Striving for wealth in Hinduism - good, bad or neutral?

Namaste,
what is the attitude towards striving for wealth in Hinduism? Is it good, bad, or neutral? So far I know about Lakshmi, and about the demon Kali hiding himself in Maharaja Parik****'s golden crown. Please help me gain a broader picture.
Is it unethical or recommendable to worship Lakshmi for the sake of obtaining wealth ?

Sirona said:

Namaste,
what is the attitude towards striving for wealth in Hinduism? Is it good, bad, or neutral? So far I know about Lakshmi, and about the demon Kali hiding himself in Maharaja Parik****'s golden crown. Please help me gain a broader picture.
Is it unethical or recommendable to worship Lakshmi for the sake of obtaining wealth ?

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There is a lot wrong in having desires and attachments of any kind whether it be for wealth or for anything else. It only leads to suffering because of the tensions generated. One should be content with what one has and do only that which is required in order to have a quietly pleasant life without financial worries.

Sirona said:

Namaste,
what is the attitude towards striving for wealth in Hinduism? Is it good, bad, or neutral? So far I know about Lakshmi, and about the demon Kali hiding himself in Maharaja Parik****'s golden crown. Please help me gain a broader picture.
Is it unethical or recommendable to worship Lakshmi for the sake of obtaining wealth ?

Click to expand...

Personally, I interpret wealth to mean much more than financial wealth. It also mean wealth of friendship, love, food. Having said that, there is nothing at all against financial wealth (for the householder, not the sannyasin) that I know of in Hinduism. In fact, wealth can do so much good. So it's also about how one shares his/her wealth, implying dharma.

These days there is some crossover between sannyasin, and householder understandings. Teaching meant strictly for the sannyasin path has been taken (incorrectly, in my view) also for the householder.

Sirona said:

Namaste,
what is the attitude towards striving for wealth in Hinduism? Is it good, bad, or neutral? So far I know about Lakshmi, and about the demon Kali hiding himself in Maharaja Parik****'s golden crown. Please help me gain a broader picture.
Is it unethical or recommendable to worship Lakshmi for the sake of obtaining wealth ?

Click to expand...

Dharmah Arthasya Moolah - Dharma is strengthened by creating wealth earned through honest and fair means.

Hinduism teaches that wealth earned through honest and fair means strengthens dharma rather than weakening it. It is the rich who can perform charity rather than the poor just as it is the strong who can serve or help rather than the weak. Wealth used for performance of charity and service is especially auspicious.

So one has to earn wealth righteously and it is a duty in Hinduism.

Just like anything wealth has its negative side as well. Wealth earned through dishonest and unfair means is inauspicious and creates bad karma.

Similarly wealth has a tendency to strengthen the ego and arrogance reducing humility/modesty and reverence. It increases unconsciousness through numerous desires leading to the mind being in past or future rather than present moment awareness. And the nature of desire is that one is never content with what one gets or fulfilment of needs, and keep striving for more due to greed.

Kubera, the god of wealth, is shown to be ugly looking to depict this negative aspect of wealth.

Kubera - Wikipedia

One can worship Lakshmi for gaining a higher state of consciousness necessary to attract wealth. Lakshmi is the wife of Narayana, who is the embodiment of truth and righteousness. This means that wealth of an auspicious nature follows righteous character and conduct.

Wealth can come in a variety of ways. Financial, spiritual, friendship, etc. It's not 'evil" unless you are using it for wrong are searching for it out of greed, when you ignore the Dharma. When you earn wealth to help yourself, your family, and others (Nitya Karma), there is nothing wrong with earning wealth. I think we all know whats in our hearts, what our goals are, and know exactly why we want to obtain "wealth". Obviously we are human and wanting a new car or shoes (cough) haha is normal greed, and we aren't evil for it. But if that's our only focus.. then it's time to REfocus and re-evaluate what exactly we strive for in life. There is nothing wrong with praying for help or guidance in obtaining a little extra as long as you give back extra. Our temple priest says "Give as much as you take if not more and take what you need to help give." I don't know if that helps but I hope it clarify's a little =)

There are some who accept voluntary poverty and hardship for a period of time, as an austerity for raising their consciousness. I know of rich guys who take up a spartan lifestyle and goes on pilgrimages with the barest of essentials. They sleep under trees or on the bare ground, cook gruel themselves and bathe in rivers or ponds on the way to the pilgrimage and back.

This sort of austerity is useful in bringing one in touch with nature while in remembrance of the Divine, keeping away from numerous trivial distractions of the materialistic world, and even attaining better health .

In Existential Buddhism one minimises ones impact on the environment so as to save the planet for future generations. This means that our dharma is to do only what is required for a minimal existence. It also has spiritual benefits in that one curbs ones desires and attachments to alleviate ones dukkha/suffering and speeds up moksha or liberation if assisted with devotion to God within. More on Existential Buddhism can be found here: Existential Buddhism versus Theravada Buddhism.

