Everything happens in life: prosperity, and poverty, and joy, and sorrow. But every person needs to remember that there is always a way out. And if trouble happened, then it is either like a well-deserved punishment, or like a bitter, but experience.
Often even people say: "If there were no happiness, but misfortune helped." But what to do, how to get out of poverty if it knocked on your door?
Peace, only peace!
Do not despair. Believe me, tears, depression, anger at the whole wide world will not help the cause. common sense, sober look life must be present not only in unpleasant circumstances, but at any moment.
Take a notebook or notepad, an ordinary A4 sheet and a calculator. Consider who and how much money you owe. What Plan everything for writing. The calculator will help you calculate how much you can save on purchases and what is the probability that you will soon pay off the loan or How to get out of poverty, we will tell further.
Constant lack of money or debt
Do you know what Christians usually do when trouble strikes? They pray to God to help in everything. They believe that the Lord so reminds of himself, gives people the opportunity to come to their senses, stop wasting their lives in vain.
The crisis in the country or in the world is not the reason for your poverty. You create this environment yourself. It's time to sit down and think about what you've done for last period. What could lead to debts and lack of money?
Learning to save
Think about whether you are wasting money? Do you smoke? Do you like to drink? You know that alcohol and tobacco kill the body, give up bad habits in favor of the budget or repayment of debts.
How to get out of poverty for a woman? Why are we talking about her? Because she likes to use cosmetics, perfumes, bath accessories, buy new outfits. You can live with a beautiful appearance and without these attributes, simply and tastefully.
Do not buy extra toys, chocolates and chips for children. Not only is this harmful products that destroy the body, so they are also not cheap.
Buy only everything you need and at the lowest price, at a promotion or at a discount. Or maybe choose a cheaper alternative. Don't chase after advertising brands, for example, Blend-a-Honey paste, of course, costs almost 10 times more than New Pearls or Forest Balsam.
Debts on a loan or other payments
Everyone who has experienced late payments knows that it is almost impossible to hide, and it is impossible to ignore warnings. Penalty (fine for delay) is getting bigger and bigger every day. Most banks charge penalties as a percentage rather than a fixed cost. There may then be litigation, up to the confiscation of property.
How to get out of poverty in this case? Use all the funds you have to pay off the loan. better month walking to work and not smoking, but you will quickly pay off your debts.
Is it worth borrowing from relatives and neighbors?
You should not ask for a loan from neighbors, colleagues, relatives, if you are not sure that you will repay it soon. But it's worth trying. Just promise that you will return as soon as possible. Don't name specific dates.
How to get out of poverty, debts thanks to the help of others? Be sure to write down who took the money and how much. Do not spend the amount that appears on things that you can buy later.
Ways to earn extra income
Nowadays, there are many options on how to get out of poverty. The methods are presented below:
- overtime or part-time work at the main job;
- turn a hobby into a job;
- freelance;
- tutoring;
- caring or looking after a child, an elderly person, pets.
If you are good at sewing or knitting, then you can do needlework for sale.
How to get out of debt and poverty with the help of freelancing? think about what you do well when working on a computer? Write texts or edit photos? There are many ways to make money online these days.
If you, for example, are well versed in cars, then you can recommend yourself through relatives, friends, colleagues as an experienced craftsman.
Even if you know almost nothing, it's time to learn something. Maybe you will discover a talent for a particular activity.
Prevention of poverty and debt
So we figured out how to get out of poverty and debt. If you do not have such a crisis, then it will be useful to do prevention. What is it? Let's list:
- Do not take loans at all, because you never predict what might happen tomorrow. You can, of course, take out insurance on a loan, but you also have to pay for it, and a lot.
- Buy things and products as needed.
- if the journey takes less than 3-4 kilometers. So save on expensive public transport and gasoline for your personal car.
- Buy goods where it is cheaper. If there are periodic promotions, then do not rush to buy a thing at an inflated price. Wait for the discount.
- Learn to save extra money from your salary in a secluded place so that there is no temptation to get money.
- Get a job if possible.
May you always have extra money. You can arrange them in different envelopes, piggy banks, niches under the carpet.
