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DISCOURSE 27
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4. Do you supply low quality commodities which do not
agree with the samples you have shown to the
customers ? 5. Do you grab the money or things placed in your trust? 6. Do you charge exhorbitant rates of interest ? 7. While collecting the money due to you, do you harass
poor people ? If your answer is "no" to these questions, it means that you are absolutely lawful and just. You think of these points because you are weak in conforming to these principles. If you pay heed to these points and if you practise them, your effort to earn money will be according to Dharma. THE GRAND OBJECTIVE OF ACQUIRING WEALTH
Your aim in acquiring wealth should not be merely the attainment of happiness for yourself. Just as your objective is to earn a living, you must also have the objective of helping orphans, disabled people and poor people. "If I acquire enough wealth, I will try to remove the sorrows of indigent people ; I will remove the poverty of poor people. I will make some permanent arrangement to distribute food to poor people. I will make some arrangements to provide drinking water to travellers. I will make some arrangements to provide shelter to homeless people.” The endeavour to acquire wealth will be a part of grihasthadharma if your endeavours are lawful and if in your heart you have the desire of helping others and of achieving the supreme good. If a grihastha does not carry out the right endeavour to earn money his spiritual endeavours cease. Such people should receive initiation and become Sadhus. The commentator says:
वित्तीवोच्छेयंमि य गिहिणोसीयंति सव्व किरियाओ ।
निरवेक्खवस्स जुसो संपुण्णो संजमो चेव ॥ If a grihastha cannot eke out his livelihood, all his activities will be upset. It is proper for those people who do not have to earn money to become Sadhus.
This is enough for today.
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