I find there's an interesting dichotomy in "Hindu culture." On the one hand, material wealth is an attachment. A sign of the ego and an anchor to karma. On the other, we are obsessed with it. In artistic depictions of God, gold and jewels feature heavily. With ornate designs and statues decked out in so much glitter, they could be mistaken for a treasure chest. We even have specific deities one can pray to for material wealth. Clothing is ornate and "sparkly" and (at least for my congregation) if a lady is going to temple, one must always have beautiful clothing, bangles, earrings and jewelry.

Though part of me wonders if that is just the consequence of having a migrant community suddenly experience far more opportunities for study and wealth than in their own country. Whenever I visit my cousin in Perth, they seem extremely proud of their (to be fair very exquisite) home. If I compared that to what they left behind in Fiji, I'm sure I'd be giving fully fledged tours to everyone from the mailman to door knocking witnesses and guests as well.

SomeRandom said:

I find there's an interesting dichotomy in "Hindu culture." On the one hand, material wealth is an attachment. A sign of the ego and an anchor to karma. On the other, we are obsessed with it. In artistic depictions of God, gold and jewels feature heavily. With ornate designs and statues decked out in so much glitter, they could be mistaken for a treasure chest. We even have specific deities one can pray to for material wealth. Clothing is ornate and "sparkly" and (at least for my congregation) if a lady is going to temple, one must always have beautiful clothing, bangles, earrings and jewelry.

Though part of me wonders if that is just the consequence of having a migrant community suddenly experience far more opportunities for study and wealth than in their own country. Whenever I visit my cousin in Perth, they seem extremely proud of their (to be fair very exquisite) home. If I compared that to what they left behind in Fiji, I'm sure I'd be giving fully fledged tours to everyone from the mailman to door knocking witnesses and guests as well.

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Coming from poverty into wealth is difficult for any person from any culture, from what I've seen. There tends to be a pendulum effect, although it certainly doesn't affect everyone. In Hinduism, it's not the wealth that's the problem, it's the attachment. So being miserly is adharmic, but not wealth in itself. I've seen some very substantial donations from wealthy Hindus, and I'm grateful.

Vinayaka said:

Coming from poverty into wealth is difficult for any person from any culture, from what I've seen. There tends to be a pendulum effect, although it certainly doesn't affect everyone. In Hinduism, it's not the wealth that's the problem, it's the attachment. So being miserly is adharmic, but not wealth in itself. I've seen some very substantial donations from wealthy Hindus, and I'm grateful.

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That is true.
I guess for me, growing up in the southern Indian/Fijian migrant community, there is a sense of "Asian parenting" going on. Where all the kids are supposed to get prestigious jobs, be very academic, be wealthy and be shown off as a status symbol. I don't know if that is necessarily the intention all the time, it does come across that way in celebrations. Then everyone meets up in temple the next week and are all suddenly humble and meek.

That said, though the "hierarchy people" as my mother has dubbed them, do kind of show off how well off they are, most are very generous nice people.
I recently went to an extravagant 21st. Free buffet and endless flowing open bar all night. I know some Christians who could learn a thing or two from that.

SomeRandom said:

That is true.
I guess for me, growing up in the southern Indian/Fijian migrant community, there is a sense of "Asian parenting" going on. Where all the kids are supposed to get prestigious jobs, be very academic, be wealthy and be shown off as a status symbol. I don't know if that is necessarily the intention all the time, it does come across that way in celebrations. Then everyone meets up in temple the next week and are all suddenly humble and meek.

That said, though the "hierarchy people" as my mother has dubbed them, do kind of show off how well off they are, most are very generous nice people.
I recently went to an extravagant 21st. Free buffet and endless flowing open bar all night. I know some Christians who could learn a thing or two from that.

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I know enough people to know it's an individual thing. When a Mercedes comes into the parking lot, it can be from a chap who gave 100 000 to the temple and told nobody, or from a guy who gave 50 bucks and told everyone how he was a major sponsor. So the Mercedes means nothing, besides that it's a Mercedes.

Vinayaka said:

I know enough people to know it's an individual thing. When a Mercedes comes into the parking lot, it can be from a chap who gave 100 000 to the temple and told nobody, or from a guy who gave 50 bucks and told everyone how he was a major sponsor. So the Mercedes means nothing, besides that it's a Mercedes.

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Maybe, but I'm talking about the culture itself. Sure individuals may vary in humility or bragging and neither may advertise it that openly in terms of material items.
But there is a sense of hierarchical structure in place. Not saying I have a problem with it. But you do notice it happening.

SomeRandom said:

Maybe, but I'm talking about the culture itself. Sure individuals may vary in humility or bragging and neither may advertise it that openly in terms of material items.
But there is a sense of hierarchical structure in place. Not saying I have a problem with it. But you do notice it happening.

