Today

Yesterday is a canceled check;
Tomorrow is a promissory note;
Today is the only cash you have;
So spend it wisely.
~Kay Lyons

Abundance

Have you heard the story of the Buddhist scholar who went to visit an old monk to discuss Buddhism? The monk invited the scholar in and they sat down while the monk prepared tea.

The scholar immediately began to expound upon all he had learned about Buddhism at the university. On and on he went while the old monk quietly listened and prepared the tea. When the tea was ready, the scholar continued to speak even as the old monk poured the tea stopping only when he suddenly realized that tea was pouring down onto his leg since the old monk was continuing to pour tea into his already full cup.

The scholar stopped talking, jumped up and shouted, "You old fool. What are you thinking?" The old monk calmly replied, "A cup that is already full has no room to receive." The message of this story is about the importance of having an open mind and a willingness to listen and receive new information. This is good advice.

However, there is another cup metaphor, from the Old Testament, that seems to contradict the message in this story. I'm sure you've heard the phrase "My cup runneth over." In this usage, an overflowing cup is an expression of abundance. So how do we reconcile these two seemingly contradictory metaphors? Well I believe we all have two "cups." One of these cups we want to keep as full as we possibly can, full to overflowing whenever possible. The other cup we want to keep as empty and open as we possibly can. What are these cups? Would you like to take a guess?

Truly Abundant Mystics have an empty mind that is open to new ideas and possibilities. And, at the same time, they have a full heart that is overflowing with light, love and joy. I believe that is one of the secrets to TRUE Abundance. The more you can release your thoughts and ideas about abundance and fill yourself with feelings and faith about abundance, the more you will attract abundance into your life. The more you can stop spewing your thoughts out into the world and start flowing your love out into the world, the more abundance will flow back to you.

-Edward Mills