Save for a rainy day but don’t be a miser

A quite logical thing is to make hay while the sun shines for you never know when the sun sets. However it is also a rational thinking that our brain comes up with to create a safer vault for the future which is unpredictable. 

It does always remind us to save a portion of our earnings. The financial gurus make it a point to indicate a definite percentage as well.

It makes sense but some of us overdo it to such an extent that we miss the point. A conscious person who saves for a better & safer future transforms to a miser who becomes stingy. Aesop brings out this learning magnificently in the following story. 

A miser had lot of wealth, obviously! Being afraid of robbers, he decided to hide the accumulated stuff by burying it inside the ground in his backyard. 

Every day he religiously went to that place, dug a hole, saw the wealth to his satisfaction and covered it back. If a needy person asked his help to borrow some money, he would shout at the top of his voice and shoo away the person.

As always a clever thief noticed this ritual and one fine day made away with all the good stuff. Crying with despair, he went to the village head and narrated his plight. The head asked the miser “Did you ever take any of stored wealth and use it?” 

“No”, came the reply, “I always just looked at it and then filled up the hole”. The wiser chief of village concluded “Then go again and look at the hole for it does not make any difference if there is anything in it or not.”

Pondering over it, we realize that wealth unused is just as good as it didn’t exist. Yes, it is important to save “something” for tomorrow but if that “something” is not of use to anyone, then it is good riddance.

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Life’s Four Important Words

Nature has its mysterious ways of working. A mere individual like you and me will not be able to apprehend its course however we can only be observers. And instead of struggling & fighting against it, we need to learn the lesson of surrendering to Mother Nature. 

The basic notion prevalent in nature is change. There is nothing permanent. It is as though nature is announcing it very clearly in various forms. Seasons change, flowers bloom & fade, living creatures keep growing until death. We can see how nothing is constant.

But have we really acknowledged this fact? Maybe the answer is a rigorous nodding of head to signify acceptance. However this question has to be understood in depth. We see around us people who are always interested in the material world. 


They are too obsessed in their gains, wealth and the goody stuff they possess and have turned blind towards one of the fundamental principles of nature. They often resort to hoarding, try to increase their already overflowing wealth and in the process would forget the most important words of life: “This too shall pass”.

As nothing is permanent, even the riches, good stuff that one enjoys will not last long for a lifetime. Similarly the unfortunate situation that has befallen one will not continue to create misery. 

One should not boast of the great things in possession maybe it is in terms of wealth, followers, youthful energy and health. It is just a matter of time when these are lost in the lap of nature. 

Here's a video explaining this through a short story.

We should imbibe this important lesson in our mind and realize that whatever we have been going through has a certain time associated. Be it a happy or unhappy situation, it shall pass after taking us along through its course. 

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Beware the malady of hoarding

Life is beautiful. There is so much variety in everything. We enjoy the goodies through our antennae to external world - senses. It is of course human nature to put efforts to satisfy one’s senses. 

For majority of us, we can consider it as the driving force. We tend to acquire stuff to make ourselves happy. But sometimes we fail to set a limit to gratification and become too obsessed with our possessions. And that’s when we start turning into hoarders.

The dictionary explains meaning of hoard – To accumulate as much of (something) as one can, as when fearing a shortage. In the current commercial world, we have come to believe that money is that magic entity which can bestow the power upon us to buy whatever we want, live the way we wish to and ultimately lead to satisfaction. 

There is no need to further reason about importance of money. If we stop after making enough money for our survival, to keep ourselves happy, possibly all is well. By the way, the happiest person today on earth is a monk and he is not the richest in world!

However once we begin “accumulating” money, there is no end to the desire. We crave to earn more; lead a lavish lifestyle; save for our future generations…
While this act of amassing money may lead to tentative fulfillment, one should realize that it does more harm than good. It gradually develops into a disease and corrupts the mind. A shloka from Sri Adi Shankaracharya’s Bhaja Govindam says:

Oh fool! Give up your thirst to amass wealth, devote your mind to thoughts regarding the Real. Be content with money that comes through actions rightfully performed. 

In fact, researchers in psychology have already identified this state of illness & labeled it as hoarding disorder. They say people experiencing this disorder will have difficulty in discarding their possessions. 
And just the thought of getting rid of their belongings makes them miserable.

Let us keep a watch on our desires consciously to avoid becoming hoarders and truly enjoy the richness of life. What are some of your suggestions to keep away from hoarding disorder?   

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