P and L

Human beings naturally tend to think in terms of gain and loss, because our minds evolved to secure survival. We ask:

What will I get from this?

What will it cost me?

Is it worth my time?

Am I ahead or behind?

This way of thinking is useful in trade, business, and practical affairs. But when it spreads into every aspect of life, it becomes a prison.

A mother does not calculate profit and loss when caring for her child. A true friend does not keep an account book of favors. A devotee does not worship God because the balance sheet is favorable. A sage does not seek truth because it is profitable.

Many of the greatest things in life cannot be measured:

Love cannot be weighed.

Beauty cannot be counted.

Wisdom cannot be purchased.

Devotion cannot be priced.

Character cannot be audited.

The ancient Indian view distinguished between artha (material gain) and dharma (right conduct). Dharma often asks us to do what is right even when there is no apparent profit. Sometimes it even requires accepting a loss.

In the Mahabharata, Yudhishthira repeatedly chooses dharma over immediate advantage. From a worldly perspective, many of his decisions seem unprofitable. Yet the epic teaches that some values are greater than gain.

A tree gives shade to the traveler who may never return. A river does not charge for its water. The sun shines on the saint and sinner alike. Nature itself operates on a principle larger than profit.

Perhaps that is why contentment (santosha) is counted among the qualities of Sattva. The contented person asks not, "What more can I gain?" but "What is the right thing to do?"

When profit and loss cease to be the only measure, life acquires another dimension—meaning. And meaning often outlives profit.