It was known about a saint that he can turn a stone into gold by placing his finger. This news spread to a very poor man and he reached this saint in a hurry.
Babaji (The Saint) was walking on the mountain path at that time. He heard the sound of someone’s feet behind him. He turned and in front of him stood a needy person. He held Babaji’s feet and began to cry about his poverty. Babaji laughed and asked “How can I help you?” The needy picked up a stone and said “You turn it into gold that will be enough for me.’’
Babaji touched the stone with his index finger and it instantly turned into gold. The needy thanked Babaji and walked back. Babaji started walking again. He felt there is still a person walking behind. He turned and saw that the same needy person was standing behind him.
The old man asked in surprise, “What is the problem now?” He said, “This golden stone is enough for me, but what will happen to my children after me?” Please give me a little more grace so that my family can also see happiness.” The saint touched the rock beside the path and it too turned into gold in a few seconds. He then laughed and said, “This wealth is enough for your seven generations now” and went ahead, but after a while he again felt that the needy was still following him.
The old man asked in a harsh tone, “What is the problem now?” He said with humility, “Sir, I want to be the richest person in the world.” The old man laughed and started moving his finger right and left while laughing and in no time the whole mountain turned into gold.
The old man laughed and said, “Son, you have become the richest man in the world. Now go.” He then walked away but after a few minutes, he heard footsteps behind him once again. He got very angry. He turned back and saw that the needy was looking at him again with a creepy smile. The old man picked up the stick and asked, “What do you want now?” The needy looked left and right. He blushed and touched the elder’s finger and said, “Sir, I want this finger of yours.”
This is not anyone else’s story, this is the story of all of us. How much wealth do we humans really need? It has not been decided till today. Why? Because there is a limit to need, while desire and wants have no end, they increase with time, even a person asks for the ‘finger’ from which wealth can emerge, but the question is whether the desire stops after acquisition of ‘finger?’ No, ‘it does not stop here’ it goes on and on till the end of man.
The greatest lesson of human history is that we have not been able to estimate our wants until today, they are endless, but man has estimated his needs and this estimate is from $65,000 to $95,000 per year. That is, if you live in America, the world’s only superpower, your family consists of four people and your income is between $65,000 to $95,000 per year, you can live a five-star life. You will not have any wish left unfulfilled.
You will be able to enjoy the facility of house, car, food, treatment, children’s education and vacation twice a year. You will not be deprived of any blessing of the world after that. Economists believe that after $95,000 per year, wealth has no value, it remains only a figure and an account. If we convert $95,000 into monthly, it becomes about $8,000 and this amount becomes 22 lakh rupees according to today’s exchange rate. And it is a fact that with this money one can live a five star life even in Pakistan.
But the question is why do people live a very horrible, disappointed and sick life even after achieving this goal? Our “Mind Changer Community” has done a lot of research on this and we have found that most of the people follow the ‘finger’ after their needs are met. They become obsessed with desires and run without looking left and right and finally get crushed under the feet of others and thus the journey of life ends.
I often tell my friends if you manage $8,000 permanently, build a property that rents for $8,000 or start a business that gives you $8,000 a month by sitting at home. Or if you keep your money in the stock exchange or bank and start earning $8,000 per month, then you can retire immediately and start living the life you want.
Exercise for two and a half hours every day, read books for two or three hours or sit in the company of scholars, enjoy the arts and if you don’t like it, listen to recitations, do research on today’s religious issues, write books, attend seminars. Visit cities, travel countries, try new foods, learn yoga and swimming, play with your children and grandchildren, watch the sun rise and set, teach poor people’s children and re-enroll in college or university. Get yourself out of the job mill. Most people look at me in surprise after listening to this.
A man came to me a few days ago, he was going through the same situation, I asked him, how much is your monthly expenditure, he said, one lakh rupees, I asked him, how much is this amount per year? He said 12 lakh rupees. I said, ‘If you multiply it by 20, how much will it make? He said 2 crore 40 lakh rupees. I said that if you have 2 crore 40 lakh rupees then you can live 20 years sitting at home.
“You are 50 years old now. You will be 70 years old in 20 years and this amount will last you till your old age,” he said. “Sir, it will be halved after 20 years due to devaluation.” I laughed and replied “You double it’ if you have 4 crore 80 lakh rupees, it will be enough for 20 years despite devaluation.” Now see if you have any assets that you can sell to get that much money. He immediately said yes, my native land will be sold in that amount.
I laughed and replied, then what is the problem? Why are you running after the ‘finger’? Sell land, invest money. What’s the tension? He said, “You are right, but…” He became silent after that. I knew that the desire of the ‘finger’ is attached to this “but” and he will not be able to separate himself from it, but the question is this, “is the whole world running behind the finger like us?”
“No” I know many people who collected money according to their needs ten to fifteen years ago and after that they didn’t do anything. They wake up and sleep when they want. Exercise for as long as three hours, even at the age of 70, they look 40 years old and walk around and have fun, while people who run behind the ‘finger’ look 70 years old at the age of 40 and take medicines of different kinds but still they do not get sleep.
We humans need 23 things to last a year but on average we buy 300,000 things, these things are unnecessary and we spend our whole life chasing after these unnecessary things and that is stupidity which does not allow us to live even when we are alive, so I suggest that whoever you are and whatever you are doing, stop for a few moments.
Multiply your today’s expenses by twelve then multiply it by 20 and finally multiply it by two to get that amount and then stop working for money. You just do what makes you or others happy. Believe it, this world will become a paradise for you, otherwise you will waste the rest of your life searching for ‘finger’ and in the end you will have nothing but a basket of desires in your hand. The journey of life will be wasted.
[Courtesy of Daily Express]