03 Apr 2022
[Ms. Laxmi Thrylokya asked:- Swami, You replied for my previous question that I should save money as much as possible and not shave it unnecessarily. I should take public transport instead of booking a cab which amounts to double the price. But, You also said that no soul can escape the law of Karma. I believe that I will anyhow suffer during the time when my bad karma returns back to me. I have no choice but to compromise on my luxury and comfort during that bad phase. Why should I make compromises when my good phase is running? At least in my good phase, I will live a comfortable life as I like. What is wrong in living like that? Please enlighten me. At Your divine lotus feet, Thrylokya.]
Swami Replied:- Result of bad karma means suffering due to poverty. Result of good karma means feeling happy due to supporting wealth. What is bad karma and what is good karma? Bad karma means making Goddess Lakshmi furious and good karma means making Goddess Lakshmi happy. So, when will Goddess Lakshmi be furious and when will Goddess Lakshmi be happy? When you insult Her, She will be furious and when you worship Her, She will be happy. What is Her insult and what is Her worship? Her insult is spending money unnecessarily. Her worship is spending money in proper way. This means that if you spend your money properly and do not spend your money unnecessarily, Goddess Lakshmi is happy and when you make Her always happy, you will not get the result of bad karma, which is the bad time without money.
When you make Her unhappy by spending money unnecessarily and do not spend money for proper things, you will get the result of bad karma, which is the bad time without money. In such a case, you will be always happy throughout life without suffering due to lack of money. When you stand in the metro train to save the money and avoid sitting in the cab, first of all, you are saving at least half of the expenditure. The additional advantage in standing is that the nerves of your body remain active contributing to good health. If you sit in a cab, the nerves become lazy and that leads to some type of illness. If it is walkable distance, you should avoid both cab and train and walk. Walking is the best exercise for health as doctors say. It is said that you should accumulate knowledge by studying in every minute and you should accumulate wealth by saving every paisa (Kṣaṇaśaḥ kaṇaśaścaiva, vidyāmarthaṃ ca sādhayet). Minimum enjoyment is always good for health and over enjoyment always brings illness. Earning and saving for the sake of sacrifice is always appreciated (Tyāgāya saṃbhṛtārthānām). Even if the earning-talent is more, if saving-talent does not exist, the person will become poor. Even if the earning talent is less and if the saving talent is more, the person will become rich. Bhartruhari says that sacrifice, enjoyment and destruction are the three ways for money (Trisro gatayo vittasya).
Here, enjoyment means minimum enjoyment and not over enjoyment. Over enjoyment will destroy the person . Hence, minimum enjoyment along with sacrifice is the best path for earning and saving. Earning in a justified way is always the safest path. Suppose, you have earned hundred rupees by following justice and you have earned one rupee by injustice. This unjust one rupee will come and join with hundred rupees to go out (Anyāyenārjitaṃ vittam, saha mūlaṃ vinaśyati). This means that the unjust money alone will not be lost, such unjust money locks with the justified money and that money will also be lost. The unjust money is like the railway engine that comes and joins with the money earned by justice, which is like the chain of compartments present on the platform. After the engine is locked, it runs away dragging the standing compartments as well.
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