Sacred Reciprocity: Courting the Beloved in Everyday Life

The essence ofayni is sacred reciprocity. Ayni emerges out of auniversal perspective in which importance is placed on the relational flow of energy as aprocess of establishing and maintaining balance. Ayni can be seen as acode of conduct – asacred agreement to engage in abalanced exchange between self and other. What is given may not be anywhere near as important as how it is given. In ayni, it is the heart that counts. Ayni can be established among people, between humans and all other beings, and between all beings and the animate Cosmos.