Selections From the Wisdom Legacy of Paramahansa Yogananda
Excerpts from an article in the Spring 2009 issue of Self-Realization magazine,“Creating Prosperity Consciousness: Nine spiritual principles for activating the law of abundance to supply your needs in good times and bad.”
Know That God’s Plan for the World Is Abundance and Joy
Abundance, material as well as spiritual, is a structural expression of rita, cosmic law or natural righteousness….
Every saint who has penetrated to the core of Reality has testified that a divine universal plan exists and that it is beautiful and full of joy.
According to the law of God and of Christian brotherhood, this earth was meant to provide the shelter and supply of all mankind; the wealth of mines and other resources was to be distributed equally to those performing equal labors. And God established the law of divine birthright: that all men and women are made in His image, hence are essentially divine; and that all nations are of one blood, being descendants of common parents, Adam and Eve.
If you believe in this fundamental relationship, if you feel love for all the world’s inhabitants as for your own family, recognizing no inner difference between any of the outwardly different nationalities, then you are establishing a legitimate astral right to your share of earth’s capital.
Those who seek prosperity for themselves alone are in the end bound to become poor, or to suffer from mental inharmony; but those who consider the whole world as their home, and who really care and work for group or world prosperity, activate astral forces that lead them ultimately to the place where they can find the individual prosperity that is legitimately theirs. This is a sure and secret law.
Whether one prospers is not dependent solely upon one’s creative ability, but also upon his past actions, and on his present efforts to activate the astral law of cause and effect. If mankind as a whole behaved unselfishly, the power of that law would distribute prosperity equally to all men, without exception. Those who by potent good thoughts and actions rouse this astral power to create positive prosperity succeed wherever they go, whether they are in prosperous or poverty-stricken environments.
Use the Law of Cause and Effect to Create Prosperity
All prosperity is measured out to man according to the law of cause and effect, which governs not only this life but all past lives. That is why intelligent people may be born poor or unhealthy, and a mentally mediocre person may be born healthy and wealthy. All men were originally sons of God made in His image having free choice and equal power of accomplishment. But by misuse of his God-given reason and will power, man has fallen under the control of the natural law of cause and effect of action (karma) and has thereby limited his freedom to make a success of life. A man’s success depends not only upon his intelligence and efficiency but upon the nature of his past actions.
However, there is a way to overcome the unfavorable results of past actions. The causes of failure must be destroyed and a new cause for success set in motion.
Contact the Superconscious Source of Success and Prosperity
The conscious mind alone cannot initiate a new cause that will bring positive success in any direction; but when the human mind attunes itself to God, in the state of superconsciousness, it can be sure of success; for the superconscious mind is in tune with the unlimited power of God, and is therefore able to create a new cause of success.
Absolute success signifies “the power to create at will what you need by developing your unlimited superconscious power.” This superconscious power can be awakened by knowing the definite technique of meditation, as taught by the God-realized masters of India. India has specialized in the art of controlling the mental machinery of the mind factory in order to produce prosperity, health, success, wisdom, and God-contact at any time, at will, and without limitation.
Western brothers and sisters need to learn that the mind is greater than its inventions. More time should be given to the art of controlling the mind in order to achieve scientifically all-round success. Less time should be given to acquiring products of the mind at the cost of neglecting the cultivation of the all-accomplishing, all-powerful mind itself….
Through meditation learn that money without health and peace is not success, and that peace and health without money for necessities do not make a complete or successful life. Follow the way taught by India: acquire superconsciousness and absolute control over the mind; then you can create at will whatever you need.
Exercise the Manifesting Power of Affirmation
All spiritual and material gifts flow from [God’s] boundless abundance. In order to receive His gifts you must eradicate from your mind all thoughts of limitation and poverty. Universal Mind is perfect and knows no lack; to reach that never-failing supply you must maintain a consciousness of abundance. Even when you do not know where the next dollar is coming from, you should refuse to be apprehensive. When you do your part and rely on God to do His, you will find that mysterious forces come to your aid and that your constructive wishes soon materialize. This confidence and consciousness of abundance are attained through meditation.
Affirmation: “God is my own inexhaustible Divine Bank. I am always rich, for I have access to the Cosmic Storehouse. I will go forth in perfect faith in the power of Omnipresent Good to bring me what I need at the time I need it.”
