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money, destiny & where it stays ?
Sri Sukadeva Goswami said,
“Money does not stay in one place. It passes from one hand to another. Ultimately no one can enjoy money, and it remains the property of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 5.14.24)
Riches come from Goddess Lakṣhmi, the goddess of fortune, and the goddess of fortune is the property of Lord Narāyaṇa ( Sri Krishna ), the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
The goddess of fortune cannot stay anywhere but by the side of Narāyaṇa; therefore another of her names is Chañchal, restless. She cannot be peaceful unless she is in the company of her husband, Narāyaṇa.
For example, Lakṣhmi was carried away by the materialistic Rāvaṇa. Rāvaṇa kidnapped Sitā, the goddess of fortune belonging to Lord Rāma.
As a result, Rāvaṇa’s entire family, opulence and kingdom were smashed, and Sitā, the goddess of fortune, was recovered from his clutches and reunited with Lord Rāma.
Thus all property, riches and wealth belong to Lord Sri Krishna.
As stated by Lord Krishna in Bhagavad Gita ( 5.29 ) :
भोक्तारं यज्ञतपसां सर्वलोकमहेश्वरम् ।
“The Supreme Personality of Godhead is the true beneficiary of all sacrifices and austerities, and He is the supreme proprietor of all the planetary systems.”
Foolish materialistic people collect money and steal from other thieves, but they cannot keep it. In any case, it must be spent.
One person cheats another, and another person cheats someone else; therefore the best way to possess Lakṣhmi is to keep her by the side of Narāyaṇa. This is the point of the devotional service unto the lotus feet of Sri Krishna.
An intelligent person, worship Lakṣhmi (Expansion of Srimati Rādhāraṇi ) along with Narāyaṇa ( Expansion of Sri Krishna ).
We collect money from various sources, but that money does not belong to anyone but Radhā and Krishna (Lakṣhmi -Narāyaṇa).
If money is utilized in the service of Radha Krishna (Lakshmī-Narāyaṇa), the devotee / or any person automatically lives in an opulent way.
However, if one wants to enjoy Lakṣhmi the way Rāvaṇa did, he will be vanquished by the laws of nature, and whatever few possessions he has will be taken away.
Finally death will take everything away, and death is the representative of Sri Krishna. ( अमृतं चैव मृत्युश्च सदसच्चाहमर्जुन ॥ १९ ॥ – Bhagavad Gita 9.19 )
Mentality Of a modern civilization ?
Modern civilization runs on the mistaken concept that, if we work harder we will get more money and since money enables us to buy things that please us, with more money we will be happier.
Happiness, however, is different from the sensual pleasures money buys.
That is why almost all of us are restless and dissatisfied, despite earning and spending vast amounts of money and despite using and owning any number of things.
Money does not necessarily produce happiness.
Failing to notice this stark truth, many of us pursue happiness by pursuing money.
Also most people are not satisfied with just enough money to maintain their families but want more and more of it.
It is not recommended to not earn the money, but what is not recommended is that, one should be satisfied with what one gets, one should not rush behind the money greedily to get more and more of it.
It is a downfall of our prestigious life & a destructive sign for more distresses in this material world.
How a spiritualist / devotee should become fixed in his lifestyle ?
Householder spiritualists / devotees are obliged to earn money because without money it is not possible to exist in the material world.
In Chaitanya-charitamrita ( Madhya-lila 16.238 ), Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu tells Raghunatha,
“You should not make yourself a showbottle devotee and become a false renunciant. For the time being, enjoy the material world in a befitting way and do not become attached to it.”
In other words, householders do not give up earning money, but while earning, they think of Krishna constantly and consider themselves humble servants of society.
In order to render service to the Lord, one may accept necessary things. If one lives in this way, he may actually become renounced ( even while living in our household life ).
In the Bhakti Rasāmṛta-Sindhu – 1.2.108 , it is said:
yāvatā syāt sva-nirvāhaḥsvī-kuryāt tāvad artha-vit
ādhikye nyūnatāyāṁ cacyavate paramārthataḥ
ādhikye nyūnatāyāṁ cacyavate paramārthataḥ
“The bare necessities of life must be accepted, but one should not superfluously increase his necessities. Nor should they be unnecessarily decreased. One should simply accept what is necessary to help one advance spiritually.”
