Combine morals with business

14 May 1984, Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai

Professor Kasturi's English.

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Thirst for wealth has no limit, it is insatiable It is on the basis of this fact that declared in a famous verse in the : "Oh! Man do not be proud of your wealth, progeny or youth. All these will be taken away in a moment by Time. Destroy this world of illusions and enter the seat of the Eternal." The (thirst) for wealth is folly! has two meanings, "thirst and desire." It is natural for man to have desires and thirst. But there is a difference between desire and thirst. It is natural for men not to be content with what they have, but to desire for more and more goods and more and more comforts. But in seeking fulfilment of such desires, one should take care not to cause any harm or suffering to others. is different from desire. It has no limit. It is insatiable.

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One should earn his living by just means (the code of righteousness) lays down for men a regulatory path. Like the effulgence of the rays of the Sun, illumines the paths which men should follow for the welfare and progress of society. Among the laws of , (justness) is most important. Rectitude means that one should earn his living by just means and be an example to others by just living. Justness consists in making no difference between oneself and others. Whatever may happen to Oneself or one's relations, whatever difficulties one may have to face, one should not swerve from the path of rectitude. Justness is like the mariner's compass. In whatever way you put it, the needle will point only towards the North. Similarly, justness reveals the Divinity in man and makes him enjoy the bliss of the Divine. Hence, the ideal human life should be one in which rectitude forms the basis for every action. Today, whatever prosperity one enjoys, whatever comforts one secures, all of them are derived from society. Some rules of have been laid down for ensuring that the wealth that is earned from society is devoted to the benefit of society. In the process of acquiring wealth one may be guilty of some lapses. It is to make amends for such lapses that one must practise charity. Life consists of a constant interchange of pleasure and pain, joy and sorrow, heat and cold. Happiness is an interval between two pains. The sour rind that covers an orange protects the sweet juice inside. We must look upon pain, anxiety and sorrow as the protecting cover for the peace and bliss that is experienced later. It is a mistake to seek an unending series of pleasures and comforts in life. Real happiness cannot be found that way. Without experiencing difficulties and troubles one cannot know the value of peace and pleasure.

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People suffer because they set no limits to desires Man thinks that the more he has of worldly goods the happier he would be. But, as desires grow, disappointments and troubles also increase. There should be a limit to our desires, attachments and ambitions. The world is suffering from numerous troubles because people set no limits on their desires. Nature has prescribed limits for everything - for the temperature of the body, the capacity of the eye to tolerate light or for the ear to listen to sound. When these limits are crossed, harm is caused to the organs concerned. Life itself is like a limited company. All actions in it should be governed by the limits applicable to each of them. When desires are controlled, genuine happiness is experienced. Even in practising charity, limits should be observed. One's gifts should not exceed one's financial capacity. Nor should they be below one's capacity. In the former case, one will face financial troubles. In the latter, one will be withholding from those in need what is due to them. Charity is not limited to money alone. One must share one's physical, mental and spiritual resources with those in need in society. It is through such sharing and sacrifice that the awareness of the Spirit () is achieved. Charity should not be indiscriminate. Help should be rendered according to the needs of the case. The hungry must be fed, the naked must be clothed. Although one may know how much good can be derived through (sacrifice), one does not make any sacrifice. One may aspire for wealth, but one should only seek what one is entitled or competent to get. A bank cashier handles of every day. But he is entitled only to his salary. He should not desire for more money than what he can earn legitimately. Excessive wealth carries with it many dangers. Human values are forgotten by the affluent. As long as there is wealth the evils resulting from it are not realised. It is only when it is lost that one begins to realise one's follies. It is better to be forewarned and learn to lead a righteous and upright life from the beginning. Wealth may come and go. Morality is what one should cultivate. What is morality? It is fight conduct in accordance with time and place.

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Businessmen are responsible for to-day's corruption What is the root-cause of all the disorder, chaos, crime, falsehood and violence that prevail in the country today? It is the behaviour of people contrary to the dignity of human nature that is responsible for the present situation. All the education that one receives has no relation to human values. Whether it be in the sphere of political behaviour or social conduct, economic activity or spiritual pursuits, all one's actions are based upon the tendencies of the mind. No change in any form of activity is possible unless the mind is changed. That is why the (ancient scriptures of spiritual wisdom) proclaimed that the mind is the cause of the bondage and the liberation of men. One who wants to change others must first change himself. The heart is like a lock and the mind is like a key. If you turn the key to the right, you open the heart to God; if you turn it to the left, you turn it towards attachment to worldly things. There is no use blaming the government for all the evils prevailing today. The people are responsible for the injustice, the wickedness, the falsehood and the corruption prevalent in the country. The people cannot disown their responsibility for the actions of a government which has been placed in power by their votes. Whether a government is good or bad depends on the people themselves. There is widespread talk in the. country about corruption. Many come and ask me: ! when will corruption end in this country? Who is responsible for this corruption? Is it the government? No. It is the businessmen who are directly responsible for this corruption.

