From www.manakkudiyan.com :
It was my personal trip to Chennai and happened to meet my friend. He requested me to be with him for the next morning pooja at his office premises. I respected his feelings and that’s how I was there on that early morning. The Ganapathi Homam was over, Prasadam was distributed to everyone and people were engrossed with the taste of Saravana bhavan coffee. And I was engrossed with the priest.
Rituals were over and he was doing his packing’s. He looked very thin, wore white dhoti on the waste and thread cross the chest. I was asking about his life and family. He used wonderful flavor of Tamil. He has been given responsibility to take care of a small temple in a nearby street; he does not go to all these kind of poojas. Since his guru was busy with some thing else he has been assigned this one. He has two school going daughters and one son. And his aged parents stay with him. He is the only income source for the whole family. He finished his packing’s, picked up his bag, as he was leaving out, he looked at me and said, “ Last month I bought two grounds of land which is next to Porur”.
I was shaken up. He is not as famous as other busy priests available in the city for Homams in the office; he does not go for marriage rituals. He himself mentioned his income is not so huge and on top of it he has aged parents, wife, school going kids and an infant child. All the money would be going for food, medicines, school fee, glossary and other expenses. How is it possible for him to buy two grounds of land, that too in just next to city?
With the unanswered question inside, I sat in my Honda City and drove to Bangalore. Honda City – is an ultimate car. I enjoyed the drive. I Reached Bangalore at 05:45am and I saw Siddique standing with his white bucket. Siddique comes early morning and cleans my car and bike. Same bucket in the hand, but instead of his usual cycle there was a YAMAHA RX125. I was surprised when he said, “My bike sir, I bought last month!” I was very happy for him. I gave the car key, he moved towards the car and I claimed the staircase.
Siddique works as a labor in a godown. I know he has very less income, stays in a rented house, has a family and school going son. That is the reason he cleans few cars in the mornings and gets Rs.300/- per car. In fact I committed him that I will fund his son’s school fee next year. Suddenly Siddique comes in 125cc bike. It is great.. “But how is this possible?”
I remember my wife was telling once about servant maid who sweeps the floor and cleans the vessels at my home was looking for my help for opening a savings bank account. I remember the farmers in my village kept on working for the whole year, kept on spending money for the crops in the form of urea, pesticide, labor, etc and only once they will get big harvest. It will be once in a year. But… they too educate their son and daughters, build villas and bungalows’ and have all the comforts.
My servant maid is a young widow, has a son, earns tiny amount of money, manages the family and want to open an account for savings. The farmers in the village get once in a year, but keeps for the whole year.
Yes. I got it. I understood what Robert T. Kiyosaki told in his famous book ‘Rich Dad, Poor Dad’… “It is not how much you earn. It is all about how much you save!”
Yes. It is possible for the priest to buy two grounds of land just next to the city. It is possible for my car cleaner to buy his favorite YAMAHA RX125. I earn in lakhs and pays good amount of tax. They earn very little, may be in thousands. But they have greater plans for the incoming money. They are not strong in earnings. BUT THEY ARE STRONGER IN SAVINGS.
I remember my father was telling my uncle when I was a small boy, “Earning the money is not a big project. But saving the money is very big project. It is some thing like digging a huge well with a needle”. Now I understand the real life of ants.
My servant maid, Car cleaner Siddique, Chennai Priest, farmers in the village and all those people who work in the street has re-phrased the question in me. It is about ‘how much you save?”.
Hey my friend, your daughter, son, wife and family needs financial comforts tomorrow.
I do not ask you how much you earn… I am asking you … HOW MUCH YOU SAVE?
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