Aptavani-2
109
stealing. Lakshmiji will grace her presence where there is no
stealing through the mind, speech or body. Stealing obstructs
inflow of money. Money and deceit are rivals. When overt
stealing stops, one is born into a morally upright family.
Deceiving people is subtle stealing, that is considered severe
raudradhyan and that results in a life in hell. It is severe
raudradhyan when a cloth merchant overstretches the material
as he measures. There should be absolutely no tricks or deceit
in what one does. A shopkeeper is deceiving his customers
when he smiles and tells his customer that his goods are clean
even when he knows they are contaminated and adulterated.
And if you question his ethics he will say, “This is the only way
to do business.” A man of principles would tell his customers,
“I only wish to sell pure goods, but this is not pure. You can buy
it if you wish.” If the shopkeepers were to say just this much,
they would be alleviated from any karmic liability.
There is so much suffering in Bombay because people
have taken more than their share; they hoard more than what
they are entitled to. A man who should be rightfully taking five
lakhs for himself is hoarding a hundred lakhs.
Questioner : Money is temporary but even so, one
cannot live without it. We need money even before we sit in the
train.
Dadashri : People cannot do without money. But having
money or not is also not under anyone’s control. If money could
be earned through hard work, then all the laborers work so hard
and yet they make just enough to eat, whereas the mill owners
have so much wealth without working at all.
‘We’ know the reasons and the causes behind why
money comes and goes. Money does not come because of hard
work or through the use of intellect (buddhi) or deceit. How
does a person get money? If money were earned through
honesty, then our political ministers would not make even four