Swami, what is the relation between frugality and attachment to wealth? How can these two be separated? Frugality is considered good. But if there is an attachment to wealth and one accumulates wealth, frugality means not wasting. And attachment to wealth means hoarding. Accumulation is considered the embodiment of greed. Even where there is no need, one accumulates. Suppose there is an attachment to wealth and one squanders it, what would you call that? He has to hoard it and hide it in such a place that no one sees it. And when does he use it? When does he make use of it? He almost never gets to use it while alive. He doesn't get a chance. It just lies there and some of it goes to waste. And frugality is done so that many people benefit, so that it doesn't go to waste, and so that it is used meaningfully. That's why frugality is done. Frugality makes a person detached. It doesn't make anything else. If one is frugal, one becomes greedy. If one is frugal for oneself, to hoard, then that's a different matter. Frugality means being frugal, it can be done in both ways. If one is frugal so that God's work is not spoiled and the institution is not spoiled, then that is considered more love for God. And if one is frugal to save and hoard for oneself, then that is what it is. Swami Another thing, Swami, is that Hey It is called 'Kosha Vivardhanam'. Nyayam The chief is in the king's dharma dharma 1) Universal law or principle that 'sustains' or 'upholds' the entire world. Righteousness, morality, religion, Tap to open in glossary → One of the king's five yagnas is 'Nyaye na Kosha Vivardhanam', it is said. So sometimes what happens is that there is excessive wealth, even if it was acquired justly. But even then, there are more chances for the community to spoil, and in the absence of it, if everything is going well, then how to balance these two? Nyaye na Kosha Vivardhanam is what has been told to kings and emperors. And if one is running an institution, the institution should be capable, that is correct. It doesn't affect one's personality much. If one becomes attached and does something, it happens. If one squanders it, then it happens. For the institution, the institution's fund becomes prosperous, and if one squanders it, there is a big difference. He has to hide it there. Everyone knows that the institution's fund is growing, and everyone who deals with it knows that it belongs to the institution. There is nothing of one's own in it. And what one has kept for oneself, no one knows about it. It only works when the people next to you don't know, otherwise it won't happen. The question is, in the absence of a community, suppose there is an institution. So if there is a community in an institution, and there is a lack of something, and the formation is such that there is a lot of wealth, then it doesn't happen. So how to balance these two? Bhagwatsinhji Bapu was the Darbar of Gondal, and his treasury was full. Even then, he used to give good education to everyone. And he used to give a lesson by setting an example. So no one was allowed to spoil anything. So he can do that himself. That doesn't mean his rich treasury made his sons spoiled. That wasn't the case. He gave everyone a job. He wouldn't even let his sons touch it. Look And he himself didn't touch it. Even if an English governor, government, or English officer came, he wouldn't let them touch it. That's not ours. So it depends on how much one can endure from within. But even if it's the main one, it's considered his duty that there's an institution. So, whether a beggar remains a beggar or a country remains a beggar. Such a belief is not considered right. Look For the institution, its prosperity should increase. It is 'Nyaye na Kosha Vivardhanam'. But it should be just. Swami, one question is that we were in the granary. When we were in the granary, the saints were being shaped. Such a formation is not seen now, so what should be done, because the situation was different at that time. And it's not happening now because we are raw, we are raw, that's why it's not happening. And even then, if there is prosperity, then people with weak minds, they don't get simplicity and all that, so in the absence of it. This is natural, so there are circumstances. How to escape from it? In reality, there were no occasions in the granary. So, the belief that we became sadhus is wrong. A sadhu in poverty is called a celibate old prostitute. A sadhu in poverty is not a sadhu. When is his test considered? If there is so much renunciation in wealth, then only it is called a test. He had nothing, so we were all good, and we didn't get one meal at noon and in the evening, so everyone kept doing it once. If they start meeting, they eat three times. And that one is But even if one gets three meals, if one eats only once, it is considered that he has followed the rule. And that one That situation made them accustomed to it, the situation made them accustomed to it. It is beneficial for someone who has formed a habit and wants to maintain it permanently. Correct But if someone has been forced to form a habit in the absence of something, then how can it be beneficial for them? When he eats the fast-breaking meal, he feels twice as full. So, in circumstances, Gunatitanand Swami says that all these have been put into the five senses to test them. Now let's see how many there are. And day by day, prosperity is going to increase, and with the increase in prosperity, everyone's saintliness is going to decrease. That's not how it is. It doesn't mean that saintliness will decrease. Prosperity increases for the institution. It doesn't mean that we should use everything. It doesn't mean that we shouldn't let anyone else grow as much as we use. And saintliness is a different thing. Saintliness is different. So, in normal circumstances, Maharaj said that sadhus should not desire too many conveniences. Don't desire too many conveniences. From his mind, he feels that he is happier in inconvenience, his mind remains happier. But that doesn't mean that if, for example, one is serving the Satsang Satsang 1) True company. The practice of associating with Bhagvãn’s sant, other satsangis, the ãtmã, and the sacred shãstras, and also observing vartmãns and niyams. 