Premanand Maharaj
Many times a person earns money through corruption and immorality, but his conscience does not allow it, yet he goes on doing so due to the greed for money. Regarding this, a person told Saint Premanand Maharaj of Vrindavan that he earns money through immorality. I know I am doing wrong, but my mind tells me that if everyone is doing it then it is right. Maharaj explained to him on this matter. Not only this, he also narrated a story and told how an impure illusion destroys everything.
Answering the youth’s question, Premanand Maharaj said that those who are earning money through immorality are also enjoying it. You should reduce your requirements a bit. It will be better if we walk religiously. We should not take money from dishonesty and immorality. The money earned should be given to cow shelters, sick people and places where medicines are distributed for free.
He said that one should always earn and eat religiously, so that the future of the children is bright and the family can live a happy life. It is possible that today your environment may be very good, tomorrow when the result comes it will not be good, hence everyone is requested to keep an eye on the earnings of their religion and try to avoid unrighteousness.
What story did Premanand Maharaj tell?
Premanand Maharaj said that immoral earning is like poison and it kills. It should be understood 100% that ill-gotten gains will definitely kill a person. Giving an example, he explained through a story that a bag of Ashrafis was lying on a road and the saint was going through that road. That bag was covered with raj i.e. soil. When his foot touched that bag, he saw that it was Ashrafiya. If the disciple could not see it, he covered it again with the silk. The disciple said, Guru ji, this is something, so he ran and opened it and found Ashrafis in it. The saint said cover it and do not pick it up, it is poison. This will kill. This is impure.
The disciple said, Guru ji, I cannot believe how she will kill? He said keep it here and hide quietly in the bush. We show you how Maya will kill. Wherever it goes it will corrupt his intellect. This is the nature of impure illusion and unrighteousness. Meanwhile, when four royal soldiers passed by on horses, one soldier caught sight of them and said that there were hundreds of ashrafis in this bundle. He said that today our luck has opened.
All four sat under the tree and asked to be divided into four parts. One said that take out four ashrafis from it and buy good food and get it. There was a market nearby so two soldiers went to the market with four ashrafis. Both of them thought why it should have four parts, it should have two, in which both of us have a part. One said to mix poison in the food. Both will die after eating this, then both will divide their respective shares. Both the soldiers themselves had a good meal and left with poisoned food for their two comrades.
On the other hand, the other soldiers who were resting thought that how these Ashrafis would be divided into four parts, they would kill the two soldiers who had gone to the market as soon as they arrived, and then divide it into two parts. Both the soldiers agreed to this. As soon as the two soldiers brought food, they were killed. After killing both the soldiers had food, both of them died as soon as they had food. Baba Ji told his disciple that you see, this impure Maya has killed him. Run away from here, don’t pick it up. That’s why unrighteous money corrupts the intellect.