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Yes, I notice it. I'm not 'in it' or 'of it' but I notice it. It's here too, in the Sri Lankan Tamil community I'm involved with. It's a sociological learning type of observation for me. Doctors seem to have the highest role, followed by engineers with a Ph.D.

Vinayaka said:

Yes, I notice it. I'm not 'in it' or 'of it' but I notice it. It's here too, in the Sri Lankan Tamil community I'm involved with. It's a sociological learning type of observation for me. Doctors seem to have the highest role, followed by engineers with a Ph.D.

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With us it seems like Math/Accountants are the highest. Doctors and vets come next and any STEM PhD is also highly rated.

"Vidya dadati vinayam, vinayat yati patratam, patratavat dhanam apnoti, dhanat darmam tatah sukham."
(Education (should) gives humbleness, the humble are the correct candidates, the candidates get money, and with money a person can fulfill his dharmic obligations, and therefore be happy - rough translation).

Earning money is a 'Purushartha', one of the 'done' things in life, because with money you can take care of the family as also that of the society. That is the source of happiness. A person with money (vaishya) is responsible for the upkeep of the society, be it brahmins, warriors (kshatriyas) or those who work for him (shudras). Not doing that is 'adharma' (Gandhian economics, trusteeship).

Aupmanyav said:

"Vidya dadati vinayam, nivyast yati patratam, patratvat dhanam apnoti, dhanat darmam tatah sukham."
(Education (should) give humbleness, the humble are the correct candidates, the candidates get money, and with money a person can fulfill his dharmic obligations, and therefore be happy).

Earning money is a 'Purushartha', one of the 'done' things in life, because with money you can take care of the family as also that of the society. That is the source of happiness. A person with money (vaishya) is responsible for the upkeep of the society, be it brahmins, warriors (kshatriyas) or those who work for him (shudras). Not doing that is 'adharma' (Gandhian economics, trusteeship).

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Aup: I have now fully retired and do not have such a great need for money wealth any more. I am happy with my pension and my wife and daughter supplement the family income. I have also completed my education and performed all my dharmic duties to society by my postings elsewhere in this Forum and by my Blogging and Twitter Accounts and am without any kind of attachment so have bidden farewell to God too just now having completed my education and expressing my gratitude to God for all that He did for me. I have taken a vow never to consult God again for any material requirements as I have no requirements left. I am done.

Sirona said:

Namaste,
what is the attitude towards striving for wealth in Hinduism? Is it good, bad, or neutral? So far I know about Lakshmi, and about the demon Kali hiding himself in Maharaja Parik****'s golden crown. Please help me gain a broader picture.
Is it unethical or recommendable to worship Lakshmi for the sake of obtaining wealth ?

Click to expand...

I echo what others have stated about wealth not only being material, but spiritual, experiential, intellectual, moral, and ethical as well.

I see accumulating any sort of wealth as perfectly ethical, so long as it's not accumulated at another's detriment.

The question Salix is what that rich person should do with the wealth? As I said, Hinduism makes it a rich persons duty to support society, whether they do it or not today is immaterial. If not for the help of rich persons, the brahmins would not have had their hermitages and schools, if not for taxes from the rich a country would not have an army in case of an attack; and sure, the workers get pay from their employers. That was the ideal distribution of work in a Hindu society. Use of wealth for a luxurious life was not considered dharma in Hinduism. That is how Mahatma Gandhi arrived at his 'trusteeship' theory.

Aupmanyav said:

The question Salix is what that rich person should do with the wealth? As I said, Hinduism makes it a rich persons duty to support society, whether they do it or not today is immaterial. If not for the help of rich persons, the brahmins would not have had their hermitages and schools, if not for taxes from the rich a country would not have an army in case of an attack; and sure, the workers get pay from their employers. That was the ideal distribution of work in a Hindu society. Use of wealth for a luxurious life was not considered dharma in Hinduism. That is how Mahatma Gandhi arrived at his 'trusteeship' theory.

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I was under the impression in what I've read (the Gospel of Ramakrisha comes to mind) that it was sort of an exchange of kinds of wealth that was dutiful, like an exchange of financial wealth for spiritual wealth between Kshatriyas and Brahmins.

If I gave the impression that one should hoard wealth once accumulated, that was not my intention. I think it is dutiful to share wealth if accumulated, financial or otherwise.

Do not take Ramakrishna as the whole of Hinduism. He was a modern tangent. Brahmins and kshatriyas were not supposed to indulge in accumulating wealth. They were allowed just their maintainance. The job given by the society ideal in Hinduism to brahmins was to study scriptures teach children, and to kshatriyas to be ready to help people from any kind of injustice or fight for their country in case of war. Nothing more than that.