Householders who know that the Lord owns and controls all money ( Lord Narayana as Laxmi Pati ) are not diverted by excessively thinking about how to accumulate it. And they use what they have for Him.
Srila Prabhupada writes,
“If one engages for the service of the Lord ( there are many services of the Lord ), whatever money one has honestly earned, that is spiritual service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the spiritual master, and the Vaishnavas.”
( Chaitanya-charitamrita, Antya-lila 6.275, Purport )
The devotee should always be alert to consume only those things that he absolutely requires and not create unnecessary needs.”
( Chaitanya-charitamrita, Madhya-lila 24.262, Purport )
As Srila Prabhupada said:
- “You have to change your body. So you have earned so much millions and billions of money. That’s all right. But you have to go empty-handed. The money will remain here.
- You cannot take that money within the tomb. That is not possible. Then it is zero. You are going empty-handed.
- You came empty-handed and going empty-handed.
- You came with zero and you are going with zero.
- So whatever you have earned, that is zero.
But if you have attempted to serve Krishna with all these zeros, then you have taken some value.”
( Conversation, July 31, 1975 )
“Everyone is seeking the favor of the goddess of fortune,” Srila Prabhupada writes, “but people do not know that Lord Sri Krishna is the beloved husband of all goddesses of fortune.”
An Unimportant Importance Towards The Money ?
It is a very sad thing that a man has given too much importance to money in his life.
The body is significantly important than money. The service that can be done by making an effort with the help of the body, it cannot be done by the paper called “money“.
It is not great to just have money in the possession in this world. The money is given more importance than even the body. (the same body which we have got with God’s mercy to attain the liberation)
By working hard, one can generate money, but with money one cannot get a human body.
Even if crores, 10 crores, 10,000 crores of rupees are given, then too in place of it, we cannot get a human body ( which is a door-way to the attain the Mukti ).
Remember: One can get engaged in their household duties to earn the money, but should never give importance to it neither become greedy in attaining more than required.
This is for the one who really wants to get out from the cycle of the births & deaths & from the clutches of karmic reactions.
Is attachment towards the money really worth it?
At the time of death, even if billions & trillions of rupees are spent for any person then too one cannot save the body from dying.
Even if all the money that exists in the entire world, 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙋𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙩𝙞𝙚𝙨, 𝘽𝙖𝙣𝙠 𝙎𝙖𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨, 𝙁𝙞𝙭𝙚𝙙 𝘿𝙚𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙞𝙩𝙨, 𝙄𝙣𝙫𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙨, 𝙄𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙨, etc. then too, one will not be able to extend the life a moment longer.
This much precious is the time of this human body which we have got only to Realize the Self and to Realize God.
That precious time we are simply wasting away frivolously in
- Chit-chatting,
- Doing time wasting funs,
- Talks of the people,
- Watching the fake TV shows,
- Surfing on the internet, and many more time wasting things.
𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙞𝙨 𝙣𝙤 𝙜𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙡𝙤𝙨𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨.
- If entire wealth is spent in life, then that is 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙢𝙪𝙘𝙝 𝙤𝙛 𝙖 𝙡𝙤𝙨𝙨. We have to leave it here anyway and die.
- Even if one gets unlimited gems, then too he have to leave it here and die.
- Even if one have invested in purchasing the properties or real estate, then not even a brick, used in it will be taken with us when we die.
- Purchasing the Fixed Deposits in the banks for increasing the wealth will not go with us when we leave this body and get out of this material world.
Think of any, any wealth or richness, or luxury in the mind of this universe, NOTHING AT ALL IS As much important in life as much as Bhakti of Sri Krishna is.
This valuable time of our life is only for doing the 𝘽𝙝𝙖𝙟𝙖𝙣𝙖, 𝙉𝙖𝙖𝙢𝙖 𝙅𝙖𝙥𝙖, 𝙎𝙚𝙫𝙖 & 𝘽𝙝𝙖𝙠𝙩𝙞 𝙊𝙛 𝙎𝙧𝙞 𝙆𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙝𝙣𝙖.
One may had or have seen any rich man in their life who has a lot of wealth & richness, anyway it is not some exceptional grace of God.
Even a sinner can get the money and possessions in his life. What is the Big Deal? There is nothing extraordinary about getting wealth or money in life.
But the Time invested in Bhakti & Seva of Sri Krishna can never be compared with the Time invested in earning the money & the wealth.
