How Pricious Is Your Money

Money is a piece of paper which we give value to. It seems to be important as we rely on money for the four necessities of our human life (food, clothes, shelter and medical care). That’s why people give importance to money. Sometimes they give so much importance to it that they are preoccupied with or worry about money. In fact, money is not the most important thing in life; it is just one factor. It is neither perfect nor constitutes everything. There is a story which is told by Ajahn Jayasaro which serves as a good example for us all. Here is the story:

There once lived a millionaire who had much money and was very attached to his money. One day he had a conversation with his close friend who was a philosopher. His friend said, “Friend, suppose you were walking in the middle of a desert. You had got lost there and had drunk no water for a week. If someone had a glass of water in their hand and offered to give it to you if you gave him all money you have now, would you give him all your money for a glass of water?” The millionaire said, “Friend, I think I would give him all of my money for a glass of water, because I might die without water.” His friend said, “Well! All of your money is just equal to a glass of water, isn’t it? Why are you preoccupied and worried about it so much?” He said, “Um….thank you, friend this conversation enlightens me a lot. I will not be so preoccupied or worried about money so much from now on.”

This story teaches us that right understanding is more important and precious than money. Do you not agree that for a thing to be precious it should give us no worry? Assuming that you agree with this, you can see that it is not money that we want as we do not want to worry. You can see now that if we have money, we have worry. Another very important thing about money is how to use it. There is a simile, “Money is like a knife” if we don’t use it in the right way, we may hurt ourselves. Therefore, we must learn how to use and use it in the right way, otherwise we may get hurt. In such instances, money does not belong to us, but we belong to money. In spite of helping us, money will trouble our life.

In reality, money troubles a lot of people. So if we understand it, know how to use it, we will neither be troubled, nor worried about it. How about you, does it trouble, or worry you?