Hare Krsna
Please accept my humble obeisance. All glories to Srila Prabhupada
Can money buy true Happiness? When the basics are covered, extra money can buy extra food, clothes, houses and whatever else. However, you can live in only one house at a time, wear one set of clothes at a time, and eat as much as your stomach can hold at a time. Therefore money is useful to buy goods and services and there is nothing wrong with money, per se. It is after all the core need and everybody's entitled to earn it in order to have some kind of purchasing power.
Vedic scriptures go as far as to declare it as artha, one of the four purusharthas of human life-- *Dharma, Artha, Kama and Moksha. Yet, money corrupts. Why? This is because the basic and first principle of *Dharma* is bypassed. It is on the basis of *Dharma* that the balance *Purusharthas* have to be worked out.
The key concept is `righteousness' . Is the money that you earn acquired and used in a righteous way?Everybody has the right to earn a living and be recompensed for their labour. The trouble starts when money becomes the ultimate goal and end in itself. This leads to a distorted perspective that in turn could lead to hoarding of wealth. Wealth accumulated beyond unreasonable levels intoxicates the self and breeds destructive desires and habits. Riches, when one comes by them, have to be revered as something given on trust, and the surplus must be used for the betterment of society and for helping the needy and less fortunate.
Vedic Scriptures say that a portion of one's wealth ought to be earmarked for Vedic related charitable purposes and such an attitude of benevolence earns valuable merit. It is believed that only when you give, you get -- sometimes ten or hundred-fold. However, for all the noble exhortations of the sacred Vedic scriptures, the thrall of money weakens even the best resolve. Excessive wealth is not only seen as a symbol of worth, it creates a false sense of status and power.
The gains of material wealth are never reliable or lasting. Moreover, unrighteously acquired wealth is bound to lead to "Karmic" consequences. Every act, whether good or bad, will germinate with time, according to the Vedic scriptures. Man's primary endeavour should be to earn Bhagavan Krishna's Grace , which can confer everything, both material and spiritual. The riches that you should strive to amass are not fields, factories, bungalows or bank- balances but the wisdom and experience of oneness with the grandeur of Bhagavan Sri Krishna who runs this universe, without a hitch. Arjuna is called Dhananjay by Sri Krishna because he won (jaya) the wealth (dhan) that saves man and not that which can be taxed, stolen or transferred. The method of winning these riches is through practice of *sadhana*.., and living a righteous life.
Man strives hard and unceasingly for accumulating the riches of the world. However, all these riches that are so sought after do not have the quality of eternal nature – for ultimately it all turns to dust! The material world is but transitory; hence to invest too much into it at the cost of spiritual growth could prove detrimental. It would be well worth our while to take some time off to pause, and try earn that inner wealth too, that can make Dhananjayas out of us. Then we could call ourselves masters of that wealth which truly counts.
Bhagavan Sri Krishna says in Srimad Bhagavad Gita , Chapter-3, Sloka 11-12 :
" May you please the Devas by *Yajna* ( Offerings), and may the Devatas please you in turn by granting your desired fruits. Satisfying one another in this way, you will attain the supreme auspicious goal.
Being pleased by your Yajna, the Devas will award you your desired goals. Therefore, a person who enjoys the blessings given by the Devas, without sharing it with the Devas, is certainly a THIEF."
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