Page 46 - NAMAH January 2016
P. 46
Namah Vol. 23, Issue 4, 15th January 2016
“The conflict about money is what might be pragmatic and realistic because it had
called a ‘conflict of ownership’, but the truth classically laid down that the four main
is that money belongs to no one. This idea of motivators that gave meaning to life-
possessing money has warped everything. pursuits were Dharma (the path of Self-
Money should not be a ‘possession’: like power righteousness), Artha (money-power), Kaama
it is a means of action which is given to you, (the power of the vital, the repertoire of
but you must use it … in an impersonal and desire where the libidinal energy was
enlightened way. If you are a good instrument represented) and Mokssa (liberation from
for diffusing and utilising money, then it comes ego-mediated worldly pleasures). For all
to you, and it comes to you in proportion to practical purposes, the four motivators were
your capacity to use it as it is meant to be used. given equal value that were significant for
That is the true mechanism(1).” Sri Aurobindo different individuals as also for the same
adds: individual at different phases of life.
“All wealth belongs to the Divine and those Despite the practical connotation about
who hold it are trustees, not possessors. It is money in the Indian tradition, what was
with them today, tomorrow it may be actually regarded with sanctity was the
elsewhere. All depends on the way they ascetic rejection of wealth. This did not
discharge their trust while it is with them, in imply that the ascetic withdrawal was
what spirit, with what consciousness in their pursued in a generalised manner, what
use of it, to what purpose (2).” Logically happened instead was that the detachment
speaking, money belongs to the entire nation from money was placed on a very high
and as an extension, to entire mankind. pedestal leading to spiritual munificence at
Metaphysically speaking, all wealth belongs the cost of impoverishment of life.
to the Divine and needs to be consecrated
to the service of Truth. The greatest problem Money and Truth
with money is that currently it is in the
hands of adverse forces, exalted by desire, Sri Aurobindo corrects the bias by affirming
strengthened by greed and consumed at the that money has to be won back from the
altar of Falsehood. clutches of Falsehood to be placed at the
service of the Truth:
Western psychology itself has given scant
regard to the power of money which is “Money is the visible sign of a universal force,
surprising as the West has nurtured a more and this force in its manifestation on earth
materialistic culture. The major schools of works on the vital and physical planes and is
psychology laid emphasis on the libido or indispensable to the fullness of the outer life.
power or aggression or behaviour to In its origin and its true action it belongs to the
understand the underlying forces that Divine. But like other powers of the Divine it is
sustain our life. Money was definitely never delegated here and in the ignorance of the lower
put on the same pedestal as Freud’s libido, Nature can be usurped for the uses of the ego
Adler’s power or Watson’s behaviour. In or held by Asuric influences and perverted to
contrast the Indian tradition was more their purpose (3).”
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