment of every day.

In its purest sense, the act of giving is the free and wholehearted transfer of something we possess to another person or persons, without any thought of reward or recognition whatsoever. The sheer joy it can bring to both the giver and receiver is made all the more powerful when it is done unconditionally.

If giving were done in this way, in this purest sense, throughout the whole world, we would not be plagued with so many complex problems. Sadly, it is often not done this way.  Because of experience over many centuries, people do not trust each other, and governments do not trust governments. In times of the greatest need and deepest despair, the strong give aid to the weak, but often it might be given as a loan of some sort; a loan which sometimes cannot be repaid. Often, aid is given in exchange for something which both parties know will simply extend the need for longer. This isn’t giving in its purest sense. Seneca described this perfectly when he said: “There is no grace in a benefit that sticks to the fingers.”

The Law of Amra

Rosicrucians often refer to “the law of AMRA.” In essence, this is a simple and universal law which states: “We can receive only as we are ready and willing to give.”  It is a beautiful and natural law of existence, and it is based on the fact that there is a stability and balance in the Cosmos which is self-restoring when people attempt to disturb it. With this concept of universal equilibrium in mind, it becomes clear that we cannot take and accumulate to ourselves continuously without giving some sort of balancing compensation. Today, we might sum this up by saying you don’t get something for nothing, even though this seems to be the driving force and motivation behind many human actions.

When we give continuously and with sincerity, in whatever form, benefits will come unasked for and often in the most unexpected ways. Nature will equalise! The genuine giver never thinks about receiving in return. A genuine act of giving is done freely and wholeheartedly, and it attracts much in return and in many ways. Someone once said, “Blessed are those who give without remembering, and those who take without forgetting.”

Giving and Receiving

Where is the spirit of giving among those who seek publicity and recognition for their gifts? They have not given; they have invested and demand high returns. Those who must forever be remembered for their giving have not given with love and sympathy, but have simply fed their ego by sharing something they didn’t value very highly in the first place. On the receiving end, some people receive and are dissatisfied with what they’ve been given; disappointed with the form of aid. They forget that they needed help and received it. In the Cosmic sense, both examples fall far short of the pure spirit of giving and receiving.

The way in which we give is important too. A simple gift becomes more appreciated and valued when it is given impulsively. It is worth remembering that we bring no possession into the world, and we take none with us at the end of life. In the greater sense, we actually own nothing while we live here on earth. Therefore, we should not be envious of what others have, but instead, we should be happy to share what comes to us during our journey here through life.

Expressing the Higher Self

We could say that the greatest demonstration of the spirit of giving is in the giving of ourselves. For example, we can give love, sympathy, patience, understanding, and other non-material gifts. The more we give of empathy and compassion, the more we are giving to those who have need of them. Kahlil Gibran wrote: “You give but little when you give of your possessions. It is when you give of yourself that you truly give.”

In this way, we can give expression to the divine aspect of who and what we really are: to give freely, generously and happily without thought of reward is allowing the higher levels of our Self, of our Being, to communicate with the outer aspects of our consciousness and our daily life. Well-planned ‘giving’ with ulterior motives and selfish interest may be clever and skilful, deceiving the receiver, but our “still, small voice within” if we allow it to, will remind us that we are only deceiving ourselves. When we understand the law of AMRA and apply it daily, we have learned the art of giving.