How can I excel in Business – Q & A with Paramhamsa Nithyananda

In our series “Q & A with Masters”, we are bringing one another important question that a spiritual person and a business man at same time may face this situation in his life. Paramhamsa Nithyananda, an enlighten master from India answers this question.

Question from a Devotee:

Senthil: Nithyanandam Swamiji. I invest in stocks thinking of getting huge returns but lately have been taking a beating. I thought I was being too greedy but based on what you said it may not be that greedy. Do I keep applying courage and hold on to my investment applying courage and will perseverance or take some loss like some people are advising? Thanks a lot.

Swamiji: Senthil, I want to tell you, you are taking a beating in stock not because of your greed but because of the Wall Streets greed. Understand, it’s a very clear, a very scientific method of exploiting people’s desire to have money. See the whole stock business is nothing but very systematically exploiting the collective desire to have money; nothing else.

I tell you, that business, the only thing you need is… not just courage, it will be like a… you should not be afraid… to break any of these so called values.

See it’s like – when somebody wants to enter into politics, his Dharma becomes different. He cannot be having certain Dharmas, which we have in our normal day to day life. His Dharma is different. Same way when you want to enter into this stock field, you should know how to play with others desires; how to play with the greed of the Wall Street; and you should not hold on to your values which usually you will follow in other places.

See for example, you have this big value of non-violence. You should not do that when you are doing investing in the stocks. That will not work. There, the Dharma is different. There, the Vaishya Dharma is different. I will personally give you two advice. One, have courage. Second, give up non-violence when it comes to Vaishya Dharma. This two will take care of you; and I know this is what exactly is your pattern. Have Dharma of non-violence in life but not where you are doing the Vaishya Dharma.

I will tell you a small story. It actually happened. I read it in the Facebook. I was shocked that who put this in the Facebook because this actually happened in my life.

My grandmother…. I just enjoyed my life with her. She is such a sweet person. One day morning, in the street, people, in Indian villages in the street they sell curd, buttermilk, the spinach, all that. So the old lady comes selling the spinach. Katta ettanna, kata oruanna, kata rendu anna, like this they will call; means one pack is one anna, one pack is two anna; like that they have. So, she was shouting in the street saying one pack one anna, one pack one anna, come, come. My grandmother went and she was bargaining with that lady to make it into half anna. One anna is I think 16.5 paise or something like that. Anyhow in those days anna was the way; not paise, anna. So one anna was the price that lady was telling. My grandmother asked, “No, no, give me for half anna.” She negotiated, negotiated finally brought it to half anna and bouught 8 packs. So she saved 4 annas. When that lady was giving, my grandmother slowly asked, “Hey, did you have your breakfast morning?” She said, “No, no, only after going back I have to cook and eat.” She said, “Wait, wait; ran into the house, brought full plate of idly-chutney, full breakfast which must be at least 10 anna worth and gave it to her. That old lady ate. She gave water also; she took care of everything. And that lady ate and got very happy and then she went with her remaining thing. Then I asked my grandmother, “you saved four anna in the business but you gave away 10 anna.”

She said in Tamil beautifully

13:08

Dharmathalla vyaparam paaka koodadara

Vyaparathil Dharmam paaka koodadara.

I will translate: in Dharma no business, in business no Dharma.

She said

Vyaparathil Dharma paaka koodadara

Dharmathalla Vyapara paaka koodadara

In Dharma no business, in business no Dharma.

Senthil your problem is you are bringing your non-violence into your business. You should not. You should become just like Wall Street fellows, only then you will be successful in that.