If you learn to act deliberately every time, then you will not have to face debt. Unfortunately, no one is immune from poverty, you can only minimize it, and save yourself from debt once and for all.
February 15, 2011
Have you ever wondered:
Why is money never enough?
How to get out of poverty?
Why, no matter what I do, is wealth a distant dream for me?
I recently got into a conversation with an old friend of mine. She knowing that I help people solve them psychological problems asked me for advice.
The story she told me is the story of millions of people around the world. But for Orna, that's the name of my friend, this is the story of her life.
Orna, Israeli. Once in her youth, she worked in a real estate firm, as a secretary. She was great at finding mutual language with clients. Easily found suitable options for them. Orna, working as a secretary, closed large deals that an experienced realtor could not always close. At the same time, she received the usual salary of a secretary.
Her owner, appreciating her work, sent Orna to realtor courses. After graduating and obtaining a license, she returned to work in the same firm. Now she received not only a salary, but also a percentage of transactions.
Within a few months, she realized with horror that she had nothing to live on. The deals she made fell through one after the other. And for no apparent reason.
Money, as if bewitched, disappeared without appearing. In the end, she had to quit. In the future, Orna worked in many places, but the situation with money was the same everywhere and always, that is, bad.
I asked her what she thinks about rich people and whether it is good to be a rich person.
Orna replied that the rich are cold and closed people and she's not sure it's good to be rich.
She herself spoke of herself as a kind and open person.
When asked what she would do if she received a very large amount of money, Orna said that she would help all her relatives and friends. And only at the very end, Orna told what she would do for herself.
Orna, like many people in different countries, all the time asks questions: how to get out of the vicious circle of poverty, how to stop being poor. And at the same time, when asked what you would do with the money, he immediately offers to give it away.
There was a feeling that she was ashamed to spend money on herself. I drew her attention to the fact that she wants money, but at the same time she considers money to be evil, and considers rich people to be bad.
How can you want something and be afraid of it at the same time?
This thought surprised her. And to the remark that even without having money, she was already planning how to distribute it, she was even offended.
After all, according to her sincere conviction, "Money is given to help people." That is, deep down, she believes that having money is immoral. Being rich is bad, but you want money. Here is such a gap of feelings.
How often thoughts live in us: money spoils a person, all the rich are bad, greedy, callous, and most importantly, soulless. In my work, and in life, I talked with both rich and very poor people. And now I want to tell you a terrible secret.
Among the poor people there are Greedy, Evil, Envious and Unscrupulous, even more than among the rich.
And they justify it with the lack of money.
Decency does not depend on the presence or absence of money. That is, personal qualities do not depend on the amount of money.
Wanting money, trying to do something to get it and, at the same time, considering it evil, this means living by the proverb “I don’t want it, give it.”
Who will give you if you don't want? Even if you think you want to.
The eternal question of how to get out of poverty, where to start, has a very simple answer. Very often, it is enough just to change thoughts, to go beyond self-limitations, in order to get everything you want.
Orna is doing well today. She realized that money is not evil in itself.
It all depends on our attitude to life, to money, to ourselves. One can be rich and spiritual.
Try it, maybe you can.
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How many people constantly count pennies, just to survive! They are constantly in a position of poverty. But poverty is not determined by the amount of money in the wallet. Poverty is in our brains. And until you stop thinking and acting a certain way, you will not be able to get out of poverty.
Say no to pity
Those who consider themselves poor are constantly feeling sorry for themselves. They gradually get used to being content with little. They think that nothing can be changed, it is their lot that is so difficult and they need to put up with it. They think that it is not their destiny to be rich. No luck - the color of the eyes is not the same, the height is not the same, and the voice is not very ... All this is nothing but self-pity. It's a vile, sinking feeling. And other people feel the same very well. It has to be eradicated, because who wants to associate with such a person? And who wants to take it on normal work? You know the answer.
Stop being greedy
Do you think you are poor because fate is unfair to you? No, it's most likely because you're just being greedy. And than less money- all the more greedy.
The problem here is simple: greedy people want a lot but don't want to give anything in return. If a person works, then he has at least some money. And if you don’t have money and it’s not expected, then you don’t really work.
