Buddha Said - Life is a Suffering. We Say - Investment is a Loss. Key to Financial Freedom.

23^rd May 2024

Buddha Said – Life is a Suffering. We say – Investment is a Loss. Today post is on Buddha’s teachings. 

Dear Investors,

Buddham Sharanam Gacchami! Today we will learn from Buddha. Let me shares 4 noble truths which are the base of Buddhism. Each of this steps can take you towards Financial Nirvana for sure. Read patiently. 

A. Life is suffering. It has a THREE ASPECT. 

 

1.  There is Suffering: - As an astrologer – a client asks me – when will I get married? Some client asks me when will I get divorced? Now, the basic assumption is – if they get the MARRIED or DIVORCED – they will be happy!! 

 

The suffering in the life is going to be the same!! Very few are able to understand this subtle aspect. 

 

2.  Suffering should be understood / accepted:- As long as we don’t understand that life is a suffering – in MARRIAGE or in DIVORCE – no new things can happen in our life.  

 

3.  Suffering is accepted: - Once we accept the suffering as it is –  We have an opportunity to deal with the same. Most of the times – we get in to the BLAME GAME. 

 

 

B. There are causes of suffering. There is an origin of suffering. We all can understand the below given reasons. 

 

1.  Due to attachment of desires. 

2.  Desires should let go of. 

3.  Desire has been let go of.  

 

C.  You can end suffering.   If we have taken step B -  our suffering can end. Internally, the end of suffering should be realised. Once we realise the same in the present moment – in future when we look back ( when we go to the next level) We will see our new beginning was the result of - The end of suffering had been realised.

 

4.  You can move towards HAPPINESS.     There is eight-fold path towards happiness. The path should be developed. The path has been developed. Buddha gave 8 steps for the permanent happiness and they are – Right Understanding / Right Intentions / Right Speech / Right Action / Right Livelihood / Right Effort / Right Mindfulness and Right Concentration.  

I have linked the above to the investments. 

Investment is a Loss. I am sure as an investor you would have faced losses sometimes and profit also. But when I say the investment is a loss, you may find it difficult to digest. Just reflect on this. What happens when you invest? You park your fund in some shares/gold or land or anything you consider as an investment. It means the money will not be used until they remain invested in those assets. The price may increase, and you may feel notional profit or price may decrease, and you may feel a notional loss. But total money is a loss for you. If you die, your next generation may use them. But for you, it is a loss. 

In one of the shareholders meeting – investor had asked Buffett – what will be the loss to Berkshire, in case he (Buffett) dies? Buffett replied in his own style – “There will be some loss, but I can tell you for sure, it will be my total loss.”

Buddha was one of the smartest persons of his time. He went out of the palace for only one time in his life and he saw – saw injured person / old person and the dead body. Seeing them he concluded that life is SUFFERING. 

Same way investment is a loss. 

There are causes of Losses. Investment deals with Future. Life deals with the Present. So, when you invest – you give more importance to the future than to the present. Focus on Tomorrow is the major cause of loss today. It may sound philosophical or out of common sense to many – but this is the fact. With investments, the person starts living in tomorrow and you know Tomorrow Never Comes, only Today Comes.  

For normal investors losses come due to their desire to make a fast profit/desire to see prices going up, up, and only up. 

The desire should go, and you should realize that desires have gone.

You can end your losses. As long as life is there – suffering is going to be there. Similarly, as long as investments are there – losses are going to be there due to the above-mentioned reasons. 

So, ending life or not investing are not the solutions. But when you understand the causes of losses are your desires to make your life secure, to make profits in the future, or your desire to see prices going up one side, you end up suffering immediately. Once your desires are gone, you can stop your losses immediately. (Many will not understand the above).  

You can move towards profit. Once you end losses – you can more towards profits with the following thought process. 

Right understanding and right intentions lead to knowledge that the goal of investment is not to make money but to test one’s skill set to go right in predicting the market and share price behaviour. The focus should be on SKILL sets and not on the price movement. In GITA this is called – YOG KARMSHU KAUSHALAM. Expertise in the KARMA is the YOG. This is a part of WISDOM. 

Then comes the MORALITY by following RIGHT SPEECH / RIGHT ACTION and RIGHT LIVELIHOOD. Look at BUFFETT, he lives the simple life despite being the richest and the most successful investor we have ever seen in the history of mankind. He follows the MORALITY of money management. 

Then comes the last three – Right Efforts. Right Mindfulness and Right Concentration. Look at BUFFETT he has pledged to donate his 90% of the wealth to the NEEDY GUYS. Now, his total loss has become profit because he is making a difference in millions of people’s life with his skill of making money. In GITA it is known as LOK KALYAN. 

What NEXT?

You must never forget that investment is a loss. If you keep on remembering while investing every time – you will be forced to think about the other 3 aspects of investing and I am sure someday you will reach your financial nirvana. 

You can improve your quality of life and investing experiences with our personalised inputs.  

Buddham Sharanam Gacchami.

Follow me on Twitter @hiteshmparikh Or on Whatsapp - +91-9869425399.

 

Learn a Lesson. Live with Passion & Invest with Reason.

 

Hitesh Parikh.