The Power of Generosity

There is an old folk saying in Thailand that if a person is wealthy, it’s because they were generous in a previous lifetime. (If they are beautiful, it is reckoned that they were kind, but that is a different article.) In any case, it comes with a catch. If you are well-off, you have the wherewithal to be even more generous now. Yet how many wealthy people are greedy and miserly in pursuit of more, more, more? Such people are spiritually regressing and, if they’re not careful, might come back as a cockroach or some other low level of consciousness!

The most generous human societies predate the invention of private property. Indigenous foragers had no such concept of accumulated wealth. Often on the move, they always shared everything transparently and immediately. They wisely put the highest value on community—recognizing tribal bonds as the only reliable source of safety. As a result, they take joy in sharing and couldn’t imagine hoarding possessions or lording it above others who have less than they do.

Our hunter-gatherer ancestors were Homo sapiens 200,000 to 300,000 years before civilization took over. According to anthropologists, we were healthier and happier back then, certainly less stressed out working 20 hours/week. Biologically, not much has changed in the last 10,000 years, a blip in the scope of time. We are the same species. Let’s try to remember, therefore, that we are naturally wired for cooperation and sharing. And we are investing in community anytime we give of our time, energy and attention.

Just being there for someone, being present and deeply listening is a wonderful, and often transformative, gift that strengthens the fabric of relationships. Passing on a skill or knowledge that you have mastered is a gift of mentoring. Helping somebody move is a gift of service, as is volunteering to do the dishes. Giving a homeless person a sandwich is a gift of nourishment. No matter how little property or money we have at our disposal, we all have gifts—really valuable gifts—that we can find a way to give someone.

The practice of generosity honors our ancestors and ennobles us as human beings. It cleanses the soul of competitive possessiveness and privilege. May we honor our heritage and grow back into ourselves!

Paul O’Brien is author of Intuitive Intelligence: Make Life-Changing Decisions with Perfect Timing and the “Visionary I Ching Oracle” app. He is the host of Pathways podcast and founder of the non-profit Divination.com.