Someone always complains that they can't find suitable job. Suitable, as a rule, means sufficient in terms of salary. But maybe stop being greedy and try to get a job not with the kind of earnings that you would like to get right now? Maybe you overestimate yourself? And if you work well, then you will definitely have good prospects. If you think that there are none, and the work does not bring money... well, it is worth considering whether you give enough, whether you put enough effort.
There are many more excuses a greedy person can come up with. For example, that he is a sociopath and can only work from home, and such work cannot be found. Or that the city is small, there is no good work in it. Remember - if you have a head, two legs and two arms - all these "problems" are solvable. You can find remote work, and learn a profession from scratch. Deciding to move to another city is also not so difficult.
Recognize the greed in yourself. To do this is quite simple. Start paying attention to the following: Do you choose the cheapest products? Are you trying to get something "for free"? Is it hard to part with money when buying a gift for someone? If yes, then you are a greedy person.
The poor have a lot of problems: they cannot improve their living conditions, they have debts, they have no job or career prospects... It is a shame to be poor, poor people think. Therefore, they do everything to ... not seem poor (instead of not being poor)!
As a result, the money is spent on the wrong things. A person with a salary of 20,000 can take out a loan for a foreign car worth 800,000. After all, you want a more or less prestigious car. Why take "all rubbish"? Every second person in public transport (and anywhere else) has a smartphone from a popular Apple manufacturer. A person can spend the last money on branded clothes, and then sit on bread and water until the next salary.
From the presence of the attributes of a rich life, you will not cease to be poor. You don't need to deceive yourself. Stop taking loans unnecessarily and buy with the last money what is not so necessary. The fact is that rich people have become so because they were able to invest their money wisely. And the poor spend every penny.
The most common, but simple and actionable advice- Set aside 10% of all types of income. And figure out what to do to increase savings.
Stop comparing yourself with anyone else, and most importantly, stop being jealous and offended by everyone around you. Forgive yourself for these feelings and let them go. You have a howling life, and if it does not suit you, it's time to change something. It's never too late to bring change into your life. Are you 40 years old? But this is not a reason not to get another education (or even only the first one). Are you 50? Maybe it's time to move to another city and change the field of activity.
Set goals for yourself and move towards them. The goal should not be as much money as possible. The goal can be work, your business. And only from you, and not from luck, the achievement of the goal depends.
Boost your self-esteem. Today you can find a lot of information on how to do this. Poor people are sure that they will not get anything good in this life. Instead of preparing for an interview for a good job, they can drop everything halfway, being sure that this place will definitely not be theirs. From here one more important conclusion - it is not necessary to think for others.
Making ends meet, people try to provide themselves with basic necessities, and often even this is very difficult to do. When you find yourself in a similar situation, you understand how difficult this lifestyle is: when you live from paycheck to paycheck, it is more like survival than life. But every problem has a solution. Today we will share 5 steps you need to take to get out of the vicious cycle of poverty.
1. Start with a budget
Have you ever been in a situation where you couldn't remember where all your money went? Planning future expenses, budgeting will allow you to systematize expenses, and you will not spend money on unnecessary things. Budgeting will make it possible not only to save, but also to save cash. Saving money is necessary not only in order to make an expensive purchase, but also to create a kind of airbag in case of an emergency, for example: for car repairs or a boiler breakdown.
Also, cost planning provides an opportunity to track the trend of expenses, which will reduce spending on unnecessary purchases. When you find those products or services that don't add value but are money grabbing, you can save money by removing them from your shopping list.
2. Find a way to earn more
If your current job doesn't bring in enough money, and there's nothing to save on, then you need to find ways to increase your earnings. The first option might be to get a second job, which will help you earn extra money. But there will be much less time for entertainment and recreation. Refresher courses can also help, where you will acquire new knowledge and be able to take another, more highly paid position. And, of course, the third option is to change jobs. If there is a vacancy where they will pay you more and give you prospects, then the best option will settle down in a new place and work there. Remember that any changes in life will only benefit. Most importantly, make all decisions wisely.
