Of the eight attributes of Lakshmi, courage stands out. Indian mythological stories are SUBTLE in their instruction. They reveal the TRUTH by hiding it. This subtle knowledge is spiritual. It is there in all walks of life as the Power resides in what is left unsaid. We see now teachers encouraging students, parents patronising children. The earlier tradition was NOT to encourage or even recognise. Their experience was the boy would stop progressing if the teacher or parent encouraged him. So, in the past, encouragement was the exception, not the rule.
What is spiritual courage? What is courage? Our tradition always indicates, never explains. The opposite of courage is fear. In the story about Lakshmi, it is said, all the eight Lakshmis stayed with a man for long. Then they desired to leave him. He requested them to leave at least one with him. He chose courage. The seven lakshmis who left him came back one after the other, as they could not exist without courage. The story thus reveals the significance of COURAGE. Still, it does not explain. Courage is force. Lakshmi is Prosperity of several types. Prosperity of no type can survive without the COURAGE of the individual. Here it is human courage. Spiritual courage is more powerful. When threatened, fear increases. Spiritual courage increases when intimidated. The Spirit acts exactly in the opposites fashion of human nature.
When all Europe capitulated to Hitler, he expected England to hasten to surrender. What happened was the opposite. Churchill declared, "We shall fight, fight to the end. We shall fight the enemy on the land, let us fight him on the high seas. Let us give fight in the air. We shall fight him in the streets, we shall fight, fight and die fighting." It inspired every man in the factory, every woman in the kitchen. England won, NOT Hitler. England won FREEDOM. England saved democracy. England saved the world. That is the courage of the collective. Churchill received the SPIRITUAL FORCE from Sri Aurobindo and exhibited spiritual courage, which spread all over England and all over the world. It is true not only in the subtle plane but in the warfront too.
Anything of the Spirit increases. The Spirit knows no failure, no decrease. Genius is spiritual knowledge. It is ever-increasing by itself. I plead for Spiritual Prosperity, as it knows no decrease. It increases by itself.