Can humans be truly happy without money or material possessions (materialism)?

Param Pujya Dada Bhagwan, an Enlightened being, asserts,

“Until one is under the societal influence (lok-sangnya), there is nothing but pain there, and if one comes under the influence (sangnya) of the Enlightened One, then there is nothing but happiness, happiness, and even more happiness. What is lok-sangnya? Loksangnya means to believe that there is happiness in whatever people have believed there to be happiness in; say they have believed there to be happiness in materialistic things, you too believe the same. And to believe that there is happiness only in the Soul is the sangnya of the Enlightened One!

The Soul (God) is an abode of endless bliss. If you like happiness and you do not like misery, then worship God. And if you like misery and do not like happiness, then worship the material things. Anything that one does to attain the Soul is spirituality. This should be the main production (in one’s life), as a consequence of which, one automatically receives all worldly necessities as a by-product.”

A Hunt for Happiness

How does one develop in this journey of life, life after life? Let’s understand…

The ego hunts for happiness in this relative world. It settles for some happiness; then experiences that there is no real happiness here and so moves on to the next relative object; once again he hunts for happiness, he experiences that there is no happiness here either, and hence moves on to the next temporary object.

This cycle goes on life after life wherein one keeps taking different kinds of experiences and keeps concluding that there is no real happiness in this, there is something beyond this experience. In the process, one is silently progressing on the path of development. And ultimately when he realizes the Self and experiences the Soul, he tastes the real happiness and settles there permanently.

How can one be truly happy with something that gives temporary happiness?

Through the five senses and with the help of ego, intellect, mind, etc. we experience worldly things. As stated above, this continues life after life, and lastly, we find out that there is no permanent happiness in this material world; all material happiness is temporary and material things also are temporary - they give only temporary happiness. This is when the person starts hunting for permanent happiness; one strives to find a place where he can find permanent happiness.

Where lies Permanent Happiness?!

The Soul is permanent! When one realizes that, ‘I am a Pure Soul’ (Self-Realization), he tastes permanent happiness, and the charging of new karma stops. Thereafter, as one stays more and more in the awareness of pure Soul, neither attraction nor hatred towards any material thing occurs. So gradually, the old karmas bear fruits one by one and get discharged. This is a state where one is living a life with no desires.

There is umpteen of happiness, peace and harmony in this state, as there is no attraction or hatred, no desires or worries, and no happiness that is followed by unhappiness in that state. This happiness is permanent and steady because the Soul from which this happiness is derived is, by its inherent nature, permanent and still!

Hence, it is important to develop and reach the stage where one, through his own experiences, arrives at a conclusion that all material things are temporary and so is the worldly happiness derived from them. To reach this stage, first and foremost, we need to go to the Enlightened One, and with his grace, attai
Self-Realization. And then following His enlightened words, when no covering of ignorance or karmas remains on the Soul, one experiences permanent happiness forever.

To read more about the 'Science of Money', visit: https://www.dadabhagwan.org/path-to-happiness/relationship/learn-conflict-management-in-life/money-but-no-peace/