Just Do It:

A Parable from China about Money and Trust

from Swami Vilas

I was always afraid about having no money. Before I went to University, my father often taught me that I must have money that belongs to myself, to deal with anything that may come up. This caused some fear inside me, and I began to collect money. And the way to save money at that time (in China) was to save the money my parents gave me for living each month. Unwittingly, it became a habit to hoard with me, but I did not know how to earn.

My first job was "sales", I tried some devices to sell but failed again and again, I felt depressed and frustrated and became negative. This experience made me more and more attached to money but I did not want to make the effort to study how to earn more. By and by I became a miser, when I had to spend I would feel very reluctant and hesitant as if a part of my life was taken away!

And that's the reason why in 2004 Sandesh (my Dutch friend and teacher) asked me to meet him in Beijing. I was hesitant. I did not want to pay for the journey, then he pushed and asked me to just come, no need to worry about the food and accomodation. When we met, of course he could see my habit. So he often hit this point, sometimes he would just ask me for money. Sometimes even to ask him a question he would ask for money to pay for the answer! I could feel this was the device he had to hit my habit, so one day I talked with him on this matter. He smiled and said: "Oh, you know it? But your response is strange, when I ask you for money, you always say "later", but why not give right now? "

And then he suggested to me as an experiment to see if I could survive without any money! Again I hesitated, but finally I just took out all my money from the bank, (in fact it was not much) and gave it to him. I said:"Now don't ask me for money any more because it is useless." After I did this I felt a great relief and being at ease...

One day sometime later and after sleeping I suddenly had a strong feeling of insecurity, and another feeling arouse to touch this point. So I decided that today I would eat a free lunch! At first I just thought how to do, but till noon I had not figured it out. I knew if I went on thinking I would escape back again - I should take action!

So I entered a restaurant, with two shaking legs and a nervous heart. I did not know how to start, but the miracle of action is that once you start, it continues by itself. I just said to the head waitress directly: “Now I am hungry and I want to eat a bowl of noodles, but I do not have any money.So what can I do as an exchange?" The waitress was amazed to hear this, then she discussed with the other waitress. After a short while she came and asked me where I lived,and said I could eat first, then bring the money next time. Seeing they were at a loss, I became more confident. I said: "Don't make it complicated, it's just a bowl of noodles. And it is not that I do not pay, I just do not pay it as money,you simply find a way for me to pay, that's ok!" They discussed it again, then the waitress came and said: "Sorry,sir. Our manager is not here, and we can not decide this matter since we are only employees."

At that time I (or my mind) did not know how to continue, but my action did not stop. I said: "Why can't you decide?You open the restaurant to earn, and I came here to spend. If you say you cannot decide, then I will have to go. And if I go, then you do not earn what you should earn from me, then you are not worth your salt. You cannot find a way to earn from a man without money, is that not your responsibility?"

Up to here I felt very confident, even I myself was surprised how I could speak something so reasonable! And it worked! They discussed again, and then a waitress came and said: "Sir, as far as the noodles is concerned,we cannot manage it. But if you are hungry,we can give you a bowl of rice and a dish of vegetable to eat." Then I ate and finally the head waitress saw me off...

So without the detailed plan and the perfect reason, just by action, I ate a free lunch. After one month we left Beijing, to find a space for doing Dynamic. One night on the road I did not have a place to lay my head, for a vairety of reasons. I wandered along the road and at last I entered a University. I came across a student and I taught him "moving waist" and "swaying wrist"(two small exercises which one can feel how the energy opens the block of the body directly and immediately),then he brought me to his bedroom. I taught his room-mates these exercises and finally they together paid for me to stay in the school's hotel! One student asked me: "If you had not come across that student,what would you have done?" I said: "How should I know? If I thought like this then nothing would happen! I just come, and watch, and do, then things happen, that's all! "

In the middle of the night I woke up with laughter, I know now and for ever that even if I do not have any money, I will not beg or sleep on the street, all that is needed is just taking action!!!  

TOP