3. Learn to save
During times of financial hardship, saving money is a top priority. You can simply save a certain amount as a safety net for a rainy day. This is the easiest way. You can also open a savings account with the ability to deposit money, but you will not be able to withdraw it during the selected time period. Try to look for various promotions, use services with cash backs - this is real way save money. And at some point, you will find that you can make a purchase with refundable funds. Also, when buying a certain product, make sure you get it at the lowest price: today there are many websites that list prices for a specific product in various stores.
4. Stop using your credit card
If you want to stop living in debt, then stop creating debt. And the first step is to stop using credit cards. Just lay them out of your wallet and then block. Many people live and hope for this money which does not belong to them; spending money that they can't repay. Instead of constantly spending, start saving money. You may have to tighten your belts at first, but soon you will have an amount due to which you will gain financial freedom.
5. Get out of debt
In order to get rich, you have to deal with debts and hateful interest. Fortunately, the yard is not dashing 90s, so that many owe interest not to brothers, but to banks. But in some way only the name of the oprichnina has changed. Create a payment plan, find another source of income that will bring extra money. Focus on paying off one debt, then move on to another. But do not try to embrace the immensity and do not promise all creditors a lump sum payment that will allow you to get rid of debts. Unless you hit the jackpot at the casino or bought a lucky lottery ticket.
6. What needs to be done after the financial situation improves
1) Always keep your budget in mind
Budgeting for the month is your best way to stay financially stable and stay out of debt again. As soon as the financial situation improves, it may be tempting to stop planning expenses and go beyond the budget. But you don't have to do that if you want to maintain stability.
2) Do not confuse wants and needs
We often make the mistake of confusing desires with true needs. For example: food, water, a roof over your head - these are human needs that we strive to satisfy. But expensive branded clothes, dinner at a restaurant and the best italian tile for the bath - these are our desires. You must soberly assess your capabilities and understand whether they are commensurate with desires.
3) Find multiple sources of income
The best way Earnings is a passive income in which you receive money without much effort. You can rent out the premises, if available, or work as a freelancer. There is also the option of getting a second job. But remember about the rest and accept the fact that there will be much less free time.
4) Be aware of unexpected expenses
Life is unpredictable, but you have to be ready for anything. We do not plan when to get sick, and going to the doctor can cost a pretty penny. Unexpected expenses will arise throughout life, but you can prepare for them by forming an emergency reserve just in case of such “cataclysms”. A certain amount, which you can use only at the moment of acute need, should always lie “under the mattress”. You may not be able to spend it just like that, but you will know that you have a financial airbag for any unforeseen event.
There are an incredible number of books on this subject. And almost every person sooner or later asks this question. And when the issue is not resolved, then darkening emotions, such as envy, greed, or senseless hoarding of material values, give way to it.
The ancient texts say that wealth, beauty and intelligence are the main indicators that a person has good karma.
But to be precise, I would like to talk about how not to become a beggar.
I was born into a wealthy family, but after graduating from school because of the desire for independence, I refused any help from my parents. Entering the institute, even though increased scholarship, I experienced all the horrors of a beggarly and hungry life. Due to the specifics of our institute, I had to spend a significant part of the scholarship on supporting my studies. necessary materials such as paints, canvases, brushes and so on. As a rule, in those days they were sold by speculators at inflated prices, for example, one sheet of Whatman paper cost 12% of my scholarship. There was very little money left to live on. First time I'm on own experience I felt and felt that hunger is not only uncomfortable sensations. Hunger is very painful, and it hurts for a long time, until, finally, you still don’t eat. And in this case, you can eat everything, even what has already deteriorated and is not actually food.
Moreover, I noticed how, due to constant deprivation, my consciousness became more flawed. Detrimental because I came to visit empty-handed, because I could not give worthy gifts to my friends, because I often tried to travel by public transport without a ticket and looked around all the way, afraid to fall into the hands of the conductor. I felt humiliated when I got into debt or turned to people for help, knowing that having money, I could not burden anyone, but simply pay for it. My intuition told me that borrowing the services of others is a waste of virtue, in other words, you also have to pay for it with your good karma.
