Bondage and Freedom

Author(s): Chitrabhanu
Publisher: Divine Knowledge Society

Page 68

idea to save, say about twenty thousand or fifty thousand rupees, or even a lac of rupees. But he is not satisfied when he reaches this figure and stays on to earn and save still more. And after a crore, he starts looking down upon even the richer class of people in his own country and aspires to class himself with the Fords and the Rockefellers of the world.
The ambition to amass a fortune has taken hold of many minds. What can one get in charity from such people? Charity is practised only by a man who is contented with his life's earnings, but a person who is always hankering after money, can never bring himself to part with his money for the sake of others. If such a person does give some money in charity, he does it with the ulterior motive of receiving more, or getting publicity.
The thirst for money has become such an obsession that you will hardly see a man who comes to a city like Bombay, for earning about two to five lacs of rupees, having earned that amount returning to his village contented, to lead a peaceful life.
In cities men get into all sorts of trouble; they die of accidents, suffer from different types of diseases, get seriously involved in difficulties and become unhappy; but they never think of leaving the cities. They may, of course, complain of their peace being disturbed by the ringing of telephones even at night. I feel like telling them, "Who is keeping you in this
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