Ownership of something means total control of its existence. When we buy a piece of land, we feel that we own it, although the land continues to exist even after the owner is no more. How can we own something that outlives us? Money also gives the idea that we are powerful and independent, blinding us to the fact that we live in a world of interdependence. We believe that with money we can own anything, that we can put a price tag on anybody’s services. We depend on farmers, cooks, drivers and the services of so many people around us. Even an expert surgeon cannot operate by himself. He depends on others. By paying a few currency notes we overlook the fact that we depend on them. Instead of feeling grateful we think it is we who oblige them.If we take a look at why most people with money are arrogant we will find it is because of the feeling of independence that money brings. The awareness of dependence on the other hand makes one humble. The basic human quality of humility is taken away by the false feeling of independence.Human values have been eroded to such an extent that we measure people in terms of their net money worth. Can money really reflect the worth of a person? Often we call someone a millionaire or a billionaire. Labeling a person so is not a compliment. We cannot put a value to human life.Wealth can be attained through one’s skills, abilities, inheritance or through corrupt means. The means of attaining wealth brings its own consequences. The very motive for corruption is peace and happiness. Yet peace and happiness remain elusive when the means are corrupt.On one hand, some people blame money for all the ills in society. There are also those who consider it an evil. Just as possessing money brings arrogance, rejecting it too makes one arrogant. Some people who renounce money take pride in their poverty to draw attention and sympathy. However, the ancient sages never denigrated money. In fact, they honoured it as a part of the divine and transcended the grip of its illusion. They knew that when we reject or hate something, we can never transcend it. They honoured wealth as Goddess Lakshmi - the consort of Narayana. In a state of ignorance, people forget that the most reliable thing in the universe is ourselves, and start relying on money as a source of security. When people lack faith in the Divine or in their own abilities or in the goodness of society, they suffer from a deep sense of insecurity. This is a predominant problem today. As a result all that appears to provide security is money. People rely on something that is not certain, and end up getting upset. Uncertainty causes a craving for stability.The world is of change; the Self is of non-change. We have to rely on the non-change and accept the change. This is like perceiving the real as unreal and unreal as real. In fact, all miseries are unreal. A wise man knows that happiness is real, as it is our very nature. Unhappiness is unreal because it is inflicted by memory. When we see everything as a dream, then we abide in our true nature which is love, joy and peace. Then we understand that money is not all-important. There are values, belongingness, love and care, which are more important.
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