By Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar┃Posted: November 30, 2018

It’s natural for most people to aspire for a wealthy, happy, and peaceful life. However many fail to attain happiness and peace despite having a fat bank balance. Making a lot of money is not a sufficient condition to be able to live the life you want.

Ancient wisdom talks of six virtues which make life wealthy both financially and personally. They are Shama, Dama, Titiksha, Uparati, Shraddha, and Samadhana. Once possessed, these treasures cannot be taken away from you, and constitute the real riches of life.

1. A tranquil mind

The ability to keep the mind calm under any kind of circumstances is Shama. This virtue is the surest passport to good fortune, as it’s the state of mind that determines one’s quality of life.

Though everyone knows we have no power to change the past or act in the future, the mind keeps oscillating between the worries about the past and anxieties for the future. When one is rich in Shama, the mind lives in the present moment. A restless mind makes the intellect dull and hazy. A mind in the present enables one to act more effectively and efficiently. We have often seen when the mind is not focused, we fail even in things we know very well. The reverse is also true. With a focused mind, we can crack the most complicated problems.

2. Senses under control

The second type of wealth is Dama, which means mastery over the body and the senses. Without Dama people are driven by whims and fancies of the senses, and often end up doing things that they have to regret later. It’s common to overeat despite knowing one is full. Many heinous crimes that we see in society are often a result of lack of control over the senses. Those who have cultivated the virtue of Dama have a command over their senses.

Dama also implies good alignment between your mind and your senses. The five senses continuously look for fulfillment in the sense objects. However, objects can’t bring lasting pleasure. While the senses have their limitations, the desire to enjoy can be limitless. This mismatch between one’s desire for pleasure and the limited capacity to enjoy through the five senses creates turmoil in life. The skill of turning the mind inwards and keeping the senses in control brings immense strength in life.

3. Endurance is golden

Another wealth worth building in life is Titiksha or forbearance in thought, word, and deed; the ability to endure and withstand opposites such as heat and cold, pleasure and pain, etc. Without Titiksha even small events are enough to rattle one’s mind. Ups and downs are a part of life, but they never stay forever. With the wealth of Titiksha, one doesn’t get carried away by passing events and situations. If one loses calm and presence of mind when things do not happen according to expectations, then it shows a lack of Titiksha.

4. Enthusiasm matters

The fourth type of wealth is Uparati. It’s the ability to enjoy anything and everything one does – even if it is a mundane thing. The habit of maintaining a sense of enthusiasm and full involvement in the moment is a precious attribute.

Uparati also means doing everything naturally and rejoicing in one’s own nature. Often people act for the sake of recognition and approval from others. Letting go of everything, being natural, playful is Uparati, and so is doing everything seriously! These are completely opposite values, but taking them together, living them together, is Uparati.

When the mind is fully absorbed in action, it not only brings joy and fulfillment but also shuts all rooms for regrets and complaints. When there is a lack of Uparati, then there is a sense of dejection and disinterest. One who does not have enthusiasm cannot create or invent anything new.

5. Faith makes it rich

If there is something that can make one feel wealthy, it is Shraddha or faith. Shraddha is the willingness to know and trust the unknown. One doesn’t need to have faith in what is already known. If the mind is rigid and says “I know it all”, that is ego. The more one knows the more will be the feeling that one doesn’t know.

Without Shraddha, nothing can move in life. If one doesn’t have faith in the doctor, the patient will not be able to take the medicine prescribed by the doctor. The electric company supplies electricity having the faith that the consumer will pay the bill at the end of the month. The entire world works on faith. Putting a foot forward before getting the fruit of the action is Shraddha or faith. To grow in life, we require faith in three things – in oneself, in the goodness in society, and in Divine.

6. Contentment is crucial

Samadhana means contentment. A person who is contented exudes positive vibrations that everyone else would love to have. It makes one at ease with oneself, with the people and situations around, and with the whole existence. Contentment comes from accepting the moment as it is.

Contentment shouldn’t be taken as a license for lethargy. It is a state of no craving and no aversion! Creativity and perfection blossom in us when there is Samadhana or Contentment.

Wealth management

So, these are the six treasures guaranteed to bring success and prosperity in life. Each one of these constitutes real wealth and like any type of wealth, some of it comes to us easily in life, while others require efforts to be acquired and maintained. In the absence of these virtues, the untamed mind reels in doubts, restlessness, sense of lack and scarcity.

For those looking for a shortcut to amassing this precious wealth, I would suggest a daily practice of meditation. Together with yoga and breathing techniques, it works like a magic wand to calm the mind, control the senses, grow abundantly in resilience, enthusiasm, faith, and contentment.

With patience, courage, and passion, work on acquiring these six treasures and you will be on the path to a truly wealthy and fulfilling life.

Originally Published on LinkedIn.