What place do the four human pursuits – artha, money; kama, desire; dharma, right conduct; and moksha, liberation – have in family and work life?
One has to audit one’s pursuits. The pursuits of money and pleasures are common to all. But what makes the cutting edge in classical living is that they should be anchored in dharma and moksha. One should give greater importance to dharma and moksha. Earn money from that space and pursue pleasure. What is happening throughout the world? In the name of money, wars are fought. Even in corporate sectors, seniors exploit the opposite sex in the name of benefits such as promotion, job security, etc. Life has unnecessarily become complicated. The flaw is that one has given higher importance to artha and kama.
How should one earn money?
From a spiritual angle, earn money out of love and not out of greed. As Gandhiji once said, “There is sufficient resources on this earth for man’s need and not for man’s greed.” When one earns money out of love, love has richness and that richness gives right direction to money. Whereas greed gives wrong direction to money. Therefore do understand that money is not the problem but your approach to money is the problem. The knife is not the problem but the one who uses the knife can use it to cut a loaf of bread or someone’s throat.
When one earns money out of love, a new light of understanding is showered on your pursuits. Love always wants to give and that is its nature. So you, being in the space of love, are giving and in the process of giving, you become bigger than money and so you learn to give money to others. One who is bigger than money can create money. See the poetry of this logic.
What do you mean when you say, ‘in the space of love, you are giving’?
When one is in love, to give is natural, be it a mother to child or lover to the beloved. So love is in a giving mode. You may earn money but love being in a giving mode makes one the master of money and not enslaved to money. Once you are a master of money you are bigger than it. It is only then that you can create money.
Long back I read a book called The Richest Man in Babylon. A king approached a rich merchant and asked him, “How did you manage to earn money in this poor country?” He said, “From whatever I earn, I give back 10% in charity.”
Even if you earn less but still give, then you are telling yourself, you are bigger than money. It is only such a person who can create money.
How important is kama?
Just look around and see how the addiction to pleasure creates dangers, especially if pleasure does not come from dharma. I heard that in a healthy community like that of the people of the Punjab in India, nearly 65% of youth have taken to narcotics. In Kerala, where there is 100% literacy, there is so much of alcohol addiction.
I am not saying pleasure is not required but let it be guided by dharma. Goodness then gives right direction to pleasures in life. Pleasures are sensations but joy is not mere sensation. When one discovers moksha, then one realises it.
DISCLAIMER:
The views expressed in the Article above are Author’s personal views and kashmiribhatta.in is not responsible for the opinions expressed in the above article
Courtesy:Times Of India,S.T ,May 20 ,2019
What place do the four human pursuits – artha, money; kama, desire; dharma, right conduct; and moksha, liberation – have in family and work life?
One has to audit one’s pursuits. The pursuits of money and pleasures are common to all. But what makes the cutting edge in classical living is that they should be anchored in dharma and moksha. One should give greater importance to dharma and moksha. Earn money from that space and pursue pleasure. What is happening throughout the world? In the name of money, wars are fought. Even in corporate sectors, seniors exploit the opposite sex in the name of benefits such as promotion, job security, etc. Life has unnecessarily become complicated. The flaw is that one has given higher importance to artha and kama.
How should one earn money?
From a spiritual angle, earn money out of love and not out of greed. As Gandhiji once said, “There is sufficient resources on this earth for man’s need and not for man’s greed.” When one earns money out of love, love has richness and that richness gives right direction to money. Whereas greed gives wrong direction to money. Therefore do understand that money is not the problem but your approach to money is the problem. The knife is not the problem but the one who uses the knife can use it to cut a loaf of bread or someone’s throat.
When one earns money out of love, a new light of understanding is showered on your pursuits. Love always wants to give and that is its nature. So you, being in the space of love, are giving and in the process of giving, you become bigger than money and so you learn to give money to others. One who is bigger than money can create money. See the poetry of this logic.
What do you mean when you say, ‘in the space of love, you are giving’?
When one is in love, to give is natural, be it a mother to child or lover to the beloved. So love is in a giving mode. You may earn money but love being in a giving mode makes one the master of money and not enslaved to money. Once you are a master of money you are bigger than it. It is only then that you can create money.
Long back I read a book called The Richest Man in Babylon. A king approached a rich merchant and asked him, “How did you manage to earn money in this poor country?” He said, “From whatever I earn, I give back 10% in charity.”
Even if you earn less but still give, then you are telling yourself, you are bigger than money. It is only such a person who can create money.
How important is kama?
Just look around and see how the addiction to pleasure creates dangers, especially if pleasure does not come from dharma. I heard that in a healthy community like that of the people of the Punjab in India, nearly 65% of youth have taken to narcotics. In Kerala, where there is 100% literacy, there is so much of alcohol addiction.
I am not saying pleasure is not required but let it be guided by dharma. Goodness then gives right direction to pleasures in life. Pleasures are sensations but joy is not mere sensation. When one discovers moksha, then one realises it.
DISCLAIMER:
The views expressed in the Article above are Author’s personal views and kashmiribhatta.in is not responsible for the opinions expressed in the above article
Courtesy:Times Of India,S.T ,May 20 ,2019