Noble Use of Money
39
received praise from people, but otherwise I was not willing to
spend even a single rupee! It was not that my prakruti was
stingy, but if I did not receive any recognition, then I would not
give anything, regardless of what the cause may be. Where I
received praise, I would give away all my earnings. I would
even incur a debt in order to give! Now for how long can such
praise last? A few days or so, and then it is all gone.
See how my past incidents come to mind? I still remember
very clearly that I gave hundred rupees and took back seventy-
five. I can even visualize that office. I asked myself, “Is this what
you are all about? Just look at the nobleness of all others!” I
understood my behavior. I had a generous mind, but I needed
people to praise me. All they needed to do was to sing my
praise, and I was at their disposal.
Questioner: Dada, such is the nature of man.
Dadashri: Yes, that is all prakruti.
Banias (business caste) are very shrewd people. They do
not get sold on praise. They are great thinkers. They will assess
whether their reward will be used up in this life or whether it will
be carried forward for their next life. A person uses up all his
rewards when he receives praise, all his benefits will be expended
in this life; he will taste the fruits here and now. We Kshatriyas
(warrior caste) are very decisive. We believe in taking action at
all costs. Even all the Tirthankaras (the enlightened ones) were
Kshatriyas. The sadhus (Jain ascetics) themselves say that
they cannot become Tirthankaras, because when they take the
vow to become ascetics, they renounce everything, but still keep
a little money aside, just in case. That is their basic internal trait,
whereas the Kshatriyas will renounce everything on the spot.
To a Kshatriya, the promise to pay is a promise for everything,
at all costs! They are not capable of anything else; they do not
understand anything else. They are not thinkers! Nevertheless
liberation comes faster to them.