…how will all these things make our journey more comfortable?
We cannot clutter up our lives, not now or ever.
We must travel light, live simply, and not worry about tomorrow,
secure in the knowledge that God will always provide—
perhaps through the generosity of people like the good Uppals.
--Guru Nanak (from Harish Dhillon's The First Sikh Spiritual Master)
The birds have no money in their pockets.
They place their hopes on trees and water.
He alone is the Giver.
You alone, Lord, You alone.
(Guru Nanak Dev, p 7)
Riches do not remain with anyone -
not even the golden palaces of Sri Lanka.
People gather and hoard their possessions,
and give nothing to anyone else . . . .
the poor fools think that everything is theirs.
Listen, you foolish and ignorant mind –
only His Will prevails.
My Banker is the Great Lord and Master.
I am only His petty merchant.
This soul and body all are His.
He Himself kills, and brings back to life.
(Guru Nanak Dev, p 155)
I don't think there is such a thing as
an intelligent mega-rich person.
For who with a fine mind can look
out upon this world and
hoard what can nourish
a thousand souls.
-- Kabir
My only Support is the Naam,
the Name of the Lord;
as He keeps me, I survive.
The leaders and kings shall not remain.
The bankers shall die,
after accumulating their wealth and money.
Grant me, O Lord,
the wealth of Your Ambrosial Naam.
(Guru Nanak Dev, p. 227)
You claim that your body and wealth
are your own;
you do not chant the Lord's Name
even for an instant.
Look and see,
that none of your possessions or riches
shall go along with you.
(Guru Arjan Dev, p 678)
The false world is engrossed in greed.
Crying out, "Mine, mine!"
they collect possessions,
but in the end, they are all deceived.
(Guru Arjan Dev, p. 1004)
Through corruption,
one may obtain thousands
and millions of enjoyments,
but even so, his desires
are not satisfied through them. . . . .
By continual oppression and exploitation,
he accumulates wealth,
gold, silver and money,
but the load-bearer
gets only paltry wages,
while the rest of the money
passes on to others.
He grabs and collects horses,
elephants and chariots,
and claims them as his own.
But when he sets out
on the Long Journey,
they will not go
even one step with him.
The Naam, the Name of the Lord,
is my wealth;
the Naam is my princely pleasure;
the Naam is my family and helper.
The Guru has given Nanak
the wealth of the Naam;
it neither perishes,
nor comes or goes.
(Guru Arjan Dev, p. 497)
O God, save us who are involved
in the love of money.
Bound by covetousness and worldly love,
we have committed various sins. . . .
I am lowly and know nothing.
Having rejected the gem of your Name,
I have amassed human money.
I am a degraded and silly being.
By the comission of sin
I have amassed
what is very unstable
and forsakes man.
(from Rag Bihagra [Prayer for Forgiveness])
Blessed is the straw hut
where God's praises are chanted;
Worthless the white mansions
where remembrance of God is not.
Poverty with the holy
while contemplating god
is bliss itself.
Burn that pride of high state
that involves the self with Maya.
Grinding grain with rough clothing
brings to the mind joy and contentment.
What worth kingship
without peace of soul?
(Adi Granth, Suhi, M. 5, p. 745)
Without the Naam,
the Name of the Lord, O Nanak,
all are reduced to dust.
The dust of the feet
of the Saints is sacred.
Blessed are those whose minds
are filled with this longing.
They do not seek wealth,
and they do not desire paradise.
They are immersed
in the deep love of their Beloved,
and the dust of the feet of the Holy.
(Adi Granth, Gauri Bavan Akkhari, M.5, p. 251)
One is poisoned
with the very wealth
that one has accumulated,
It will prove unfaithful in the end.
(Adi Granth, Guru V, Bihagara Rag)
Sheikh Farid, in his recliner at his spacious palace