What should I do daily to live a life in such a manner that I realise the truth of my existence? Why in the first place should I know the truth? We are very sure about the knowledge that we are either a man or a woman.
We know surely what our name is and where we live. We don’t need to meditate each morning to reaffirm these facts. Adi Shankaracharyaji’s Moha Mudgara—hammering at our delusions one by one in a very popular poem called the Bhaja Govindam—tells us what we should do at all times. Artham—Anartham Bhavaya Nithyam is the command from the master to the disciple seeking liberation. Constantly keep analysing what is true wealth and what is not.
Whatever our mind contemplates upon, it achieves.
When we think of wealth in terms of the money we possess, land and estate, the monthly salary we earn or the profits that come from business, we constantly focus on increasing it.
This effort is based on the thought that money can give us happiness. One shift in government policy or personal fortunes and our wealth is in a very shaky condition.
True wealth on the other hand is a life that is rich in love, devotion and dedication to a high altar of surrender. That alone gives us the inspiration and strength to achieve great heights in life that take us to the lap of victory, success, prosperity and fame.
When we are chasing success, we are chasing only a thought and the thought has no sustaining power without the right emotions, words and actions. Instead of chasing the thought, if we learn to abide in the essence of every thought, which is consciousness, then all power, intelligence and strength required for success is all ours. Hence, constant discrimination is required on identifying what true wealth is.
Once that is known, the individual who desires freedom not just in spiritual life, but material progress too should discard all that is useless—it can be unproductive habits, addictions, wasteful talking or careless use of time and other resources, unnecessary distractions of mind or any pursuit that is leading the mind away from the goal.
There is absolutely no joy in hoarding wealth, warns the master, as there is fear that it may be taken away even by one’s own offspring.
This is the prevalent logic anywhere in the world. Hence, drop focus on accumulation of wealth and focus on increasing the attention to true source of joy in this world.
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