***ADVICE
FOR THE RICH MAN***
-TEACHINGS OF MICAEL-
Certain
rich man, Roman and Stoic citizen, was interested vividly in
the teachings of Jesus that had been presented to him by Angamon. After
many
intimate conversations, this rich citizen asked Jesus what “He” would
do with the wealth if he possessed it, and Jesus responded: «I
would dedicate the material wealth to the improvement of the material
life, as well as I would be devoted to the knowledge, the wisdom and
the spiritual service for the enrichment of the intellectual life,
to ennoble the social life and the advance of the spiritual life. I would administer
the material wealth like a wise and effective administrator of the resources
from a generation to the benefit and ennoblement of the next generation and the
successive generations»
But the rich man was not completely satisfied with the answer of Jesus; and
he dared to ask again: «But what do you think that a man of
my position should make with his wealth?, Should I keep it or should
I distribute it? ». Jesus elevated his advice and said:
«My good friend, I realize that you are a true searcher of Wisdom and
an honest lover of the Truth; therefore, I bring to your attention
the solution of the problems related with the responsibilities
of the wealth. I do this because you have requested my advice; I
am only advicing you under your personal requirement».
«If you want honestly wish to see yourself only as a receiver and administrator
of that wealth, then I would advise you that you made the following
analysis about the sources of your wealth: Ask yourself and make the
best of you to find an honest answer: How this wealth came to
me? ».
«To help in the study about the source of your great fortune, I would
suggest that you take into account the following ten different methods
of kneading material wealth:
-
Inherited Wealth -Fortune
that derive from the parents and other inherited.
-
Discovered Wealth -Fortune derived from the Mother Earth not cultivated resources.
-
Commercial Wealth -Fortune
obtained as benefit coming from the exchange of merchandise.
-
Dishonest Wealth -Fortune derived from the dishonest exploitation or the slavery of the neighbor.
-
Wealth of Interests -Revenues derived
from real and just earnings of the
invested capital.
-
Wealth of the Genius -Fortune
accumulated with the rewards obtained from the Creativity and the
inventions of the human
mind.
-
Accidental Wealth -Fortune derived from the generosity of a fellow
man or obtained by the
circumstances of life.
-
Stolen Wealth -Fortune
assured by the infidelity, dishonesty,
robbery or fraud.
-
Fund of Trust -Fortune
deposited in your hands by
a fellow man for a specific use,
now or in
the future.
- Won Wealth -Wealth
directly derived from your own personal work, the honest
and fair recompense for your
own daily efforts
with
your mind and body».
«And
this way my son, if you want to become a fair administrator of
your great fortune before the Father of Fathers and serve
the humanity, you approximately should divide your wealth in
these ten big divisions, proceeding to administer each portion with the wise and honest
interpretation of the laws of the Justice, the fairness, the Loyalty and the true Efficiency; nevertheless, your Father in heaven would
not judge you if from time to time you make a mistake in doubtful
situations
about this ».
«When you have an honest doubt about the Justness and the Justice in
the material situations, make your decisions in favor of those
that are in necessity and the suffering and unfortunate victims of the
circumstances of the mortal life».
After discussing these matters during several hours, and responding
to the requirement of the rich man, wanting a wider and detailed instruction,
Jesus expanded his advice saying in substance: «As I go offering
you bigger suggestions regarding the attitude about the wealth, I ask
you that you consider my advice, as observations exclusively for you
and your personal guide. I only speak for myself and for you like
a good searching friend. I exhort you to not becoming a dictator about
how other rich men must treat their wealth. I would advise you then:
«1. As administrator of your wealth, you should consider their sources.
You are under the moral obligation of representing to the last
generation, in the honest transmission of the legitimate wealth to the coming
generations,
after having subtracted a loyal percentage for the benefit
of the present generation. But you are not forced to perpetuate any dishonest
or unjust accumulation of the wealth for your ancestrals. Any
portion of inherited wealth coming from fraud or disloyalty, you should
distribute it according to your convictions of justice, generosity
and restitution. The rest of your legitimate inherited wealth,
you will be able to use it with justness and transmit it with security like
depositary from one generation to another. The wise discrimination
and the deep trial should rule your decisions in front of the wealth of
your ancestors».
