Aren’t we thieves?
The Quran has enjoined to spend on others what is beyond our need. Now what is absolutely needed by us that we can spend on ourselves? We will not quote ancient authorities or mystics but more recent sage Aurobindo in this context: “I firmly believe that the accomplishments, genius, higher education and learning and wealth that God has given me are His. I have a right to spend for my own purposes only what is needed for the maintenance of the family and is otherwise absolutely essential. The rest must be returned to God. If I spend everything for myself, for my pleasure and luxury, I am a thief.” This is what has been said essentially by great sages across traditions. Let us examine our lives in light of this, the task that philosophy wishes everyone to undertake.
I conducted an empirical survey amongst 75 households to know what is the average essential monthly budget for a decent living (covering such things as food, clothing, transport, phone, internet, electricity and other routine bills, medicine, education for two children in an average school) for a family of five that has its house and no loans generally taken for not absolutely essential things. The answer was around twenty thousand. One may stretch it to 30 thousand for some. For those who have retired and have well settled children, need may be only a few, around five thousands. So on an average most families having monthly income of 50k plus should be donating, or at least keeping available as soft loan, or for investment in local businesses, around 20 thousand. No excuses. No need to lock money in gold or land that isn’t used for some productive unit. People do make significant savings but then destroy them in marriages or lock them in gold or other instruments that are often uncertain and don’t remain available for larger local community good.
Deep down we haven’t assimilated the basic point regarding the purpose of life and secret of happiness. It lies in living for the other, life of giving, spending and sharing. It lies in living with an understanding that to say ‘I’ is a lie, as Simone Weil noted, and that basic pathology is one of being somebody, one needs being nobody. Iqbal said, “Strive hard in the ways of selflessness to discover and realise yourself.” It is a fact that “man cannot find happiness within his own limits; his very nature condemns him to surpass himself, and in surpassing himself to free himself.” Marcel says, “We do not belong to ourselves: this is certainly the sum and substance, if not wisdom, of any spirituality worthy of the name.” The self is our dearest possession and to lose it the only commandment of scriptures or the deeper meaning of all commandments. There seems to be no exception to the rule that joy lies in renouncing the empire of ego and love without condition all that is non-self, seeing the world as a family. Panniker has observed, “The more we are the other, the more we are ourselves . . . to be our true self we must transcend our ego.”
Let us ponder why the Prophet (SAW) praised life of simplicity and moderation and saints give almost everything away for the poor or community. Recall how such philosophers as Wittgenstein and writers such as Tolstoy donated almost everything. God in the Quran asks basically for the donation of very dear self against which He gives us life of heaven. Let us begin today by giving daily sadaqah of just Rs 10 or sponsoring free halwa around public places or community gatherings once a year. Let us write will (wasiya) for making available to any welfare organisation or a Trust at least one percent of profits our assets give to our children, or one percent of property we shall leave here on earth.
