By Swami Avdeshanand Giri
Most of us are familiar with the story of a man who had a hen which laid a golden egg every day. He lived by selling it. One day, he thought to himself, why not kill the hen that lays golden eggs and take out all the eggs at one time? He killed the hen but did not get even one egg. The egg he used to get daily was also now lost. All this happened due to his greed and ignorance.
Greed always leads to total destruction. Sheikh Saadi used to say that a greedy man remains hungry even after acquiring the entire world. But the man who is content is full even with one piece of bread. If we can learn to overcome greed, we can attain a status even higher than that of an emperor, for it is contentment that makes us hold our head high and be at peace with whatever we have.
According to Indian tradition, the second goal of human life is ???arth???, wealth. Wealth is a significant tool to get through life. It comes of use in many contexts and is often required. Without wealth, life can become fraught with problems. Poverty is held to be the worst curse in this world. Even the Vedas say: May we become the lord of wealth and obtain all the riches. But alongwith it is also said that this wealth should be earned through honest and straightforward means.
More and more
When lethargy and greed begin to grow, then, the desire is for more and more. This is why people are under stress and feel harassed, working all day and night. Albert Einstein has said that all the riches of the world cannot satisfy a person for it is only the attitude of contentment that can bring peace of mind.
This does not mean one should not try to earn. It just means we should not be blinded by the rat race we seem to be in. For that leads to destruction.
It is not necessary to be detached, either. An ideal life may be compared to a lotus. Lotus rises from slush but it does not let the dirt stick to it. The Upanishads also have this advice to offer: Live like a guest in this world. Then there will be no sorrow to leave this world. Money can buy comfort, but not peace of mind.
Greed and excessive desires cast a veil over our inner Self. Then we do not look within but remain enamoured by the glitter and glamour of the outer world. The senses do give us some joy but pollute and corrupt our soul ??? like that simple story where the greedy man desirous for more, lost everything he had.
Many people believe that wealth alone is the source of all joy. A rich man is able to afford a comfortable life. He has many friends and has access to latest technologies. But the truth remains that even a very (materially) rich person is not necessarily happy.
True pleasures do not lie in chasing wealth madly. We need only that much wealth as will support and foster our character and our spiritual qualities, not otherwise.
Shakespeare said, ???My crown is in my heart, not on my head; not decked with diamonds and Indian stones, nor to be seen: my crown is called content, a crown it is that seldom kings enjoy.???
The writer is mahamandeleshwar of Juna akhara
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