True Wealth

We often refer to our materialistic, financial possessions as our wealth. Money is a means to fulfil our worldly requirements, however it cannot be described as our true wealth. Wealth is defined as having a sense of abundance. If we understand that, then true wealth is something that we experience and not what we possess. True wealth can have a different meaning for everyone; for some it is good health, for others it may be contentment or even compassion. It is difficult to measure true wealth, but it can be expressed in love, happiness, opportunities to do good, and many other ways.

As seekers or initiates on this Sant Mat path, our spiritual wealth is our true wealth. Nam has been referred to as true wealth by Mirabai:

The jewel of Nam I have found;
Precious wealth I have obtained
A rare gift did my Master bestow;
In his mercy he has made me his own.
My original treasure I have regained,
And am rid of all I had in the world.
It can neither be stolen nor squandered;
It keeps on increasing from day to day.
_{Mira, The Divine Lover}

Meditation is the way to grow this spiritual wealth. Maharaj Charan Singh explains that by meditating we are building a treasure in heaven:

If you earn ten rupees in a day and in the evening you just spend it all, you are back to where you started at the beginning of the day. Satsang will help you to preserve that treasure of meditation. Satsang will help you to remain humble and not to become the rival of the Lord…. Satsang will help you to remain in his will, which is real humility and meekness. It will help you treasure all of the grace of the Father that is within you.
_{Die to Live}

The Sant Mat path uses a systematic approach. It is designed in such a way that it leads us to meditation. Each step on the path makes us spiritually prepared for the final redemption. When we are seekers, we get to know the basic tenets of the path. At initiation, we are taught how to apply them and set our priorities in our daily lives. We have the four vows to help us become better versions of ourselves. Then we are bestowed with support of satsang and seva. Satsang creates a spiritual atmosphere and provides protection from negative tendencies and constant reminders of our spiritual duty. Seva humbles us as we get to count our blessings while learning the importance of collaboration and respect for our fellow sevadars. Finally, we have countless books, hours of recorded satsangs and multilingual channels to help build our spiritual wealth.

We are investing in our spiritual wealth every time we relentlessly adhere to our vows. The seva we do, the spiritual books we read, and the satsangs we attend help to strengthen our meditation. Each second that we spend in meditation, we work towards our spiritual destination.

However, we must not forget that satsang, seva, and the four vows are all means to the end, but not the end itself. Nam is a treasure which is bestowed on us by our Master and it has to be earned with our daily effort. We need to build on it with our meditation. If we fail to earn this, all our other efforts, or deposits to our spiritual wealth, will not bear dividends.

It takes every drop of water to fill an ocean and it takes each of these steps to grow our spiritual wealth. The investment to build spiritual wealth requires our faith, effort and dedication, but once this wealth is built there is no risk of loss. What we have gained, we keep with us until our last breath and beyond.

You have been given the passport to go back to your own home where your supreme Father is waiting to receive you. What greater joy, blessing or bliss can one have in this world of misery and suffering? In fact, no other person should be so happy in this world as an initiate who is on the path. He should always keep his final goal in sight – the treasures, the joys and the bliss that await him in his true home.
_{Maharaj Charan Singh, Quest for Light}

Our spiritual wealth is our treasure, our true wealth that will give us a sense of abundance, bliss, contentment, peace and purpose. We cannot measure this wealth, but only cherish it. It should be our daily endeavour to add to this wealth and not squander it.

Be quiet
If you wish to reach
the treasure of consciousness,
for only your heart can reach that,
not your tongue.
_{Jalal al Din Rumi}