Working for Money
In any Western city the tallest buildings are
owned by banks, stockbrokers, insurance companies and other financial institutions.
Through a process of
Fractional
Reserve banking banks are able to lend out more money than they receive
in deposits. They get interest on money they don't have, effectively a licence
to print money. This means that people who work in financial institutions have
access to huge sums of money. It’s like a chocolate lover working in a chocolate
factory. Working hard does not necessarily mean being paid well.
Firstly, working hard does not necessarily mean working efficiently. I've seen
many programmers who put in long hours but don't achieve much, either because
they didn't think the design through properly, or simply because they are not
very productive. Many people who start their own companies put in long hours
but often don't make enough to pay off their loan. If you borrow at 4% you have
to make at least 4% profit just to stay in the same place. Unlike the entrepreneur,
the banks are guaranteed their money; they don't take any risks on their investment.
Secondly, there is a matter of gearing. You can be employed by someone and get
paid a certain amount per hour or for a fixed-price job, or you can put a similar
effort into developing a product which is on sold and from which you get ongoing
revenue. Good negotiators can get a deal which pays on profits. This can backfire
however as you may work on someone's dream idea but the fact that they are prepared
to put money into it doesn't mean that you should.
Thirdly, by employing other people there is the potential to reap the rewards
of their labour. This has to be fully examined, however. Many companies find
that the revenue they gain from some employed people doesn't cover their total
expenses. Your time is much cheaper than the time of someone you employ but
profitably employing people is another way of gearing your effort.
Fourthly, you have to work for companies or in an environment that has money to spend. It is difficult (and many would argue, immoral) to earn large sums from a charity. In this regard working for financial institutions can reap dividends. Other industries who tend to be prosperous are oil and drug companies and, to a lessor extent, real estate companies.
There is a view in some circles that making money is contrary to spiritual development.
It is certainly true that effort put into making money is effort not put towards
spiritual development. However, this applies to any activity that takes you
off the main path. There's nothing virtuous in time spent rummaging through
rubbish in order to get something to eat. What becomes destructive is an emotional
attachment to money but in fact any emotional attachment diverts you from the
real path. Poverty can become as big an emotional attachment as making money.
Enlightenment is to be able to clearly listen to your unconscious, the voice
of your Lord. An emotional attachment is a voice that pulls you in a different
direction.