And the most important thing that I noticed is that negative emotions began to steadily arise in me, such as greed, envy and even anger. If I allowed myself to buy something especially tasty, I ate it when I was alone. I envied my friends that they were dressed much more decently and more fashionably than me. I was angry when unlucky students accidentally ate my last canned food hidden for a rainy day or took the things I needed and took with them. They did this because we lived in a hostel and many things also began to be considered common. They were unaware that my material level was very different from theirs, because almost everyone who surrounded me received outside help.
And then I realized that I was a beggar, and not only a beggar financially. The state of constant economy and the fear of losing the latter greatly lowered my spiritual mood, hardened my heart, and it came to the point that I began to be ashamed of myself.
In my free time, I worked, but there was so little free time that I had to leave the institute. But even when my working day became standard, for some reason there was still little money, so little that I didn’t even have enough to buy healthy products and the necessary warm clothes. I mercilessly froze in an old jacket and holey boots, and swallowed saliva, passing by shop windows abundantly lined with products.
Then I started working several jobs. Money has increased, but time has completely disappeared not only for life, but even for rest.
For some reason, the accumulated savings disappeared, either thanks to people who like to profit at someone else's expense, or because of problems with our Russian economy.
For example, there was a period when I had to work 12 hours in a row. Being in the cold, lifting weights, risking my health and even my life, I practically saved up enough to buy a room in Moscow in communal apartment. I kept all my money in the bank. During the default, all my savings suddenly turned into a meager amount that a person earned in those days in one day.
It was a terrible collapse of all my hopes. I did not understand how the world works, why it is so unfair and why I cannot become not only rich, but even have a normal enough livelihood.
But one day I was lucky to meet a Spiritual mentor, who very simply and clearly explained to me the rules of the game with the material world.
According to one of the rules, I realized that, even having been born into a wealthy family, which means that at the time of birth I had good karma, but as a result of the fact that my mind was clouded by negative emotions, primarily GREED, the luck to earn money turned away from me. To fix it all, you had to learn to GIVE.
After all, it is not for nothing that there is such a saying: "A person is given two hands so that he receives with his left, and distributes with his right."
Of course, becoming rich for yourself is not a very high motivation, but you can become rich so that our life becomes the most useful for the world.
So the ability to GIVE is also an art. If you go out and distribute money to all the people, they may be happy and even thank you, but will it be of much use?
It's hard to find someone who really needs help. Because the needy are, again, those who were previously or are now overshadowed by the same greed or simply laziness to earn. It is almost impossible to help them, because they will constantly WANT to take. But helping them to listen to your advice is just sometimes necessary. Only when they accept the rules of the game for the desire to work and give will their life really change for the better.
When I opened my business, some people came to me to ask for money, but when instead of money I offered them to work with me at the company, they left in a hurt way. Do you think it is possible to help such people?
And then, feeling their resentment, I nevertheless began to give them money just like that, the experiment also ended in failure. Some of them just started to deteriorate. It is understandable, accepting money from me and not trying to change their mind, they lost their good karma, and more and more approached the world of Hungry Ghosts.
There were also those who said they needed money to go to the Himalayas and meditate. But I also wanted to go to India and wanted to practice meditation, but I worked because I knew that this was important for my future practice. Because in order to engage in serious spiritual practice and have a steady mind for meditation, Merits are also needed, and they are precisely accumulated by the practice of Giving. Otherwise, you can sit even in the holiest place in the Himalayas, and instead of steady concentration, just pick your nose and admire beautiful views mountains As a result, one year, three years, five years will pass, and the person will not change. The light in the soul will not increase, but on the contrary, it will become smaller. And instead of wisdom, arrogance and pomposity will arise. But the thing is that if a person has not taken place in society and cannot even earn money for a trip, then he is also unlikely to succeed in spiritual practice. Because, as I wrote earlier, this is also very hard and exhausting work.
Of course, there are people who have already engaged in spiritual practice in past lives, and there are those who have many Merits from birth, but, as a rule, such people are visible. They are usually noble, have few desires connecting them with this world, and when they begin their spiritual path, their progress goes very quickly and everything they need appears effortlessly.
But apparently I didn't have enough Merits.
At that time, Tibetan Lamas sometimes stayed at our house in Moscow. Once I told them that I really want to go to India and do spiritual practice. And they were very surprised and said: “Now you are working and making Giving to the Buddhist Sangha, and this is one of the best spiritual practices. Until the conditions are created, you must continue to work and make Giving.”
