Is Money Truly Useless? A Seeker's Journey from Wealth to Wisdom

Devotee: Greetings, Gurudev.

Gurudev: Greetings.

Devotee: In human life, wealth or money is necessary. In almost every aspect, we can’t see anything without money. In the current mindset, people are only running after money. However, many have led their lives against the pursuit of wealth. In that regard, we see many spiritual seekers and ordinary people who were indifferent to money. Similarly, you are a seeker who never had any attachment to money, and you still don't. So, I would like to know, why is there this indifference toward money?

Gurudev: There is only one reason: I have seen money very closely. When I used to export, I earned a lot of money. I used to earn in dollars and had cars and everything. But later, I don’t know what happened; I realized these were not necessary for me. Finding God is much more important. Greed is constantly increasing. On one hand, greed grows, and on the other, I felt I was sinking lower. Money was coming, many people were working for me—at least 50-60 people—but I saw myself sinking. Then one day, I understood that seeking God’s presence or being in His proximity is much more valuable than money.

Gurudev: Now, look, there are two types of money in this world: "sinful money" and "honest money." I once heard a saying: *"Oh money, you are blessed, you reside in the land of India; Oh money, I know you, I bow at your feet."* It’s true that money is necessary. Everyone is running after it—some are working in offices, some are doing business, and everyone is earning to run their household. In that context, money is essential.

Gurudev: But my case became an exception. Because I have seen money very closely and dealt with a lot of it, I realized that money actually has no real value. So, I gradually helped all my employees find jobs elsewhere, cleared out my office, and eventually closed it down. I felt that, for some reason, God was calling me. And that’s what happened—eventually, I left everything. I sold my cars and everything else I had.

Gurudev: Money is needed, but for those whom God calls, the combination of "wealth and spiritual jewels" isn't always good. You can’t have both at once. Choose one: either God’s feet or money. God wants to give money, but people don’t know how to keep it in the right place or how to use it. There’s a saying: *"How long does it take for God to take back the wealth He gave, after testing the heart?"*

Gurudev: Money has power, and it also has a certain "heat." You must have heard of Dada Thakur (Sarat Chandra Pandit). He had a printing press where he printed newspapers and school exam papers. One day, it rained so heavily that there was water everywhere. Dada Thakur had a rule: everything must be on time. He set out early in the morning with the exam papers on his head, wading through the water. It was a cold winter day, and he had almost nothing on his body. He arrived right on time and placed the papers on the English officer’s table.

Gurudev: The officer was shivering from the cold, but Dada Thakur was not. The officer asked, "Dada Thakur, I am shivering despite this cold, and you've come through the water with almost no clothes? How are you not cold?" Dada Thakur took a coin out of his pocket and said, "Sir, this is what has kept me warm." He meant that money has its own heat. There’s no doubt about that.

Gurudev: Many have spoken about money. Ramakrishna Paramahansa famously said, "Money is mud, and mud is money," and he cast it away. Lokenath Baba also advised: "Earn money, but earn it honestly. Keep it in a good place and distribute it honestly. Give to the people." Everyone has said something or other about money. You can’t really move without it.

Gurudev: But the thing is, since we are calling upon God, if we obsess over money, we won't be able to truly seek Him. From my own experience, I’ve seen that if you call God sincerely and connect with Him properly, you won't lack anything. Whatever you need, the Mother (God) will provide it immediately. This is my personal experience. I have never felt a lack of money. The Mother has always provided at the right time.

Gurudev: I actually despise money now because I’ve seen its true face—how much harm it can do. I feel it every moment. Many people come to me and say, "If you took just ten rupees from each person, you could take home a thousand rupees a day." I could, but that money shouldn't be taken or consumed. People think that because so many people come to me, I must be making a lot of money. But when a person comes to me, I see them as a "cobra" ready to strike. Whoever gives me money will expect something in return, whether through fair or unfair means. If I accept that money, I might have to do many dishonest things. I don't know if the people coming to me are honest or not. I only hear one side of their story. So, it's better not to accept that money. Moreover, you don't know if that money was earned through sin or honesty, and sinful money should never be accepted.

Gurudev: Think about Draupadi's clothing—who provided that endless cloth? No one could reach the end of it. That was God's doing. In those days, powerful men like Duryodhana and Duhshasana tried to pull her cloth, but they couldn't finish it. People say Krishna provided it, which is true, as He is God.

Gurudev: Consider Ramprasad as well. He went to work and said, "I will send whatever I earn to my family." But he couldn't. The Mother herself had to come with food—rice, lentils, and everything—to Ramprasad’s house, saying that Ramprasad had sent it. His family didn't even know it was God. Ramprasad found out later and lamented that they saw Her, but he didn't.

Gurudev: So, if you truly follow God, there will be no lack of anything, not just money. If you can believe this, then money isn't a major requirement.

Devotee: But nowadays, we often hear that one can't reach God without money. People say it in various ways.

Gurudev: God doesn’t take money. People use God's name to take money from others. They build their own wealth. People are so greedy that they want to pay to see the Mother being bathed, or they want to touch Her. Some people exploit this and take money for it. But when God sends you into this world, He sends you with your sustenance. When a baby is born, it can’t eat rice and fish, so God provides mother’s milk.

Gurudev: I’ve seen people become millionaires by selling milk, and I’ve also seen people make money through many dishonest means. Money doesn't have a color, but its source matters. One should only accept money from an honest person.

Gurudev: One day, I went to a temple and saw a lady bringing two simple sugar drops (*batasa*) as an offering. The priests there, who were quite arrogant, mocked her, asking, "What is this? Why did you bring this?" and they threw it away. I told them, "Listen, this is the Mother’s food today. She will eat these sugar drops today; She won't accept your fancy sweets." Honest money is what matters.

Gurudev: Money can be earned through theft, robbery, or cheating, but that money has no value. God has written every person's name on the grain they are meant to eat. If we obsess over needing "more and more," there is no end to that greed. In the Kali Yuga, it is said that people will even sell their own children for food. This is a grave matter.

Gurudev: I believe that if you trust the Mother, She provides everything. I have seen it with my own eyes. Not everyone can call upon the Mother sincerely; people in different professions might just bow their heads when they see a temple. But for a true seeker, if they are sincerely devoted to any form of the Mother—Durga, Kali, or Tara—they will lack nothing.

Gurudev: I stay with the Mother and the soil. I have distanced myself from people because I don't know whose money is honest and whose is not. I've seen almost all my friends and acquaintances ruin themselves by deceiving others. If you cheat an innocent person who knows nothing, the consequences are terrible. I have been here for 32 years and I’ve seen so many people—rich and poor. The Mother can make someone a beggar or a millionaire in an instant. She takes from one and gives to another. No one stays rich forever. Those who are born into old wealth are different, but for those of us who are seekers, taking money from others is not right. People ask me, "If I don't take money, what will I eat?" They probably don't have a strong connection with the Mother. They just wear the robes and ask for money.

Gurudev: But for those who have truly practiced devotion, none were greedy for money. It is right not to be, because money is the root of all evil.

Devotee: Gurudev, from your words, I have learned that there is no point in running after money pointlessly.

Gurudev: Exactly. If you need two rupees today, earn only two rupees, not three. That extra one rupee will cause you trouble. Earn through your own hard work and "blood and sweat"—that money will stay. Money earned through cheating or shortcuts doesn't stay.

Devotee: My respects to you, Gurudev.

Gurudev: Blessings to you.

Spiritual Insight

A dharmic teaching on the nature of wealth, greed, and spiritual abundance. Guru Baba Shyama Khyapa shares his personal journey from a wealthy exporter to a seeker of God, explaining why \