Why I Tithe

By Lawrence Martin Martinez, March 2010

This article is written at the request of Satgurudev Muktinaya (Amber Rateau-Sibley), with whom I have shared my tithing experience, in small installments, over several months.

Per Webster's Dictionary, a tithe is "one tenth of the produce of one's land or of one's annual income paid as a tax or contribution to support a church or its clergy."

To me tithing is about "letting go" and trusting that your divine self who knows, far better than you, what your needs are, will absolutely provide to fulfill those needs!

Most of us have heard the admonition, "be careful what you ask for." Perhaps a better way to look at this is to learn to ask only for what you really need. In fact, the scary part is, if you put forth a desire and don't fulfill or cancel it, it doesn't go away, the attachment follows you to the akashic record after you complete your mortality! Eckhart Tolle, in his book A New Earth, says, "The egoic mind wants to want, more than it wants to have." Recall the beautiful story in Autobiography of a Yogi wherein Lord Babaji creates the magnificent palace for Yogananda. Babaji graciously fulfilled the desire, so that it would not "carry over," but, more importantly, demonstrated the impermanence of all creations!

EVERYONE IS ABUNDANT!

What does tithing have to do with abundance? How is abundance related to the generosity that is such a part of tithing? Tithing and prosperity are vibrationally independent of each other. Should one tithe from one's prosperity or should one tithe to become prosperous?

I am constantly amazed at the powerful capabilities of the human mind to manifest or create. In reality, everyone is extremely abundant! The problem with the abundance of many a soul is that theirs is not that of prosperity, but of lack. Many of us have, or at least have had, a history of dwelling on lack and limitation. Master Audle's Law of Opulence and The Law of Attraction (from the film, The Secret) teach us that that dwelling, that focused attention creates, and, creates more of what you don't want. Perhaps, if one wrote a book on poverty consciousness, it would be the story of how man unconsciously and continuously creates obstacles to flow and circulation. Of course it is possible to have an overabundance of limiting thoughts!

In the late nineties, I heard the tithing testimonies of Charles "Chazman" Rothenberg and Mary Stephenson and, of course, it resonated true and made a whole lot of sense. Over the years at Mountain Institute I heard several tithing talks from Jerry Densow and Kathi Densow-Arnold, which were also perfectly logical! However inspired and logical these talks were, they did not ring true enough to inspire or motivate me, or to give me the courage, to begin the process of "parting" with ten percent of my gross inflow. I did, however, contribute regularly (and generously, I thought) to Mountain Institute for many years, first at one hundred dollars per month, and then later, one hundred fifty. Incidentally, this was the same mindset that I had for decades as a devout Roman Catholic, yet, it was not true tithing.

I began to tithe in November 2007, because it was time, but mainly because I did not want to die without finding out if it really worked! For the first three months I had a knot in my stomach and lump in my throat, but I persevered. As I continued, month by month, it became easier and I began to relax, somewhat.

Today I tithe out of deep gratitude and appreciation for the indescribably magnificent spiritual blessings that have been granted to me by Sat-Ananda, Sat-Devanada, Sat-Muktinaya and Nirvananada. How can one ever repay the most precious gifts in the universe? When we stop and think about it, ten percent of our income is but a token!

What are these gifts?

First of all, getting my light lit is the most precious gift that a Jiv-atma, an embodied soul, can receive in any incarnation.

Secondly, to be granted all the keys to the entire kingdom is a bonus the magnitude of which is impossible to describe.

Thirdly, the gift of musical creativity and composition was something that had eluded me for about forty years. Since 1962 (age 12) I had replicated, quite well, other composers' music; I had, however, not much of an inspired flow, no creative ideas of my own. I had composed two or three songs during my entire life.

Along with my personal and private mantra, given to me by Sat-Ananda, came a literal explosion of music phrases and verses. I did not quite understand at the time the significance of receiving a private mantra from a Sat Guru: it's supposed to be kept private! Well, not only did I not keep it private and personal, the mantra became the title of my first inspiration, the very public chant, Sat-Anandaji (Many Blessings Abound), found on the compact disc Chants of the Mountain Institute - Volume One. Retrospectively, the purpose of the gift was to serve Mountain Institute and the Masters who carry on the work of transmitting the teachings of Master Audle Allison, Satgurudev Nirvananada.

I also now tithe because I have come to realize that there is absolutely nothing I could ever own or possess that is or was ever truly mine. Except for your soul, everything else is "on loan," including your carcass, your children, your parents, your partner, your friends, your house, furniture, appliances, iPod, car, clothes, even your health! When the European settlers came to the Americas, they brought a very strange concept to the Native Americans, that of ownership of land. The indigenous peoples of the Western Hemisphere understood, conversely, that they belonged to the land; they had much respect toward and gratitude for Mother Earth, who provided for all of their material needs.

