Why is money condemned & perceived as root of evil?

Money is an inanimate object…To condemn it or perceive it as evil is just stupidity. It is the mind behind/ in possession of the money that would have attributes.

Money is a necessary tool of exchange. In olden times barter used to work. Now it is outdated and so a tool of exchange, currency, money is created. Very frankly, it is just a piece of paper signifying one man’s faith in another. That, upon the presentation of this tool I agree to present you with necessary goods and this act shall be repeated when I present this forward.

So money is a very useful tool. Very necessary for procuring the goods of your need. Your wants could be endless. Your needs ‘have to be’ fulfilled. So first define your ‘needs’. Definition of your needs will allow you to define yourself as a human being.

Lets start with me: My needs are a decent house, 3 square meals a day, some good clothes and shoes (brand is immaterial), my books and paints and music to keep me happy, an AC for summers…… I think that’s it. And i can even reduce this if necessity arises.

My wants would include a farm house , because I love to grow plants and trees. Some dinners outside every month, an endless supply of books, …. I really cant think of anything more.

My luxuries would include another farmhouse, a horse.... a yearly vacation to a nice place... That does it.

What are your needs and wants?

So I need money to satisfy my basic needs and once in a while some of my wants. My luxuries, I leave to fate to surprise me with once in a while.

So lets say, I need one million a year to take care of my needs and some wants.

After that cut off figure, extra money is meaningless. It is just a figure in your bank, which you greedily look at every day and do mental masturbation. That figure in the bank does not increase your appetite, or your inherent spontaneous happiness, or even your sex drive, nor does it make your partner more attractive. It does not allow you to even eat one more bread beyond your capacity.

Let us suppose you become obsessive about your wants, and money supplies those too. But again, after that it is just a figure in the bank.

So do you see the paradox? Money is just a tool, and that too effective only upto a certain  level of satiety of needs.

It is the idiotic & stupid craze and obsession of man that makes him want to collect more and more of money.

So you are spending more and more of your youth, precious time, peace of mind just to collect some figures in the bank? Doesn’t that make you silly?

And try to just look back. You bought many luxuries, big and small, with your money? ......So are you permanently happy now?

Those goods bring you a temporary high, a temporary state of happiness. But eventually that charm & obsession of the new toy/ book/ watch/ phone/ pad/ boyfriend wears off…. The 'thing' gets subjected to wear & tear and gets old. It doesn’t seem so enticing anymore. Or you may even start to see some flaws in the ‘object of your desire’.

So the flaw, the evil wasn’t in money. It was in you. You allowed the greed/ obsession/ craze to overpower your good senses. You allowed an inanimate object to take possession of your mind. (And the mind monkey always needs a new toy). You allowed yourself to be so degraded and  stupid, that you started doing mental masturbation over a figure in the bank.

And you allowed yourself to become so crazed that you were ready to give up your happiness to get more happiness. You allowed yourself to become a slave to the craze of collecting money. You were ready to lie, cheat, obfuscate, demean a fellow human, plot, demean yourself to collect more and more money.

So coming back to the oft repeated, but permanent truth, reduce your needs, curb in your wants and clearly delineate what is luxury. Apply rules of Yama-Niyama (Do and Dont) to your needs and wants. Keep your inner eye open. Be strict with yourself.

And to quote the oft repeated saying: If you thought money brings happiness, just look at the people who God gave it to.  

I also firmly believe that objects/ money/ energy flows more to the person who acts on behalf of Nature and distributes it around….. Try it out.

Lastly, all happiness got from impermanent objects is impermanent, illusory and obsessive.

Look for ‘permanent happiness’. Try to analyse where is the fount of happiness in you. If you come up with the answer more money, don’t worry, get more of it ….. and eventually get over it.

Then your journey to the One will start.

The promise of the Soul Healer.

Signing off with wishing you all the Happiest and Brightest Diwali…. May the light of the One permeate your homes… the impermanent ones and the permanent One.