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Purify yourself by engaging in service to society Love lives by giving and forgiving. Self lives by getting and forgetting. Everybody seeks Liberation. Everyone wants immortality. But how is immortality to be got? Removal of immorality is the only way to immortality. If we are filled with hatred, envy, pride and other evil qualities, how can we hope to achieve immortality? You must cultivate good thoughts and do good actions. You must engage yourself in service to society. By this process you purify yourself. You. cannot reach the Divine unless you are pure. The unchanging, eternal, ever pure, blissful Supreme is the goal. By your steady pursuit of (spiritual effort), you must strive to reach that goal. While remaining in the world of business, you. must keep this high goal in view and carry on your business, whatever it may be. Do not regard all your various possessions, houses, vehicles, wealth, etc., as permanent. There have been great emperors in the past who ruled over vast empires. When they passed away, what did they take with them? Posterity does not care even to remember their names. What you cannot take with you does not really belong to you, You are filled with fear, like the ticketless traveller who gets into the train. In the journey of life, if you want to travel without fear you must have the ticket of a good conscience. If you adhere to right conduct, you will have no need to fear any one.

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Seek peace of mind through good deeds The great conqueror, Alexander, when he was approaching his end, called all his warriors and told them that when he died, his body should be taken to the grave with his two hands held upwards. On seeing the funeral procession with hands of the emperor held up, the people asked why the emperor was being carried in that manner. They were told that the great emperor, who had amassed immense wealth wanted to show that when he was leaving the world he was going empty handed, taking nothing with him. The lesson of this episode is that we should seek not unlimited worldly possessions but contentment and peace of mind through good deeds. All that we accumulate is really not our property. It belongs to the people.. If conditions in are to be improved; it is only businessmen who can do this. Businessmen can even reform the government. Businessmen can promote the world's progress. They can also ruin the world economy. By their own right conduct, businessmen should try to set right the administration.

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is the land of our birth. It is a , sacred land (devoted to sacrifice), (devoted to right action) and (devoted to the practice of ). We are trying to convert such a sacred country to (a land of luxury and pleasure). All the sources of (pleasure) are in fact the causes of (disease). This is the biggest mistake we are committing. Our willingness to sacrifice constitutes real . Of the four - the objectives of life, (, , , ) - the ignorant man confines himself to (Wealth) and (worldly desires). The (wise man) seeks only (virtue) and (Liberation). However, every person should seek all the four . This should be done by. associating (the acquisition of wealth) with (virtue), and (satisfaction of desire) with (Liberation).

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The four avenues for utilisation of one's earnings You must earn wealth by adhering to (Right action). Utilise the wealth for fight ends. Our ancients laid down four avenues for the utilisation of wealth or earnings. One fourth should be used for personal use and for supporting the family. Another fourth should be used for charitable and religious purposes. A third quarter should be spent on other living things like animals, birds, etc. The remaining fourth should be offered for supporting the State. It is only when one's wealth is utilised in this manner will it be really beneficial and meaningful. Today many persons give money for charitable purposes. But the reason for their action is to reduce the burden of taxes in one way or another. You all know how large temples are being built at , , , and other places. There are (places of worship) at many pilgrim centres. They are quite impressive and attractive. They are built in marble and are additions to the nation's architectural achievements. are spent on them. It is, no doubt, good to build temples. But the real temple is one's own body. Without purifying one's self, what use is there in building temples? Temples built at the cost of of are not properly maintained. Swarms of beggars ruin the surroundings of the temples.

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Service to society is everyone's primary duty How much better would it be if the of spent on erecting temples are used for improving the condition of the poor, the destitute and the helpless? Institutions for helping the indigent unfortunates are more useful than edifices for worshipping some deities. To give a helping hand to the helpless is real service. Love towards one's fellow beings is the best spiritual discipline. Misuse of money is a great evil. Wealth must be used only for good purposes. Money is capable of leading man to any place, good or bad. Hence he should take care to see that wealth does not lead him to bad ways, or bring a bad name to this great country. By limiting their desires and reducing the amenities required for comfortable living, the wealthy should devote themselves to the service of the poor and the forlorn. Seek to derive happiness from service to your fellowmen. Happiness is union with God. The Organisations should not be content with conducting (group singing of devotional songs). Their motto should be (selfless service) all the time. They should take up every form of activity and give it a spiritual meaning. It is only those who are imbued with the spirit of selfless service that are fit to become leaders of the nation. Service to society is everyone's primary duty. Businessmen should develop a moral approach, use right means for earning wealth and utilise it for the benefit of society. I may have caused some But without minding it, you uneasiness to all of you. should all take to heart what I have said and try to practise what I have said. Thereby you will be achieving real happiness. I bless you all.