Money/ Karma/ Thana / Samskara
Question
Hello sir
I have many topics on which i would like to have your insights.
I'm currently getting more and more involved in a playing card game, where you don't bet money but you can collect cards.
Cards have a financial value, some are worth a lot and i realise i could make a living by buying low lots of cards and selling them to a higher price to players, or trading cards with them for a better price.
You can also invest in cards you think to be good and sell them when the market rise their value.
It's like a mini-market place.
i would like to add some things about myself, not to talk too much but i want you to have a clear picture of the situation.
I'm a pretty independent person and i had several unpleasant experiences in the working field. I have a very critical look on society and i consider that working a full life time is getting robed, and participating in the destruction of the planet.This is not lazyness, i really mean it. I hate the atmosphere on some work place. Although i consider myself to be quite smart and i'm very attracted to business activities.
I think i could get enough money for my personal projects by doing this and i would enjoy doing this.I don't love money and i'm not a greedy person but i really need enough money to be able to live my own way. Since my childhood i always wanted to gain financial independance and autonomy.I don't spend my money on drugs, on vice things, and i enjoy sharing it with nice people. But for now, i'm not rich at all!
Before massively engaging in some business activities, there are some questions who are on my mind.
I'm very aware that you have to respect karmic laws, therefore i'm very concerned about how business is considered by karma forces. I mean when you buy or sell you always have to try to get the better of the situation. How is haggling considered ? Just a very simple exemple to make you understand : i go talk to John, haggle with him and buy a card 5$ which has a financial value of 7$. Then i go with jack, haggle with him and sell him the card for 8$ and another card .
Of course i don't cross the line and never ask too much for a card, i don't do indescent deal, i don't want to rob people. But i always try to get a financial advantage . You also have to consider that you put some time and efforts in trying to find good deals.
I find haggling a very interesting activity, and i don't feel like working when i do it, it is pleasant to me.I rather do this than a painful and low-paid job, where you have to fake happyness everyday.
On a more general view, how is money considered in spirituality ? In my opinion, you can't just say it is bad because you need it, on the other way, you have to earn it one way or another being the more ethical as possible.
In a far future, i plan on investing in houses and rent them to make a living. Would you consider such a way of living as a sin ?
On a completely other topic, i would like to talk about Thanas and samskara.
Thanas are from what i understand desires. Some are good and some are bad. From my experience, hiking in nature is a good thana, it provides you health, peace of mind and harmony with mother nature(i like nature very much). From my experience, desire for relationships with women is a very bad thana and leads to jealousy, tiredness, depression, materialism, sexual craving, lust....That is why i know practise brahmacharya since a year, with good results.
How can you distinguish between good and bad thanas ? Some are obvious, but some not. Before coming to the conclusion that sex was unhealthy,and relationships were very spiritually harmful,it took me quite a bunch of time and some painful experiences.
To finish, a last question concerning Samskaras : i consider them to be memories we keep from our past, and they influence us a lot. It is body memory. For exemple you can keep a bad memory of a specific town because you had a bad experience there, and the emotions you feel are illogicals, uncontrolable and you can't go into that town without being very disturbed emotionally. Therefore you have to purify yourself and gradually expose to the place so the memories can leave you.
It is my understanding but i would like to know what you can share with me about this topic, and how to purify these toxics memories of the mind.
I gratefully thank you for reading my long post and for your insights which will be of a great help to me.
Be blessed
Answer
1. As long as man indulges in any rightful form of living that does not amount to going against the Yama-Niyama-s of Yoga, the proceeds derived from such actions are legitimate. Effort applied to lawfully earn the money required to ensure the basic necessities of life (food, clothing and shelter) is legitimate and does not result in adverse results/karma. When a call is taken on the nature of activity you describe with regard to the above parameters, your inner voice will tell you if it is correct or wrong.
2. Money is neither good, nor bad. It is an instrument of exchange. It is the purpose and intention with which it is sought after than makes money give good or bad results. When money is earned to source the basic necessities or a few simple wants of life in a lawful and legitimate way, it doesnt cause trouble. Such money is meant for the purpose of sustainence. When money is sought after for reasons beyond these, it leads to sorrow. The same applies to the sexual act. Sexual activity by itself is neither good nor bad. It is the purpose of use that gives good or bad results. If used for procreating a child, there is no harm. If used for any other purpose, it eventually causes harm. Similar are associations with the opposite sex. If the association is intended at marriage and to raise a family at the earliest, there is no harm. If the association is sought after for reasons beyond these, it is a waste of resources that ends in sorrow.
3. If the money that went into investment on these houses is legitimate, there is no sin in as regards the lawful proceeds derived from letting.
4. Any activity which directly or indirectly becomes an impediment to Kaivalya (self-realization) is to be avoided. Sometimes, ones occupation or life circumstances (carried out for sustainence) may involve certain activities which are not exactly helpful to proceed on the path of realizing the self. One might not have much opportunity to get free of such an occupation or life circumstance all of a sudden. The way out then is to stay calm and persevere in those activities carried out for the purpose of self-realization to the best possible extent with devotion to God. This eventually paves way towards betterment.
5. Persist in a life of virtue, purity and Godliness. The answers will appear all by themselves.
ॐ तत् सत्
(That Supreme being is the absolute truth)