Noble Use of Money

Author(s): Dada Bhagwan
Publisher: Mahavideh Foundation

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Noble Use of Money
Dadashri: Yes, the father is free to do whatever he wants with his money. He should do that while he is alive! Our path instructs us to keep separate whatever wealth we create from what we inherited. We are free to spend what we created, so that we can reap the rewards in our next life. After this Gnan, you still have one or two more lives and you will need merit karmas! Do we not take food with us when we go on a long trip?
Questioner: If you remain a trustee, a 'knower-seer', then is there a limit for carrying forward?
Dadashri: It is best to remain a trustee. But not everyone can do that. To be a trustee means to remain a knower and observer. A person cannot remain as a trustee completely, but he can, up to a point, if that is his intention.
Dadashri: How much should one leave behind for the children? A father should give to his children what his own father gave to him. If he received nothing from his father, he should give at least something to his children.
If the children have too much luxury, can they not become decadent?
Questioner: Yes, they can. Should we give them just enough so they use it constructively and not waste it away? Dadashri: Yes you should give only that much. Questioner: Too much luxury will ruin them.
Dadashri: Yes, it will ruin their liberation for sure. It is best to keep within the limits. To give excessively, is a crime. All foreigners understand this. How smart they are! Indians on the other hand, have a tendency towards greed that lasts seven generations! They have expectations of what children of the seventh generation should have! Our obligation towards our children should only extend as far as helping them settle in their
Noble Use of Money
profession and getting our daughters married. We should give something to the daughters too. Nowadays even the girls get part of the family inheritance. You give to your daughters anyway; there is considerable expense in getting them married. You give them gold and jewelry, don't you? However in addition to this, you should also give them something else. But whatever wealth you have created on your own, you should spend for yourself, for your next life.
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Questioner: Should we provide a home and a business for our children but make them responsible for the loan?
Dadashri: Whether you have half a million or one million, give your son a house and help him start a business of his interest. Then secure a loan for him and let him make the payments. Give him half the amount he needs and let the rest come as a loan from the bank for which he will be responsible. He needs to have that much pressure so that he does not waste the money elsewhere. When he cannot make his payments, tell him that you will borrow money on his behalf, but it will need to be paid back quickly. In due time, you should remind him that you had promised to pay back your lender as soon as possible. If your son responds by telling you not to keep bothering him, that is a good sign, be assured that he will not come to you for money again!
You should keep a safe-side for yourself, but at the same time you should not appear bad to your son. Conduct yourself in such a way that your son will say, "My father is a good man and I am the one who is awkward for speaking to him the way I did. My father is a very good man." You should escape the world in this manner.
The Ideal Will
Give your sons and daughters a certain amount. You must keep at least half your wealth confidential. Disclose the other