We Give – We Receive

We can only receive when we make space to receive.

Last week I was at an African dancing and drumming camp with my daughter. While there, I had a direct experience of making space so that I also could receive.

I had bought a T-shirt on my last trip to Japan. It was beautiful, with a hand painted deity, Fudo-myo, on the back. I hadn’t worn it yet, so I took it with me to the dance camp to wear one day. One morning during breakfast, I was chatting to Sibo, one of the drumming teachers, and I commented on his nice T-shirt. I suddenly felt the impulse to give my Fudo Myo T-shirt away to this kind man. He really liked it and was very happy with his new T-shirt. This happiness flowed from him to me and to the others in the class.

Most of the time people have a hard time giving away things to others which they themselves really like. Yes, we buy a present for someone and then we give that away. But something that you have bought for yourself often has more attachments to it and therefore is harder to give away. But in essence, it is just energy and energy needs to flow to be healthy.

But my T-shirt story continues…. 

An hour later Maitoumbi, one of the organizers, came over and said, “I have something for you, Frans; let me get it from my room.” When she came back, she handed me an Ed Hardy T-shirt designed by Christian Audigier! She didn’t know that I had just given a T-shirt away. She said she had bought this T-shirt many years ago, as she really liked it. It still had the labels on it as she never had found the right person to give it to. Before she went to the camp, she said she had a dream that she would meet someone who she needed to give the T-shirt to.

This was a very direct experience for me. It showed me again that if the right moment arises, we even need to give away things we like and not be too attached to anything. Because when we give, we receive. By giving, we create the space to receive. I always see it that when we give, we have to open our hand to let go of what we are giving. And to receive we also have to open our hand. Therefore giving is receiving.

Frans Stiene

Based in Holland, Frans Stiene teaches in North America, Europe, UK, Australia and Asia.
Frans is also the author of Reiki Insights, it is the continuation of his previous book The Inner Heart of Reiki, taking your personal practice and understanding of the system of Reiki yet another step deeper.

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