“Time is saying to me: Live and make the most of every moment.”
– The late Dadi Janki
Do we know how to appreciate the things that we have in our life? How much do we take for granted?
Just stop for a moment and ask yourself: How much is your body worth? How much are you worth as a person? What is the value of your time? Do you know how much your smile is worth? When you look at all these assets that you have and that sometimes you neglect to appreciate, you will then realise that you are not poor at all.
So, when we come to measure the value of things in our life, we are the ones that will put a price tag on them, not others. How much value we put on something depends on how important that thing is to us. And if we really value something, then we will be mindful of how we use that thing and we will take care not to misuse it.
Spiritual economy is not simply about saving the pennies, but more about how we are putting to use all those pennies that we save. In other words, to put to good use all the assets that we have. Even a miser has several assets. A miser is not poor, but the difference between him and the economist is that the economist makes his assets grow for himself and others, whilst the miser keeps them safe in a locker for himself. But the irony is that, often like Scrooge, he neither gets any pleasure from that money and those assets and nor does anyone else.
Economising is not about hoarding for a rainy day. It is not about penny pinching. It is not about false economies, saving a penny and spending a pound kind of a thing. Economising is not avoidance. For example, not going to work in order to save petrol! That is really not sensible!
Economising is about waste, to have the mindset not to waste things and having that respect for Mother Nature. There are so many ways we can make an effort to make savings. It is not just a matter of money. There are the practical things such as water, food and light, fuel and electricity. But then there are also our precious assets such as time, thoughts, the energy of our mind, our breath, and our physical energy expressed through actions. Why do we need to use ten words, when we can use two? Why do we think too much when the decision can be made instantly?
The reason why we try and save our ‘energies’ is so that we can then do the things that we really want to do. So, if we save some time here, we can use it there, doing perhaps what we love to do. That is good budgeting and good economy! But if after we save the time or money or anything else, and we do not use these in a worthwhile way, then we are wasting those precious items.
We are given things in life so that we can create good karma with them. If we waste or misuse them then the karma comes back to us, and we run into a loss every time. Our lovely planet provides enough for every one of us. But how much do we use wisely and well, and how much do we waste? When we learn to be respectful and economical with the resources that we have, it will mean that everyone can live happily and harmoniously together.
As Oscar Wilde famously said, and we would do well not to forget his words and take care not to become someone who ‘…knows the price of everything, and the value of nothing….’
Courtesy of itstimetomeditate.org
Aruna Ladva is an author and the director of Rajyoga meditation centres in Kuwait and Egypt.