MONEY AND SPIRITUALITY

 

"Money is essential for existence.Man cannot live without money,In the Ramayana , sage Vasishta tells Rama " dhana marjaya Kakutsa dhanamoola midam jagat antaram nabhijanami nirdhanascha mrutasyacha"You have to earn money! There is no difference between one without money and a dead person!Though it is needed, it is better to have what is just required! Too much money creates many problems!We are now trying to get back BLACK MONEY stashed in foreign banks! The Vedas ordain that money should be earned in righteous ways, according to Dharma! It is said that Money has four heirs! First and foremost is Dharma! If it is not properly utilized for Dharma, it can be confiscated by the King, or consumed by fire or stolen by the thief! Even for a sanyasi money is essential!Otherwise no Mutt can exist!Sankara says " udara nimittam bahukrutha vesham" For a spiritual life money will be very helpful!You can donate for many religious and social causes, you can help the poor and the downtrodden,build hospitals,choultries for poor feeding and many other things! In olden days Kings & emperors did the same thing! Today we have quite a good number of philonthrophists who are doing this . They are spiritually oriented and want to help the unlucky! Spirituality is to realize that God is manifest in every living being! Service to man is service to God. The essence of all the Puranas of sage Vyasa is that we should help others! That is what is called Punya! To hurt others is a sin or papa! Money can be used for religious purposes! God has given you Money! You give back a part of that money to god! You can donate for temple construction, or for ornaments for the deity and so many other related activities The satisfaction one derives in doing these

charitable acts is indescribable! You are accumulating a good ' sanchita karma' the fruits of which you can reap in future! This is how money should be associated with Spirituality & religion