Every spiritual path has an avenue of participation, an opportunity to give back for the blessings one receives as a result of the lifestyle one is living. Dasvandh (das means ‘ten’ and vandh means ‘to give’) fulfills this role in the practice of Sikh religion; it is the contribution of one’s one-tenth earnings back to the Spiritual Source. It is your way of giving to Infinity, a promise that when you genuinely give 10% to the Source; the Source, in ways you cannot imagine or predict, will bring that back multiplied to you.
“The Giver gives and gives, and those who take get weary of receiving.” – Japji Sahib (by Guru Nanak Dev Ji)
There are institutions in the world that allow us to donate money and direct how and when that money is used. This is not how Dasvandh works. Dasvandh is blind trust. You give 10% and let it go, trusting that the Will of the Divine will guide what happens with it. It is the surrender and trust, the willingness to give, which has a tremendous power to heal us of our insecurities and discover the Unlimited Flow of the Divine.
You cannot find a better value for your money through spending anywhere. Dasvandh is the seed money, which allows all Dharmic structures to have a beginning. But more importantly, giving represents the radiance of our spirit and extends a royal countenance of prosperity and courage. It creates expansion of the heart center and promotes joy and fulfillment. Giving to Infinity is wonderful and yet different. It is surrendering God’s share back to God, emptying ourselves to be filled by the Infinite Bounty of the Universe.
