Prosperity is a beautiful state, a great accomplishment. It’s also a beautiful word, albeit narrowed and watered down in its colloquial definition.
Genuine Prosperity is not so narrow, it’s all‐encompassing. Though it has typically come to be narrowly defined as material abundance. Material abundance it is, but it’s just a part of prosperity; a major part of it.
The Indian word for prosperity is Laxmi. As you may be aware, there is a whole gamut of Laxmis, nine Laxmis to be precise. So nine types of prosperity it is! It’s Multi‐dimensional. However, two broad categories to begin with ‐ inner prosperity and outer prosperity; prosperity of the spirit and prosperity of matter, spiritual prosperity and material prosperity.
And if you will notice we have put the two types of prosperity in a consistent sequence. The inner before the outer, the spiritual before the material. There is a reason for that. A pretty obvious one. Factually speaking, one precedes the other. One is the base of another. The first is the source of the second. In the dimension of what we can call ‘Meaningful Prosperity’.
Well there can be the second without the first but then it’s not worthwhile. It’s not meaningful prosperity. It’s like putting the cart before the horse. How far can the cart go? And what use is outer prosperity without inner prosperity? What use is wealth without joy? What use is heaps of money without an ounce of loving relationships? What use is a hefty bank balance without any peace of mind? Rather what use is the hefty bank balance that takes away the very peace of mind?
However a hefty bank balance need not take away the peace of a person who has firstly grounded himself in a peaceful state. The one who has chosen to always put the horse before the cart. Therefore please do not presume that wealth brings with itself lots of tension and heart‐burn. It can but it need not. Provided you have got the sequence right.
Focus on joy and let wealth follow. Do whatever it takes to keep you grounded in a joyful state. Meditate, pray, serve, follow your passion, pursue your hobbies, take sabbaticals, go out with your beloveds. Do whatever it takes. But station yourself in joy. It’s from this state, that you choose to work and offer your self‐expression in the world. This self‐expression can bring in loads of money. Anything less than that is not a worthwhile choice!
