WHAT IS REAL WEALTH?

                                                       

Man is enamored about amassing wealth in its various forms. He has virtually become a worshipper of Mammon, the God of wealth! He is ready to go to any extent for the sake of money and material possessions! He is not much bothered about the consequences of such mad and meaningless pursuit of money. He is under the illusion that wealth and money that he accumulates will give him happiness and peace of mind. On the other hand too much of money is dangerous and the cause for all troubles. “Money has never made man happy, nor will it, there is nothing in its nature to produce happiness. The more of it one has, the more one wants” says Benjamin Franklin. “Money can feed the body but not the soul. One has to toil hard to accumulate and save money. He has to strain much to protect it. He is sad if  it is spent or lost. Why then, money the cause of sorrow?” questions a poet. Buildings, property and material goods do not constitute real wealth. They are transient. Obsession for money and wealth has undone many a man.

Man earns money as if he is born to amass wealth! He is not bothered about fair or foul means. He earns it by gambling, by various forms of deceit, by highway robbery and other devious ways. Such money is tainted and can never make him happy. Lakshmi or the Goddess of wealth is never stable. She is as brittle as the bubble on the wave of water!  “Lakshmi toya taranga bhanga chapala vidyuth chalam jivitam” says the poet. Is accumulation of wealth the be all and end all of human existence? Knowing full well the transitory nature of material possessions man is driven passionately in pursuit of wealth by his desires. It is a dangerous trend. If money, material possessions, property and other things do not constitute wealth, what then is real wealth? We have to ponder over other various things and qualities that come under Real Wealth.

The word 'wealth' indicates mainly money and material riches. But there are others considered as wealth. Knowledge when properly acquired is a kind of wealth. The difference between the two is that one is impermanent while knowledge, once acquired stays permanently! Physical strength is also a type of wealth! It is not all who can possess robust and healthy body. According to Bhagawan Sri Sri Satya Sai Baba “ Dhan” or wealth is described in three ways.1 Aiswarya (conduct) 2 Sampada ( property) 3 Dhana (material wealth) Bhagawan continues and points out that all the three specified above are impermanent and do not follow us when we leave the body! When material wealth is lost we can reacquire it. When strength is lost we can recover it. But life once lost can never be regained!

The most important wealth to be cherished and acquired by man is Divine wealth which is imperishable! It is the duty of every individual to strive for and acquire this rare wealth by conscious effort. What is  “Aiswarya?” It is a treasure house where good conduct, and good character reside. It is deplorable that man, instead, has taken to mundane affairs and things imagining that he is in the righteous path. By doing so man is deluding himself. Such pursuit of deluding things shall never bring him nearer to God! Explosion of knowledge and technology has made man very powerful and he seems to be the master! But the pity is that he has not discovered his true nature! While controlling everything on earth, he has lost control over himself!

“ The wealth you earn is not true wealth! True wealth is the Grace of God.” Remarks Bhagawan in one of his Divine discourses. “ If one loses wealth, he may regain it. If Man loses health, some doctor may prescribe a tonic to regain it. If one loses status and authority, he may by good luck gain them back. If virtue is lost, it is lost for ever, nothing can restore the pristine purity. So one has to be ever vigilant and never slacken.” Says Bhagawan. Riches, material possessions and all depth of knowledge and everything pales in to insignificance before Divine Grace which should be the ultimate goal of every man! He has everything when he has Divine Grace! He has nothing bereft of it though he has all material possessions in the world!
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