Acharya Mahaprajna
Economic progress is also a form of development. Development has many manifestations. We cannot impose any rules on anybody. It is said that nobody should remain poor, but why should we become too affluent like Kuber, the god of wealth?
A person once went to a king and said, "Oh King! I have become a siddha, a possessor of all wisdom. I see everybody but nobody sees me."
Redaridrayan! namastubhyam, sidhkoh twatprasadat
Sarvonaharn cha pastvyami, man na pashyati Kashvan.
Oh poverty! My greetings to you. Because of your generosity, I have become a siddha.
I see everybody, but nobody sees me.
We do not want such kind of poverty. The poor would not perhaps be able to become religious. When there is no food to eat, what will religion do? We do not think in terms, either of economics of poverty, or of increasing wealth.
Basic needs of everybody should be satisfied. But when any economic prosperity is at the cost of the interest of others, it is never desirable. It ought not to be desirable. Opinions are different at different times, and the opinions refer to a specific time span. It is natural that contemporary thoughts are more attractive.