What is the actual meaning of the grace / mercy ?
We may have heard in our life, someone saying to a rich man, “God is most gracious to you because he has given you so much of wealth and money in your life.”
This statement is the same as a broken shell.
Is this kind of thing called “A Grace?”
Can Grace of God ever be compared with the money and wealth in life?
Actual Grace is something which not everyone has the knowledge of.
Grace is that in which a person becomes totally of Sri Krishna ( removing the karmic bondage attachments ) and of no one else.
And that person on whom the grace of God has been showered, he ever remains engaged in his “Bhajan” (worship, prayer remembrance of Krishna) even while being at his work, and is not attached to the colorful paper called “Money”.
For a sincere devotee of Lord Krishna, there is nothing great about having worldly things or objects in life.
The glories sung (in the ancient scriptures and shastras) of the human body in which we ( souls ) are living, such glories have NOT been sung about wealth or money or having a highest position in life.
There have been no glories sung of even Lord Indra, the Lord of Heaven.
In front of Devotees of Krishna, even Indra has no consideration. But by giving importance to wealth and money, you have fear that maybe it will get over, exhausted.
Importance given to the money? – Is this what we call a worship of Sri Krishna?
A devotee should become alert and conscious in his life! He should use his intelligence and realize, What is going on in his life & where is he getting more attached to?
We have received such a human body to live in and do the Bhajana, which is a rarity even for “𝘋𝘦𝘷𝘢𝘵𝘢𝘴” who are staying in the upper lokas (planets) such as Swargaloka, Gandharvaloka, etc. ( it’s not a mere talk ) lets see some mentions of the importance of the human body in the ancient scriptures,
• दुर्लभो मानुषो देहो देहिनां क्षणभङ्गुरः। ( श्रीमद भागवतम – ११ । २ । २९ )
• बड़े भाग मानुष तन पावा, सुर दुर्लभ सदग्रंथनि गावा ( रामचरित मानस: )
• अनित्यं असुखं लोकं इमम् प्राप्य भजस्व माम् ( श्रीमद् भगवद्गीता – 9.33 ) and there are many more to count.
On receiving such a human body, one should ask himself / herself, What Am I doing if the Bhajan of Sri Krishna is very much less in my life?
deepfelt thoughts of a sincere devotee ?
How long will we be able to keep up the friendship and attachment to this money? One must sit silently and think about it!
If one die today, then what will happen to the money, that one has saved in their multiple banks?
What will happen to the properties & a real estate, that were purchased for the purpose of investments being attached to the money?
The speaking lies ( which becomes a sinful act ) that one have incurred to acquire that money, that karma of a sinful activity, most certainly will go with that person, but not even a single penny or any piece of wealth ( फूटी हुई कोड़ी ) will go with that person when he leaves the body in this world.
Sins will definitely go with that person, which drags one, to the lower worlds where there are 28 𝙙𝙞𝙛𝙛𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙮𝙥𝙚𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙝𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙨 (as per the basis of karma one has performed) as mentioned in Srimad Bhagavatam ( Description Of Hells – ५.२६ )
Attachment has to be diverted from the – Attachment to the money TO the Attachment of Sri Krishna & His Seva (service).
Very darkest side of our present lifestyles ?
Every one of us is also afflicted with the same disease although the degree may vary.
Scriptures inform us that we came away from the kingdom of God because we wanted to be like God.
We wanted to be famous, rich and powerful like him. So here we struggle hard to achieve these goals but our efforts rarely succeed.
We may get something after tremendous struggle but our achievements never remain with us for a long time.
Either we lose it in this very life or else the beautiful ruthless death drag us away from them and throw us in the different births in the different yonis.
Scriptures constantly remind us that it is worthless ( vain ) to think that material aggrandizement & earning more and more, will improve our life.
We today want instant satisfaction and is ready to do anything and everything to get what we want.
In fact today’s society teach people how to become a supreme sense satisfier and become obsessed with wealth, women (or men) and wine.
BUT Happiness and material opulence (or success) is not synonymous. It could never be.
Duryodhana is the best case study.
- He had succeeded in driving out Pandavas, though cunningly, out of the kingdom.
- And Pandavas lived frugally in the jungle in huts made of wood and mud but they were peaceful and non – complaining.
- But Duryodhana in spite of having all the comforts and luxury in his palace was in abject misery and in constant anxiety. Why?