2) Also refers to the sampradãy, which is the presence of good company. Tap to open in glossary → Abandoning the service of Satsang Satsang 1) True company. The practice of associating with Bhagvãn’s sant, other satsangis, the ãtmã, and the sacred shãstras, and also observing vartmãns and niyams. 2) Also refers to the sampradãy, which is the presence of good company. Tap to open in glossary → Satsang Satsang 1) True company. The practice of associating with Bhagvãn’s sant, other satsangis, the ãtmã, and the sacred shãstras, and also observing vartmãns and niyams. 2) Also refers to the sampradãy, which is the presence of good company. Tap to open in glossary → Satsang Satsang 1) True company. The practice of associating with Bhagvãn’s sant, other satsangis, the ãtmã, and the sacred shãstras, and also observing vartmãns and niyams. 2) Also refers to the sampradãy, which is the presence of good company. Tap to open in glossary → That's not how it is. Look, that's not the meaning. Generally, sadhus should not desire too many conveniences, and if they have them, they should keep renouncing a little. It is written in the talks of Gunatitanand Swami that one should not enjoy everything one gets. It doesn't mean to enjoy everything that comes. One should keep renouncing a little. Swami, you talked about frugality, about frugality. So, if one is frugal and the quality of service decreases, is that considered frugality, or if the service decreases, is that not considered frugality? Quality If the quality decreases, it is not called frugality. Quality is for the institution, both religions are different. Our private individual religion is different for us sadhus, and our duty regarding the institution is different. So, one should not do anything that would reduce the quality of the institution. If the quality of one's own use decreases, then there is no problem. In one's private life. Many times, our belief is that quality comes only from spending money. So, then it's good for him, it's good for the belief. Quality increases with hard work. If one uses money where needed, there is no problem. Using it where needed is fine. But it's not like quality increases only by spending money. We just talked about the granary. We just talked about the granary. So, there are two aspirants, one has got a situation like a granary and the other has got the current situation. Both want to form good habits. Both They want to form good habits, let's say for one meal a day. So, that situation is considered more favorable for him, isn't it? That situation is more like that because he is a raw aspirant. Everyone is raw in the beginning. They are raw, that's why it's necessary in the beginning. So his question was, what should be done if such a situation is to be created now? It can't be done now. If he does it himself, it will happen. The whole earth cannot be covered with leather, but if one wears shoes, it can be done. So, he himself, and then what, it depends on the elders. It depends on how many elders are wallowing in luxury. Shastriji Maharaj had all the facilities at that time. It wasn't that there were no facilities. There were facilities at that time, but if you look at Swami's life, no one would tremble. So, even if it's there, even if it's fallen, it remains as it is. So it depends on the elders. Whatever the life of the elders, even if there is prosperity, Gunatitanand Swami and all were like that. So, he was the head of the temple, he was a great man man Mind. One of the four antah-karans, with the function of (pronounced mun) generating thoughts and desires, and governing all of the indriyas. Tap to open in glossary → So, let those who want to spoil, spoil. But where is the attention of the aspirants and the new ones? It's on the elders. How is he doing it? So, if the ideal and role model are going towards him, then he won't spoil. Those who get spoiled don't have a role model. A person who spoils doesn't have a good role model, and then they just fall into whatever situation comes their way. If the situation molds us, then we are bound to spoil. All these are said to be due to the situation, to spoil. If a person fights with the situation, they can survive. If someone wants to create a situation that is conducive to spoiling, then what problem does he have? He has no problem. So, what should an aspirant do? How should he do it? AI translation of the Gujarati transcript above, produced in the same pass that transcribed the audio, one English segment per Gujarati segment. Devotional and technical terms with no precise English equivalent (kirtan, satsang, vasana, samskara, and similar) are kept as their plain transliteration rather than force-translated. Not human-proofread., AI-translated, unverified · Source details