Q: Even though I know money cannot assure happiness, I still save for retirement, why is that?🔗

A: I'm not asking you not to save, but let you be very clear, just be disconnected from that idea or the connection that you are making with the money and happiness,.

I am not saying, drop your money, or forget about your money. I am not saying that. I am not even saying do some charity, you will go to heaven. I don't believe in that. One more thing, even if you give money for my foundation I cannot give you any special ticket there. Nothing can be done. I can't sell any heaven ticket. A special visa, nothing. NO VIP pass.

Do some charity if you feel like doing that's all, not because you may have something afterwards. People ask me, in that case, why are you building temples and ashrams Swamiji?

Let me tell you my temples and ashrams are the place to experiment and experience what I am teaching. Your money can't bring you anything except the comforts. Let your identity be not affected by the money. Let money not enter your space and let money not guide you in your happiness or your inner space. Many people feel elated just by seeing more and more zeros in the bank balance. Any moment that excitement or joy can be taken away, and it is just dependant on those few zeros. And one more thing, it's purely mind.

You are much, much, much more than you think as your bank balance. Let you be far more than your bank balance. Your identity about you is created only based on your bank balance. Let you not create your identity based on your bank balance. That's the only thing I am saying. With money you can choose between the sufferings that's all. Don't think you can choose between happiness and suffering; you can only choose between many sufferings.

You have the choice of your own suffering, otherwise nothing else. One more thing, when you integrate the understanding that you are unclutched, so much of energy and understanding will happen to you that you won't keep quiet; you will make enough money. You will generate wealth and all these small questions or doubts you have about your life will all disappear. Again and again I tell that one small story.

A blind man goes to the doctor and asks him, 'can you help me?' The man walks with a stick goes to the doctor and asks, 'can you help me?' The doctor says, 'I'll do a surgery you will have your eyes back; then you can see and walk without stick'.

Blind man says, 'I can understand that I will be able to see, but how I can I walk without a stick?'

He was so used to the stick that life without it did not seem possible to him!

Let you be very clear, the suffering or joy or attachment doesn't exist. When you are very clear it doesn't exist, any time the object is taken away you won't bother. Even if you bother, it's ok; what is there? Even the bothering doesn't exist. The idea of bothering is nothing but one more connection.

The bothering that came to you 9 years ago, the bothering that came to you 8 years ago and the bothering that came to you yesterday they are not connected. Why are you again connecting and seeing all of them and thinking that you are continuously bothered about money or that you are continuously bothered about improving yourself or that you are continuously bothered about your happiness.

See all these things are just more and more and more words. Even your problems are very superficial; you are just struggling with words. The whole thing is nothing but words. Your whole inner space is filled with words and you are struggling for air. You are struggling even to breath, because your whole inner space is filled with words. You are constantly binding; every inch of your being is tied with a chain. Wherever there is a small gap you purchase one more chain and tie it. You don't feel comfortable even with a small gap. And you say no, no. no, let me have one more chain and you tie it.

Only when you are completely tight and you can't move this side or that side or you can't breathe then you feel comfortable. You feel, 'yes, now I have enough problems. Let me go to some enlightened master'.

Then you come to me to increase my business. What can I do? I always encourage people to get married so that I will have my business. See unless you have constant problems you won't come to me, I lose my business.

In Bharat knowledge is free; we are more liberated. Even today anyone who wants to study Vedanta or the Hindu philosophy his food, stay and education is all free. They are offered free in thousands of monasteries. You can leave when you want. In 5 cities in the Himalayas 100,000 ashrams are there, where spiritual knowledge is free of cost. All spiritual knowledge is given free of cost.

This mission is going on independent of politicians and business people. Politicians are no way able to influence; they can't influence this area of spirituality. It is independent and uninterested in convincing anyone, unlike scientific knowledge.

Be very clear, science has a vested interest in convincing people. Otherwise how research will happen, how will people who are funding them recover the money? Who will fund the research and who will then fund the development? Let you be very clear, science is much more superstitious than spirituality.

Q: I feel good when I hear you talk and could relate to my lifestyle, but once I leave you and go home my wife will ask me what did Swamiji speak about? I can't remember anything. Does this mean I am not ready for your teachings?

Be very clear you are ready for my teachings. If you are not able to remember the words, be very clear you digested the essence. People who are trying to remember the words, people who are taking notes, be very clear they are only preparing to repeat, not to digest. You are in the right space, nothing wrong, just digest and enrich yourself that's enough. There is no need to remember and give discourse to your wife.