Because his heart was filled with envy, hatred and arrogance. Whilst the Pandavas were happy as love and piety dominated their heart. Love satisfies our heart and not lust. Satisfaction calms our heart and not money or material cravings.
No one is today told that real happiness is in being self-satisfied and in controlling and tolerating the countless demands of mind and senses.
You may see a person smiling but deep inside he is not happy and is suffering from the material sufferings ( because one is far from the Bhakti Yoga of the Lord )
How Lord Krishna is the only helper of a surrendered soul ?
However in spite of all our plans and preparations troubles and difficulties will do knock at our door because this world is an abode of misery, दु:खालयमशाश्वतम् , ( Bhagavad Gita – 8.15 )
A person stuck in a marshy land will definitely get devoured today or tomorrow.
If he simply stands there he will go down slowly AND if he struggles hard then he will quickly glide down.
His only hope of survival is if someone standing on a solid land extends any support and pulls him out.
We are also dangerously stuck in this material pool ( material world ). With our own effort we will not be able to rescue ourselves. Sri Krishna can only save us and He is very eager to help.
We just need to positively respond to his gesture. Being a caring father he has spoken elaborately how to get out of all the challenging situations in the Bhagavad Gita.
What are the solutions given by Lord Krishna which are beneficial for me to live happily & not get greedily attached to the money ?
Sri Krishna says in the Bhagavad Gita,
भोक्तारं यज्ञतपसां सर्वलोकमहेश्वरम् ।
सुहृदं सर्वभूतानां ज्ञात्वा मां शान्तिमृच्छति ॥ २९ ॥
( Bhagavad Gita – 5.29 )
Translation:
- “A person in full consciousness of Me,
- Knowing Me to be the ultimate beneficiary of all sacrifices and austerities
- (Knowing Me to be ) the Supreme Lord of all planets and demigods, and
- The benefactor and well-wisher of all living entities, attains peace from the pangs of material miseries”.
We have to divert our consciousness from the paper called money, to the Supreme Being Sri Krishna who is our only well wisher in our life.
Further Sri Krishna says,
युक्त: कर्मफलं त्यक्त्वा शान्तिमाप्नोति नैष्ठिकीम् ।
अयुक्त: कामकारेण फले सक्तो निबध्यते ॥ १२ ॥
( Bhagavad Gita – 5.12 )
Translation:
The steadily devoted soul attains unadulterated peace because – He offers the result of all activities to Me – whereas – a person who is not in union with the Divine, who is greedy for the fruits of his labor, becomes entangled.
That person who is not in union with his mind in Sri Krishna becomes entangled in the web of karma.
It is explained that we should offer the result of all our activities ( karma of our routine activities ) to Sri Krishna and then we can attain peace.
This also includes working of our day to day businesses or jobplace. But that work should be done with the Bhaava of Seva of Sri Krishna.
We should work not with the greed of money in our mind but with that thinking, That this service solely belongs to Sri Krishna.
A bonus would be, that with this bhaava we would not get entangled into the karmic reactions of that work.
Lord Krishna explains,
आपूर्यमाणमचलप्रतिष्ठं
समुद्रमापः प्रविशन्ति यद्वत् ।
तद्वत्कामा यं प्रविशन्ति सर्वे
स शान्तिमाप्नोति न कामकामी ॥ ७० ॥
Translation:
A person who is not disturbed by the incessant flow of desires – that enter like rivers into the ocean, which is ever being filled BUT is always still – can alone achieve peace, AND NOT the man who strives to satisfy such desires.
If we always remain steady in all circumstances then we can achieve peace BUT if we start striving to satisfy all our desires & let ourselves get attach more to the money and have a desire to acquire more and more for the accumulations in a greedy manner, THEN we will be always at war with ourselves in our life.
- Life is a series of choices.
- Our moment to moment decisions decide our destiny.
- If we become mad for material position and possessions then our future will be marred in miseries.
But if we gravitate towards Krishna and live as per His guidelines then we can live happily here and at the end of life can get a ticket to go to the spiritual world , a place of eternal happiness.
So, an intelligent person always gives the rope of his life to Sri Krishna and starts living as per His wishes.
We can then be sure of peace and bliss.
Audio explanations
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Getting Free From The Attachments ? ( English )
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Happiness & Money ? ( English )
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Attachment Education ? ( English )