To: AM-GLOBAL
From: "Paul Paltrow"
Subject: Ananda Marga: Rules on Financial Decisions
Baba
== ANANDA MARGA: RULES ON FINANCIAL DECISIONS ==
Namaskar,
This letter contains an in-depth Baba story with His critical and detailed guidelines about borrowing and lending money. We should all firmly adhere to His exact teachings lest we get caught in the whirlpool of capitalism. We should convey these points to all in our unit and community.
ANANDA MARGA: OPPOSITE OF CAPITALISM
The present era of materialism preaches "instant gratification": Enjoy the world by buying happiness. Credit cards and loans are readily available to the common person. Indeed lending agencies and credit card companies are standing by with astronomical interest rates in order to rip off consumers. It is a deadly cycle; already so many have been victimised.
In AM, our view is totally different. We interact with this world for our daily needs and aim our mind towards psychic and psycho-spiritual pursuits. We seek happiness and peace in those upper realms, not in the instant gratification of worldly indulgences. We know this, we practice this, but even then some in our Marga have gotten bound by the noose of capitalism.
But there is no winning in capitalism. Only those top capitalists dervive some selfish benefit. The common public justs borrows and spends money on material allurements hoping to find happiness; but ultimately they find themselves upset, frustrated and in debt. All the while, the impoverished masses around the globe suffer from an extreme dearth of resources, which have been gobbled up by those capitalists.
So we should not fall prey to the capitalist cycle of borrowing and spending. Please read this following Baba story about this very subject.
BABA STORY:
GUIDELINES ON FINANCIAL DEALING
Baba was against people borrowing or lending money. One day He said, "You must know that lending as well as borrowing is undesirable and detestable."
I had known Baba's attitude and so had always tried not to borrow money. But I still had a question, "Was it so bad to lend money to someone in distress?"
Baba answered with an illustration. "Do you know why it isn't desirable to lend out money? Suppose someone has come to you to borrow some money. Maybe his need is genuine and his appeal is justified. As you listen to his story of distress, you are likely to want to be kind to him. Even if it is beyond your own means to lend a big amount, you become so upset thinking of his dire need that you take pity on him. Your thoughts get interrupted as the gentleman says, 'You need not worry, dear brother. Please help me wriggle out of my crisis. If your generosity can take me out the present crisis, I'll repay the loan within a month. Meanwhile I'm likely to get some money soon, so you may rest assured that you'll get back your money on time.'"
Baba continued, "There may be no reason for you to disbelieve him. Suppose you are soft-hearted, so you collect the money somehow and hand it over to him. And he, too, feels glad and goes away."
"That man may not have any intention of taking you for a ride, but it may turn out that he can't get hold of the money as he thought. It is not so unusual. But you go on nursing the hope that he will repay you at the end of the month."
"A month goes by. He hesitates to see you out of his shame because he has no money to repay to you. Suppose you go to him out of need for the money. In all likelihood he will be ill at ease and may take offense at your uncalled-for-presence. He will think, 'How disgusting! He has come to me straightaway.' Understandably, he will tell you a long excuse about why he has failed to repay you. You will a patient hearing to him and coming back home begin to wait for the deadline as promised. There will be times he will think 'O, my God! Here he is again, he will certainly remind me of my debt!'"
"Of course it's only natural such thoughts come to mind, interspersed with some inaudible abusive remarks. Maybe you didn't go to him for money, but what is that to him? Your presence will be unpleasant enough."
"So whenever you meet him, he will think, 'I am lost! He has come again to pressure me for that money.' At the same time he will hurl some unsavory remarks at you, albeit silently. Contrary to what is in his mind, he will say, 'Welcome, my dear brother. I am glad to meet you. I am so grateful to you,' and so on and so forth.
"Undoubtedly the moment he sees you, he will heap uncharitable remarks on you, but when you will come within earshot, he will be all praises an parade his respect for you. It goes without saying that you will be put into a dilemma from not getting your money back even at the time of your own dire need. It may happen that your need will drive you to his house and shout from outside, 'Hello, Mr.----, are you there?'
"He will think, 'Oh! he has come again for the money. What will I say to him?'
"Thinking this, he will not only silently curse you, but also try his best to avoid an encounter with you. Instead of coming outside, he will tell his little son to tell you that his father is out. Accordingly, the boy will run to you to inform you that his father is not in.
"Looking askance at him, you will say, 'Go inside and find out for certain whether or not your father is there.' The simple-minded child will reply, 'Why, I don't need to check because father has himself said that he is out.' In this way your relationship with that friend will sour and you don't know where it will end."
"Well, he certainly would have been offended that first day if you had not lent him money. Not only that, he would possibly have been shocked and have silently heaped some abusive remarks. Nevertheless, the unpleasant situation would not have spilt over onto the rest of your life. If you lend money, you will inevitably invite filthy remarks galore. That is why a person should think many times before lending to others."
I asked, "Sometimes a really good man may fall into trouble and sincerely need help. In that case, what is to be done?"
Baba said, "Instead of lending him money, you should help him according to your capacity. Suppose he is asking for five thousand rupees. Tell him your attitude about lending money and let him know your financial condition. Then help him with an amount that's within your means. It may not be as much as he demands, but he will get consolation that you tried to share his difficulties." ("My Days with Baba", Sarveshvarananda)
The above story is quite clear on the point of borrowing and lending. According to Baba, we should not borrow money nor should we lend it. If anyone truly needs financial help, then we should give them money according to our capacity, and not expect anything in return.
BABA'S FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS
Here are some of His further teachings about this very critical topic.
First Baba warns us that we should seek counsel and permission before (a) spending money on superfluous items and (b) before taking any loan.
Baba says, "I am also giving one more advice in regard to aparigraha. If any Margis have to spend on anything in addition to the fixed expenditure (for example, expensive clothing, ornaments, articles of furniture, marriage, building, etc.), they should, before incurring such expenditure, obtain a clear order from their ácárya, unit secretary or district secretary, or any other person of responsible rank. Similarly, permission is to be obtained before taking loan from any businessman or money-lender. Where one’s own ácárya or any person of responsible rank is not easily available, consultation or rather permission is to be obtained from any other ácárya, táttvika or any right-thinking member of the Marga. Every member should follow this instruction strictly." (Guide to Human Conduct)
Secondly, Baba warns us how money lending itself is a filthy profession. We should keep such greedy persons at arms-length.
Baba says, "People should also not earn their livelihood by lending money and taking interest. Such persons want to lend more and more money to gain more and more interest, and they do not want the borrowers to refund the capital. The scriptures stipulate that people should not accept food from such people, because their occupations are despicable." (Subhasita Samgraha-11)
SUMMARY
We should all exercise extreme caution in our financial dealings. This era of extreme capitalism has devoured the lives of many - leaving them as desperate beggars unable to regain their footing. We must not let this happen to us or anyone we know. We should remain out of debt and keep our mind free for psycho-spiritual endeavors. That is the only way. Remember, one in debt becomes mentally bound by this financial burden as well.
Thus no one in Ananda Marga should make a living by lending money and no Ananda Margii should go into any sort of debt without first getting clear-cut permission from respected members of our Marga.
By following Baba's above guidelines, we can maintain our psychic equilibrium. Going into debt and digging means losing one's mental peace and becoming a lifelong tool of those greedy capitalists.
Namaskar,
Punya'tman
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