January 2022 issue of Renaissance – Theme: Receptivity

As we continue with our year-long-theme of the Twelve Attributes of the Mother, we dedicate the January 2022 issue of our monthly e-journal, Renaissance to Receptivity.

Two things instantly come to mind whenever I think of ‘Receptivity.’ One is Grace and the other is that tiny pink flower I saw one late afternoon fourteen years ago.

I start with the flower. I remember that moment as if it was yesterday, when I noticed that little deep pink flower on the roadside while walking home. On any other day I might have missed it like many others walking by probably did. But certainly some special Grace was blessing me that day with the necessary receptivity so that I would pay attention and learn what I must from that tiny flower.

What caught my attention was the way the tiny flower was gracefully revealing its head from within a thick pile of construction rubble on a street corner. Can anything so delicate grow out of such dark and hard material? Indeed. That flower was the proof!

The resilience with which this flower was blooming in such harsh physical surroundings made me think of the power of opening and receptivity. Within the hard shell of cement, brick and stone debris, perhaps there was some little spot which opened itself to the Light and Force of the Mighty Mother Nature and voila, Life was born! A flower was born.

Opening Ourselves to Light and Force

How can we open ourselves more and more to the Light and Force? How do we develop within us a greater receptivity to receive this Light and Force?

The Great Masters everywhere have emphasised several ways; foremost among them are: sincere and patient one-pointed aspiration, genuine humility, unyielding faith and complete trust in the Divine, elimination of ego-insistence in all forms, and self-offering and surrender to the Divine.

Eliminating ego-insistence of course takes immense tapasya, but becoming more conscious of when we resist to something because of our egos can gradually help us become more open. We close ourselves to the Force when we fill ourselves tightly with ego and its countless demands. We carry too much burden and weight of our egos which leaves little open space within for the Light and Force from Above to enter. True and sincere humility implies going to the Divine in all our nakedness, without hiding any of our imperfections and mistakes, without deluding ourselves in any way, and without any sense of pride at any little progress we might have made on the path.

Be humble, be sincere, be receptive – this is the key. Like that little pink flower that was happily and humbly growing in the middle of a construction dump, opening itself to the Light above and receiving the Force to help grow and spread its self-existent beauty and joy, even when no one was looking.