«2. Each individual that is enjoying of wealth resulting from discoveries,
should remember that his stay in earth is extremely short; therefore, he should make the appropriate provisions for the allotment
of those discoveries by useful ways to the biggest possible number
of human beings. While the discoverer should not be denied to the recompense
for his efforts, on the other hand, he should not presume
selfishly and request all the advantages and blessings
derived from the Mother Earth natural resources that are of all of us».
«3. While men choose to continue with the commercial and
exchange system, they are entitled to a legitimate and honest benefit.
Each merchant deserves the payment for his services. The loyalty
of the trade and the honest treatment given to the neighbor in
the organized companies of the world, has created many different
forms of wealth, and all these sources of fortune must be judged
by the highest principles of justice, honesty and loyalty.
The honest merchant should not allow to take for himself the same
benefit that he would grant to his merchant neighbor happily in
a similar transaction. As this type of wealth is not identical
to the one individually earned when the business is being carried
out to a great scale, that honest accumulation
of wealth would grant to its possessor a voice of considerable equity
for his subsequent distribution».
«4. Any human that recognizes the Father of Fathers and search
to do His Will, can allow himself to be wrapped in the oppressions
of the wealth. Non noble man would search to accumulate wealth
or knead power through slavery and dishonest exploitation of his siblings and carnal brothers.
The wealth is a moral illness and a spiritual poison when it is
derived from the sweat of the oppressed mortal man. All those
wealth should be restored to all those that have been stolen or
to their children and the children of their children. A progressive
civilization will not be able to be built on the practice of the fraud to the wage of the worker».
«5. The honest wealth is related with the interests; while a man lends
and requests borrowed, there will be legitimate gathered interests
from the borrowed capital, as long as it comes from a legitimate
wealth. But first, you need to purify your capital before requesting interests.
Don't become insignificant to the degree of practicing the usury.
Never allow yourself to get to such a degree of selfishness to use the
power of the money, acquiring disloyal advantages on your hard-working
neighbors. Don't fall in the temptation of taking the usury of your fallen brother in financial misfortune».
«6. If your wealth is derived from the recompenses of the inventions
and the genius's flights, do not be disloyal in the proportions
of those recompenses. The Genius owes something to his ancestors
as to his offspring; in a same way, is obliged with the race,
the nation and the circumstances of his inventions and discoveries;
he should also remember that he worked those inventions like a
man among the men. It would be equally unjust to deprive the
Genius of all the increments of his wealth. And, it would be
impossible for men to equally establish rules and applicable regulations to all these problems, for the equal distribution of the
wealth. You should recognize the man like your brother first, and
if honestly you wish to do to him what you would like him to do to you, the dictations of the justice, the honesty and loyalty
will guide you in the fair and impartial arrangement of each recurrent
problem of economic recompense and social justice».
«7. Except for the fair and legitimate honorarium earned in the administration,
no man should make personal claims of those wealth put on his
hands because of the time and occasion. The accidental wealth
should be considered somehow by the light of the trust to be invested
in the benefit of the own economical and social group. For the possessors
of that type of wealth, it should be agreed the biggest voice
and vote in the administration of the wise and effective distribution
of those resources not won. The civilized man should not consider
as personal and private possession to all those wealth that he
controls».
«8. If any portion of your fortune has been derived with knowledge
of cause of fraud; if part of your wealth has been accumulated
by dishonest practice or deceiving methods; if your wealth
is product of unjust agreements with your neighbors, hurry to
restore these feeble earnings to their legitimate owners. Make
full compensations and this way you will purify your fortune
from all the immodest wealth».
«9. The trust of a wealth deposited in a person for the benefit
of other is a solemn and sacred responsibility. Do not put in danger
or betray this trust. Take only for you what any honest man would take».
«10. That part of your fortune that represents the earnings of your
own mental and physical efforts -if your work has been carried
out with equity and loyalty - It is truly yours. No man will
be able to discuss your right to maintain and use this
wealth in the way that you want, as long as the exercise of this
right do not harm your neighbors».
When Jesus had finished his advice, this Roman rich man stood up
from his seat and when telling him good night, he made him this
promise: «My good friend, I perceive that you are
a man of great wisdom and kindness, and tomorrow I will begin
to administer
my goods in accordance with your advice».
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