Losing Money in Business for Dharma

Losing Money in Business for Dharma

Date Posted:
October 2005

A student started a business expressly to raise funds for a large spiritual project, but the business was doing poorly, and had begun to lose large sums of money.

My very dear Lucy,
From the bottom of my heart and on behalf of the FPMT, in one voice we thank you for what you are trying to do for the Maitreya project. You should know that the money actually went to Maitreya. The money wasn’t lost in a void. It was lost for Maitreya. Actually, as long as the motivation was positive, you receive great benefit.

Of course, the idea was to make a lot of money. That didn’t happen, but you created so much merit with your positive mind. From a material point of view there is a loss, but from a spiritual point of view and from the point of view of karma, there is great gain. A normal businessperson would do business just thinking of this life, so they would create negative karma, and would not create a single merit, and on top of that live a completely empty, meaningless life. Even if the businessperson were materially very successful, it means nothing. It is an empty life, and on top of that they create non-virtue. Comparing this with what you have done, you are extremely lucky. You have created so many merits, so you should rejoice, especially as this opportunity has allowed you to collect in the future all the qualities to achieve the path to enlightenment, and then be able to benefit all other living beings.

With much love and prayers...