By P Mohan Chandran
In the grand theater of life, where characters and elements evolve, one actor has stolen the spotlight, upstaging even the oldest protagonist: God. This actor, a creation of mankind, has surged in prominence over the centuries, morphing from a subservient role into an all-powerful deity. This actor is Money. Once conceived to serve man, money now commands, creating a parody of its original purpose. Indeed, it appears as though man has conjured his very own Frankenstein's monster.
As man's invention, money was intended to facilitate the exchange of goods and services. In the days of barter, there was a tangible connection between work and reward. You had grain; your neighbor had cloth. Both exchanged according to need, fostering a sense of community, mutual respect, and equality.
But as society grew complex, so did its needs, leading to the advent of money, a common medium for exchange. Initially, it seemed a convenient solution, but over time, as the gloss of novelty wore off, the real face of this new invention began to surface. Money, instead of being a tool, became a measure of worth – not just of goods and services, but of humans themselves.
Today, the sanctity of relationships, emotions, loyalty, and even the divine, have been overshadowed by the omnipresent allure of money. It's as if a spell has been cast, causing us to forget that money is but a construct, a means to an end, not the end itself. The paper notes and metal coins have no inherent value. It's the human agreement that bestows upon them their worth.
Yet, blinded by this illusion, man continues to chase this elusive deity, often at the expense of what truly matters. Money, intended to be man's slave, has become his master, exerting its dominion, dictating choices, commanding loyalty, and receiving unwavering devotion.
Ironically, mankind's relentless pursuit of money, believing it to be the key to power, respect, and success, may well be leading to its own undoing. Like a marionette on strings, humanity is being pulled and prodded at the whims of this man-made deity.
Indeed, we are witnessing the sacrilege of humanity's noblest virtues at the altar of money. Relationships are evaluated on economic terms, love is quantified by material gifts, success is measured by bank balance, and even God is considered purchasable by those with sufficient means.
As we gaze upon our reflection in this mirror of society, it becomes starkly evident that the monster we fear is not money itself but our own creation. In creating a deity out of money, we have unshackled a beast that threatens to consume us.
In our veneration of money, we forget that it is not self-sustaining; it thrives on our belief in its power. By giving money this outsized importance, we feed the beast, empowering it further, entangling ourselves in a self-propagating cycle of subservience.
This Frankenstein's monster, unlike its literary counterpart, cannot be slain by traditional means. It's not about destroying money, but about regaining control, about restoring it to its rightful place as a tool rather than a deity. It is about remembering that the true value of life lies not in our wallets, but in the love we share, the relationships we nurture, and the spirit of humanity we uphold.
Before money brings about our ruin, it's high time we revisit its purpose. Money, despite its current divinity, is not God. It should serve us, not the other way around. Perhaps it's time to shift our focus from worshipping this false god to fostering the qualities that truly make us human: empathy, love, kindness, and a sense of community. Only then can we hope to restore balance and rein in our own Frankenstein's monster.
Do you think money has replaced God in Kaliyuga?
Yes, paper currency is the new God of humans today.
No, money can never ever replace the 'real divine God.'
© 2023. P Mohan Chandran. All Rights Reserved.
07062023
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