In the world of Christianity, I encountered what are called stewardship programs whereby one learns to share generously because we are caretakers, not the owners, of resources that are placed in our care. This is not that dissimilar to the Old English tithe. I really like the Momentum Program created by financial expert Dave Ramsey to help churches increase tithing. He insists that preaching about money, tithing and charitable giving is pointless because most households in America live from paycheck to paycheck and are, literally, slaves to their mortgage, car loan and credit card debt. The concept of giving does not register on our radar if we are stressed and blinded by our debt service. Over time his program has helped educate members of congregations on managing their finances, formulating a budget and systematically getting out of debt, one family at a time. Once empowered, church members can, much more easily, budget tithing into their financial plan. We can read more about this at www.daveramsey.com. If you search on www.youtube.com, low and behold, Dave as a monthly bill management worksheet just like Jerry Densow's, recommended years ago!

If I am one with Great Supreme, and the universe beyond primordial (substance), I have come to understand, then I am an integral part of the whole and all is mine. In the Guru Gita there is a verse which reads, "A speck of dust from the Guru's feet, forms a bridge strong enough to cross, Samsara can be overcome; Worship Him as the Lord of all." To me this means if I, through my devotion, have access to any part of the Sat Guru', including a speck of dust on his toe, I have access to everything that the Sat Guru is: kingdom, stream, vortex and, Great Supreme!

A few years ago, I picked up a brochure that was written to promote Catherine Ponder's prosperity network. I converted the contents of the brochure into a rather elaborate set of prosperity affirmations (which I have recorded and still use from time to time). One of the most profound and meaningful of those affirmations says, "This universe is infinitely abundant; if it were not, it would have depleted itself, long ago!" As I pondered and reflected on this, I began to lose the fear of not having enough, a most significant aspect of the karmic package on which I came to work. Overcoming scarcity, lack, limitation and poverty consciousness is very difficult, and, like depression, how can one ever even consider overcoming, healing or changing if you don't even know you have it? From my perspective, poverty consciousness comes from not feeling worthy, deserving or entitled to have and experience affluence, wealth or prosperity; you just don't know it is an option! If one has never been taught or has not learned that the universe is infinitely abundant, then how can you even think to tap into it?

Subtle transformation

An important benefit of actively and consistently letting go is that you make room for new energy to flow into your experience. As one lets go of fear (the fear of not having enough, for example), you make room for seemingly random acts of kindness and generosity to come to you. Perhaps a more important and profound shift occurs whereby you don't necessarily receive more inflow, but, you release the, often obsessive, need to acquire more! With the right outlook, having fewer possessions can translate into having more peace of mind.

I have a theory about why that might be. In our kingdom, our universe, are the three Godhead masters, Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. We are also, by our divine nature, Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. We are actually dangerously powerful creators. It is natural (and divine) law that anything in creation, once created or manifested (Brahma), must be maintained (Vishnu), or, it dis-integrates or gets disintegrated (Shiva) and returns to its original or primordial state. I often marvel at nature's efficiency as I observe maggots consuming a dead carcass by the roadside in just a few weeks. Although I could never figure out where the maggots came from, nor where they go when their work is done, there is only the skin and bones left behind. Whatever is left behind, the sun's rays eventually soften and dissolve. The minerals in the bones decompose and return to the earth from which they came.

If the universe abhors a vacuum, be careful, as you make room by letting go, that you attract things that, vibrationally, uphold and support your basic and primary choices, that you attract people, possessions and circumstances that are in harmony with your divine self. Why not fill our lives with simplicity, peace, love, respectful service, and, especially, light from the inner, spiritual planes of consciousness.

Master Jerry says, "God is my supply," Master Amber, at a very young age said, "I decide, God provides." A wealthy banker in our community has a favorite expression which says, "God has way more to give to you that you could ever think or imagine to request." Eckhart Tolle says, "Outflow determines inflow." My paternal grandmother, Ana Maria, used to say, "currency is for circulating, not hoarding." Mahatma Gandhi, as quoted by Depak Chopra, when asked whence the resources to fund a particular humanitarian project would come, replied, "From wherever it is!" Perhaps it is not our place or our business to question the source of flow. Remember, Divine Consciousness does not lack for imagination or creativity. I believe it is our spiritual responsibility to be grateful, to acknowledge the source, the ultimate Source, Great Supreme through the Holy Naam.

Listening to perfectly logical talks is just not enough, I believe we must make an effort. Actually doing it becomes, in time, the very proof that it works, and, in the proving comes the trust to let go and let God! For those that are ready to change your mindset, by getting at the root cause of the hesitation, Emotional Freedom Techniques are at our disposal, through the services of Agatha Gelderloos, to break and let go of the old vibration. You can also do EFT on your own, the manual is available if you will only supply your e-mail address.

Lawrence Martin Martinez