And I bit my lips and continued to work. And indeed, the day came when I was able to go to India without asking anyone for money and independently of any sponsor to meditate. But to this day, I feel how hard it is for me to practice, how little Merit I have and how little benefit I have brought to people.
Among people who are just starting to practice spiritual practice, there is a strange tendency - when they hear that they need to GIVE, for some reason they immediately pay attention to rich practitioners and wait for them to GIVE something. And if they are not given back, then they reproach these wealthy people with greed and a low spiritual level. For some reason, they cannot immediately understand that they themselves need to GIVE, and not wait for returns from others. And if they have nothing to give, then they just have to go and earn.
Moreover, if we ask for something, but they don’t give us, we shouldn’t rush to accuse such people of greed, maybe we ourselves GIVE very little and we ourselves have absolutely no karmic reason to receive something from others.
I have friends whom I really appreciate. They live in another city and make art. I knew that they were far from rich people. I really wanted to help them somehow, but the paradox was that when they came to visit me, it was at that moment that I had financial difficulties, and I could not decently treat them. It got to the point where even regular potato burned when I cooked for them and as a result became inedible. And when they left, I again had money, and I could treat other people.
At first this surprised me, but then I realized that, being people of art, they pay little attention to material wealth and perhaps that is why they are so difficult to help. Of course, this is not a reason to refuse to help further, but interesting example for consideration.
So, who is there to help?
I think taking care of my parents as they raised us and helping people in trouble is really good. Victims of circumstances who need help, as well as the sick and infirm, children and the elderly. These are much clearer. If a person had the experience of a prosperous life, has a sound mind, then this is a very good opportunity for him to GIVE.
Moreover, if you really found people in need of help and provided help, it is not recommended to be proud of it, but rather thank God that he gave you the opportunity to make this gift and thereby accumulate Merit. Since any person in this world is a manifestation of Him, and helping people, we serve Him.
Next, you can consider special charitable organizations that bring real benefits to people. But even among them there are those who too quickly get used to the “manna from heaven” and often money and funds begin to flow for other purposes.
It is very bad to GIVE money or material resources for bad purposes, for something that harms living beings, for something that lowers our consciousness, for example, such as debauchery, alcohol, drugs, etc. We can experience very quick success from such gifts, but the retribution for it will be very bitter. All this connects us with low fates, respectively, leads us to misfortune, and our mind to degradation.
Over time, trying different variants and having made a lot of mistakes, I realized something significant, namely, that the best gift is a gift to your Spiritual mentor. And not because he needs something, as a rule, good teachers have already transcended their base desires and have much more merit than ordinary people. Just by making a gift to a higher person spiritual level, we increase our own spiritual potential, we acquire virtue for the fulfillment of our desires, we increase the light of our soul. It is even right to make an offering to the Spiritual Master because he has more wisdom to distribute our offering to good use.
Why is it so?
Any philosophy capable of elevating our consciousness is a panacea for all diseases and sufferings of the world. If we support such an organization or such spiritual leaders financially, then naturally, as a consequence, we give them more opportunities to help people. Because through their activities or through spiritual practice the whole world benefits. And accordingly, we ourselves link our fate with more high levels Universe.
But there is one thing: money is karma. And take money from ordinary people is to take their bad karma, and to give Light energy (Sattva) in return, so not every Spiritual mentor is capable of such an exchange. Some texts mention that only a person who has realized NON-DUALITY (in Advaita Vedanta), or directly VOID (in Buddhism) has the right to be a real object for offering.
But, unfortunately, now there are very few such Teachers, and even less, because in the era of Kali Yuga, the dark forces are strong.
It follows that if you can find the real spiritual teacher and making an offering to him is your coolest luck in life.
Apparently, I did it once.
By that time, I was already studying at another institute, but despite, again, a small scholarship, I began not to save, but to GIVE.
Perhaps, thanks to this merit, after a while I was lucky to open a business. While working, I also gave a significant part of the money to people involved in spiritual practice, and a year later I already drove an American car and had everything necessary for life.
But was that my goal?
