POVERTY IS NOT JUST LACK OF MONEY

 
It's amazing how money can be known by so many different ways. In a temple, church, or charity it's called a
donation, in a school, it's a fee, in a marriage it is dowry, and in divorce alimony, when you owe money to
someone it's a debt, when you pay it to the government it's a tax, in a court it's fine, when you receive it
regularly after retirement it's  a pension when an employer gives it to a worker, it's called a salary when a
master gives it to a servant it's called a wage, when children receive it it's an allowance, and when you borrow it
from a bank it's called a loan, when you offer it after a good service it's called a tip, when paid to a kidnapper it's
called a ransom when it legally received in the name of a service is called a bribe, and when used to share and
to serve others it's called happiness.
Poverty symbolizes much larger deprivation than just a lack of money. It is not just about economical poverty
but it is Multi-Dimensional poverty which causes multiple deprivations with respect to Economical deprivation,
Social deprivation, and Inability to make certain choices, it is a lack of freedom in life. Poverty has become a
condition where people are not able to make choices with respect to important matters in his or her life. It is an
inability of the section of society where we live.
For example: Whether you drive a fox wagon or you drive a Bentley, the road remains the same isn't it? Whether
you speak on a Samsung or you speak on an iPhone X whoever you're calling remains the same isn’t it? Whether
you're flying economy or you're flying business the destination area heading remains the same, isn't it? Whether
you're wearing a simple fast track or you wear an Omega or Rolex the time remains the same. It's quite amazing
how we work ourselves up so much with increasing the standard of living that we forget to increase the
standard of our life. And which is why I think there's nothing wrong with an Omega, and nothing wrong with a
Bentley God blesses them, if they have it let them drive it- no problem. But it is trying to enhance and increase
and improvise the standard of your living, I would request do not compromise with the standard of your life it's
not the standard of your living that makes you happy it's a standard of your life that makes you happy. And very
often, we forget to give attention to those things that can truly make us happy, which is why I always believe that
things that I often think is about those which have utility value, not happiness value. Travel business class or
first-class travel -no problem drive a Bentley no problem but in doing so never ever compromise on those
principles that also improve the standard of your life. And therefore I always think some people are so poor, so
poor, and so absolutely poor, that all they have is money. That’s all they have. I consider that life a poverty-
stricken life, if all you have is money; you're the poorest person in the world. Because there's more to life than
money, and there's way more to life than what money can buy. And therefore I many times think, if you want to
truly know how rich you are, drop a tear and see how many hands come up to wipe that tear. I would like to say
our happiness and our increased standard of life are not in things, it's in people. Its relationships. it's
meaningful, heartfelt deep bondings of love that bring fulfillment to the heart. It is the meaningful exchanges of
love that we share with each other and relationships, that bring true joy to the heart. And isn't it the greatest
irony, it's something that brings in the greatest fulfillment, that we very conveniently neglect in just running
after increasing and enhancing a standard of living.
 There's nothing wrong in possessing money, the problem is when money possesses you, earn more money,
fulfill your needs, utilize your money to share and serve others and transform the value of your money from
currency to happiness we can definitely say that poverty is not just lack of money but is a lack of economic,
social, and political elements in once life.