It's a strange world. If we look at it from a distance, it looks so amusing. People will pay millions of rupees for a bribe to get their work done, but you ask them for a donation of ten rupees, and they will make you feel like a beggar. Probably because many people have misused the charity's name. However, more so because people have not understood the meaning of life. Money is just a tool to get you something, but it has actually become an end in itself. There are two reasons for that. First, almost every means of comfort is available for money, and second, one can accumulate any amount of money, and there is no outer limit to accumulation.
But I feel that the problem is more fundamental than this. Whatever money a person has, what is the use of that money? Buying more properties, cars, yachts, private jets, and powerful positions. Does it make you happy? We have tagged happiness with such low-lying things, and the most amazing thing is that there is a widespread belief in it. Have we ever heard a parent tell their child to conduct scientific research with passion, like Einstein, or to play sports with passion, like Sachin Tendulkar? Hardly any parent would be seen encouraging their children like that. For most, they just need to get a secure package, marry immediately thereafter, and have kids within a few years. That makes their lives settled.
Do we ever ask this question, "What are we earning money for?" Somebody will answer that to be safe, to have a good home, and to have comforts. Yes, we can't live in a comfortable home, can't have air-conditioning, and can't have good food if we don't earn money. But how much money do we need to sustain? Let's do very simple mathematics. Suppose zero is the base we are comfortable with. We have a decent home, a regular source of income to cover daily expenses, and medical insurance to handle contingencies. Suppose we have to earn Rs 100 to reach this base. Suppose the scale of suffering and joy is from -10 to +10. Now, if we have zero money, we will have to suffer -10 because we will not have food, shelter, or money for basic necessities. If we have 100 rupees, we will be neutral. No pain, no pleasure. The real decision starts now. Now we earn another 100 rupees, and we feel that we will get ten points of joy. But the "Designer" of this game is very smart. Our condition becomes like the ancient Greek myth of Sisyphus—a king condemned by the gods to eternally roll a massive boulder up a hill, only to watch it roll back down—as a supreme metaphor for the human condition and our endless, repetitive struggle in a meaningless world. That's why people become almost mad. They try different things, such as drugs, alcohol, travelling, social media, power, spirituality, meditation, and nothing works.
Why do all these things not work? It is because the currency to move from zero to +10 on the scale is very different. It is exploring with freedom, love, and compassion. That's why we will find billionaires passing through depression and the Fakirs like Kabir living life full of joy. It is strange to see that even the most intelligent minds commit this error. Why? Probably because the elders who have committed this error lack the courage to admit their foolishness. Therefore, they start pretensions. They tell the people around them that they are very happy. Before the children develop the ability to see through this pretence, they hypnotise themselves. Before they develop immunity, their minds are infected. Now, the elders feel safe. Nobody will challenge them. Their children have become as dull as they are. How will a hollow person challenge another hollow person? How will people with such a low level of evolution appreciate the value of charity? How will they appreciate that selfless work is the currency to move along the scale of joy from zero to 10? Not because we give something to somebody. But when we spend time with the people who are suffering, we understand the value of our blessings. When we help someone who is unable to walk, we realise the value of the legs God has given us. When we feel connected to other people, we realise that something connects us, and we move beyond identification with the narrow self.
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