This is just an example of how the rule works. I have tested this on my own experience. But I also realized that the possession of various material things requires an enormous amount of energy and time. But life is very short, and it can be used for much higher purposes.
But let's sum it up anyway.
So, what in no case should you do if you do not want to become a beggar:
1. One must try to discard GREED, that is, clinging to material objects.
You might think like this: we are all cells of a single organism of the Universe. So, each of us should benefit this organism. If a person lives only for himself, then life-giving energy ceases to flow through him, and he rots. Even in yoga it is said that greed blocks the energies in the Manipura chakra (solar plexus), the element of fire is destroyed and thus the person begins to malfunction in the digestive system.
2. Do not get into debt, and in no case do not ask for money if you are able to earn it yourself. Any unearned money is a loan to the Universe, and sooner or later it will take its toll with high interest, and perhaps this will happen at the most inopportune period of your life for you.
3. Don't take what doesn't belong to you unless you have permission to do so. And of course, in no case do not steal or cheat. All this is punished especially severely. After death, such karma leads to rebirth in a very low fate - the world of the Hungry Spirits.
4. Do not throw away food and what can be useful and used by others, but give it away for its intended purpose.
It can also be said that it is worth taking care of things, because one of the people spends his precious human life to create these things. The longer you use this thing or let others use it, the more merit accumulates its creators.
Sometimes, using some very well-made thing, I mentally bless those who made this thing. And I feel that such thoughts are very useful for these people, as they can be small, but saving bricks in any life situations.
Everyone can bless, it is not necessary for this to have any status or position in society. In India, it is for this that magnificent weddings are played and birthdays are celebrated, plentifully treating people. This is not just a desire to have fun or splurge, as often happens in European countries. In India, any offering to living beings is, first of all, a request for a blessing so that everyone in the area is satisfied and happy. As a rule, this is also a pledge against envy and negative emotions from other people who can greatly influence our lives.
Therefore, blessing is the easiest and most positive activity.
5. Don't overeat, and only eat what is really good for your health whenever possible. Otherwise, excess food will waste your energy, and dirty food will pollute the Manipura chakra.
What needs to be done to make your standard of living good, or even very good?
This is very well written in “Lamrim” by Je Lama Tsongkhapa in the “Giving” section.
And in short, you can say this:
1. If you have nothing to give, then you can make offerings mentally, visualize whatever you want. On a subtle level, it all really works and helps your mind get rid of defilement.
2. If you find it difficult to give something valuable, then start giving away what you no longer need. In every house there are such things that are stale without use, but necessary for others.
3. If you find it difficult to give to strangers, then start giving to your family, loved ones, or those whom you respect the most. Gradually, you will feel the joy of this process, and then it will become easy to give, and to others who need your help.
4. You can make it a rule, for example, to donate a percentage of your monthly salary to charity, to the church, to orphanages, to nursing homes, or you can take some helpless person under your care.
Some people may ask the question: How can you help other people in such a way, thinking about your own benefit?
Nobody advises this. Simply, as I wrote in another chapter, our world is of a rather low level, and we get here according to our work of the mind, therefore each of us has a set of base desires, obscurations, and a fairly large egoism. But out of safety, our thinking is always looking for justification for our actions, and therefore often we try to call our act some lofty term, such as compassion and mercy. But if you look deeply, it becomes clear that true love to people and no one possesses generosity, otherwise we would all be in a more high worlds. More often we try to present our good feelings, which we manage to squeeze out, to be more significant, but, in fact, we do these actions, deep down we have selfish motives. Therefore, setting yourself the goal of cultivating good motivation will be much more correct. (Remember, just above we talked about our usefulness to the Universe).
When I manage to make an offering without thinking about my own benefit, but simply because I feel that this person needs help, true satisfaction and joy from what I have done arise in my soul. It even happens to be much more than if I spent the money on my own whims. And this, I think, is the most important thing.
I think that for this it is worth striving to be rich.
So, with the three lower chakras, we are done and move on to the next ones, which are located at higher levels.
Let's explore together with you what work of the mind can contribute to their pollution:
Continued in the book "Secrets of the Universe. Message from the Himalayas". Sold in online stores.
