Sikhi and Success

Navdeep88 · #1 (**permalink**) 28-Feb-2011, 03:37 AM

What is Sikhi's view of worldly success and money (achieved through honestly, hard work and the love of what you do)?
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/general-discussion/34662-sikhi-and-success.html

Over the last summer I worked in a reception hall, and one evening there was a very extravagant party thrown by a very wealthy Sikh family. One of the uncles was literally wearing diamonds around his neck, I'd never seen a person glisten so much! but in his hand he had a mala.... I found this intriguing, is it really possible to have both success and extravagance, and to be on the path of Sikhi at the same time? If success and money do come in abundance , how should one approach them?
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=34662

My parents have always encouraged and followed the way of modest living. I am curious though, for those who have achieved or want to be successful, what is the approach that one should take to those things, as per Sikhi?

spnadmin · #2 (**permalink**) 28-Feb-2011, 03:57 AM

Navdeep88 ji

I am being slightly sarcastic when I say this. Go with modest living. Those Sikhs who succeed in business and do not show it off are the ones who endow university departments in Sikh Studies, fund eye hospitals for the downtrodden in India, are able to purchase Sikh historical art and relics and them gift them to museums. Once established through honest living, the modest continue the message through extravagant giving. Just my two cents. Or as Tejwant Singh ji would say - it is either about "meism" or about connecting as ONE.

kds1980 · #3 (**permalink**) 28-Feb-2011, 12:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Navdeep88

What is Sikhi's view of worldly success and money (achieved through honestly, hard work and the love of what you do)?

Over the last summer I worked in a reception hall, and one evening there was a very extravagant party thrown by a very wealthy Sikh family. One of the uncles was literally wearing diamonds around his neck, I'd never seen a person glisten so much! but in his hand he had a mala.... I found this intriguing, is it really possible to have both success and extravagance, and to be on the path of Sikhi at the same time? If success and money do come in abundance , how should one approach them?

My parents have always encouraged and followed the way of modest living. I am curious though, for those who have achieved or want to be successful, what is the approach that one should take to those things, as per Sikhi?

Sikhi in theory do not give much importance to worldly success ,but present generation of sikhs are desperate for success.If a person become Highly successful then many sikhs even forget that whether the person is actually
practicing sikh or not.For a common person ,they may give 1000s of does and don'ts but for successful people even overlook what they are doing.

Seeker9 · #4 (**permalink**) 02-Mar-2011, 05:04 AM

Success can be the hard earned result of ones own efforts so nothing wrong with that at all

Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=34662
I think it's more a question of what one does with the success, e.g does it make them more likely to indulge in the "five evils"