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Science of Money
Science of Money
asked him if he could return the money and he asked me, "What money?" I said, “The money that you borrowed from me." He said, "When did you loan me the money? On the contrary, I am the one who loaned you the money and you are the one who has forgotten". I immediately understood the situation. I told him that I did remember and asked him to come home the next day to collect it. I gave him the money the next day. This incident actually happened to me. What can one do if such a man were to come pestering for money?
How is anyone to deal with a world like this? If you were to bundle up some money in a black cloth and throw it in the sea, is it not foolish to think that you will get it back? If a person returns the money to you, you should invite him for tea and thank him for his graciousness in returning the money. You can say to him that it is indeed a wonder that he is returning the money because in this age of Kaliyug money does not come back. The fact that he is returning what he owed is more than enough; do you understand? This is what the world is like. There is suffering in returning the money and suffering in taking it back. Who can be happy in this? What is more, it is all vyavasthit. It is vyavasthit when a person does not return the money and it is also vyavasthit when you lose double the amount. (176)
Questioner: Why did you pay that man another five hundred rupees?
Dadashri: I did not want to have another situation with that person again in my future life. The awareness I had when he demanded the money he owed me, was that I was on the wrong track.
During the years 1942 to 1944, when I had enough money, many people borrowed money from me. Then in 1945 at the age
of 37, I decided that I wanted to pursue the path of liberation. I decided that I would not collect on the money that was owed to me, because if people were to pay me back part of what they owed, they may return for some more and my dealings with them would never come to an end. If I tried to collect the five thousand that was owed to me, that person would come to borrow ten thousand. Instead I would be better to leave the five thousand with him. He in turn might think it would better if I never bumped into him. If he saw me in the street, he would cross over to the other side, so I understood. I wanted to be free from all these people, and these people in turn set me free. (177)
What is the natural law? The natural law is: Whatever happens is justice. Do not look for justice. If you look for justice, you will have to hire an attorney and go to court. Instead accept whatever happens as justice. If you want to be liberated, you will have to accept this principle and if you want to wander life after life, then you should seek justice through the courts of law. When you begin to accept natural justice, you will become free and if you seek justice in a court of law, you become bound. (179)
You go thrice to collect your money and the person who owes you is not to be found. Then when you finally meet him, he frowns and mistreats you. This path is such that you will not have to chase anyone to collect your money and on the contrary he will come to your home to return it. When after making several attempts to collect your money, you are finally promised that you will have your money by the end of the month, at that time if there is no reaction on your part your internal state is in equanimity), then that money will come to your home. But you have reactions, do you not? Does your internal state not change? From within you feel: 'This person is senseless, he is a worthless, he makes me run around' Do you not feel this way? So when you go back to