PROHIBITED INVESTMENTS FOR DEVOTEES & THE REASONS!
WHY SOME INVESTMENTS ARE PERMITTED & PROHIBITED FOR DEVOTEES?
See, such advices are given to save the precious time and the mood of the devotees to be spent for Krishna. Not for any other reasons. Before following any regulative principle, know why it has been advised so.
For example, If you face heavy loss in a Gambling activity, you will lose the stability of your mind and hence you can not concentrate in devotional practices and family.
(What sin we acquire if we do not follow 4 regulative principles and Ekadasi fasts? READ HERE!)
And, gambling activities add severe karma for us as we gain the money lost by many other people. When we are trying to clear our karma through the devotional practices, adding more and more karma is not recommended and it will delay the elevation or advancement in our devotion.
Gambling simply means PLAYING WITH MONEY. In ISLAM, even getting interest has been prohibited. But, in our way of life, investing in genuine deposits and bonds have not been prohibited.
Investments are prohibited only when we have the practice of manipulating or rotating the money every day or every minute to multiply it by UNUSUAL means. Unusual means taking the money of others to multiply our money or to get a lumpsum money.
If an investment takes a close follow up wasting our precious time, it can be avoided.
If an investment allows the loss of whole money for others, but gain only for us, it is prohibited.
Let us see some kind of investments one by one in terms of their applicability for the devotees
(REGULATIVE PRINCIPLES FOR FOUR VARNAS AND ASHRAMAS! READ HERE!)
CAN THE DEVOTEES INVEST IN DEPOSITS IN BANKS & FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS?
It is natural that everyone likes to keep his money in a bank or good financial companies because keeping money in home is not safe. So, keeping money in a safe custody is not wrong.
This ensures safety and interest earning for the investors. The banks lend that money for some interest and get some profits and share that profits to us as interest.
In these bank deposits, both the nvestors and the borrows and banks get the pofits.
No one is the loser.
So, bank deposits are recommended for the devotees.
As far as company deposits are concerned, invest seeing the reputation of the companies. However, for the devotees, bank deposits are safe as they need not fear for the safety of their money.
(64 REGULATIVE PRINCIPLES FOR VAISHNAVAS FROM HARI BHAKTA VILASA! READ HERE!)
CAN THE DEVOTEES INVEST IN HORSE / CAR RACE?
If you invest money in horse race or car race or any other race, you get the whole money invested by others also and you alone are enjoying all the money and others lose their investment.
CAN THE DEVOTEES INVEST IN SHARE/ STOCK MARKETS?
Of course, Active busy trading in the Share market is also not advised for devotees BECAUSE IT AFFECTS THE SCHEDULES & PEACE OF THE DEVOTEES, CONSUMING HIS EXCESSIVE TIME and . However, you can deal with the share investment like regular investments to some extent. If you invest in a share and wait for 2-3 years and sell the share, you may get some profit. If at that time, that particular share is under loss, wait for another year to sell it.
Thus, if you use the shares investment without requiring the daily follow up, you can invest in shares.
Alternatively, long term investments can be done by selecting good Mutual funds also.
(Is it sinful to work in an illegal company? READ HERE!)
Why don’t I consider the Long term investments in shares offensive?
Because, till the two or three years come to an end, you will not get agitated by seeing the rates of shares every day or every minute. You will just invest and sell it after a few years. Many invest even for 10 years. Many others invest even in mutual funds. These things can be allowed because this is also an investment and you get return after a few years. This is like other investment modes only. In fact, this is like running your own business. If you invest in your own company/ business, you will make certain return on your investments every year. So, if you invest in shares for long term investment and do not get tensed every day, it can be allowed because instead of investing in your own venture, you are investing in other ventures. But, it should be limited to long term investments only to avoid your family and devotional practices getting affected.
But, if you invest in certain gambling type of activity such as “Day trading” of shares, you will have to sit in front of the system and throughout the day, you will be clicking the mouse to buy and sell the shares. You will invest in a share in the morning and sell it in the evening itself. Thus, you can not remain peaceful and you will always be agitated to get more and more returns. This will not allow you to perform in devotional practices and you may not be in a position even to take care of your family. So, you can avoid such day trading investments.
Simply speaking, just invest and get whatever you get after a few years. Here, you are just sharing the profit or loss of that company. You are not taking the money of others. All those who invested in that company get their share of profits.
CAN THE DEVOTEES INVEST IN COMMODITY MARKET?
Whether it is a share investment or commodity, short term and day tradings may be avoided. Long term investments on any commodities (if possible abd available) or shares can be allowed as they do not require follow up all the time.
(I like to try Lottery once to help my parents. Is it allowed for genuine reasons? READ HERE!)
CAN THE DEVOTEES PLAY CASINO, GAMES & DICE?
Not Good to play games including dice with money that consumes all your time and energy and makes you addicted to that game. Though it also involves tricks and skills to win, you get addicted to the games, you can not plan your closing time and you can not concentrate in devotion properly.
Playing free video games are not seriously harmful, but, that too kills your time, you can not schedule your daily routines and hence you can not concentrate in devotion. So, better avoid such acts.
CAN THE DEVOTEES INVEST IN LOTTERIES?
Investing in lotteries is also one of the prohibited investments for devoteesbecause lakhs of people buy lottery tickets and most of the money goes to a single person. Here, the INVESTMENT itself of others go to a single person. So, this is like looting the property of others officially.
CAN THE DEVOTEES INVEST IN GOLD?
If you invest in bank deposits, the bank shares just their profits with you and others are also getting the profits. No one is affected in bank deposits. So, bank deposits are not prohibited.
If you purchase gold now and sell it after 5-10 years, you may get some profits. This is also not looting the money of others. Everyone will get profits if they sell their gold.
You can also invest in Gold bonds online and offline that is also equal to buying and selling the gold without seeing the gold.
(Three types of Dhaan (Donations) as said by Krishna in Gita? How to do it? READ HERE!)
CAN THE DEVOTEES INVEST IN BONDS?
Investing in bonds for a certain period is also not prohibited because every bond is issued mentioning a locking period. So, this need not be one of the prohibited investments for devotees as this is like deposit only.
CAN THE DEVOTEES RECEIVE FREE GIFTS GIVEN BY THE FIRMS/COMPANIES?
If a company offers certain gifts as prize for purchasing something, they give it from their profits only. If they run under loss, they are not going to give that gift. So, such gifts need not be considered as one of the prohibited investments for devotees as it is their promotional offer only.
If any textile shop offers one Pant free if you purchase two pants, will you say no? No need to refuse because it is their promotional offer and they give it from their profits only, not from their pocket. No business can offer anything free and the prices will be adjusted accordingly and they share their profits with you. They like to increase their profits. That’s all.
(Is writing entrance exams a gambling as majority fail in the exam? READ HERE!)
CAN THE DEVOTEES RECEIVE BRIBE FROM THE POLITICIANS?
Some political parties may offer some money or gifts to vote in favour of them before the elections. We should not accept it because it is an illegal activity and they can give money to all people only if they had earned by wrong means. Genuine earners can not offer money to all the people.
CAN THE DEVOTEES RECEIVE FREE GIFTS FROM THE GOVERNMENT?
Most of the people of Tamilnadu accepted when the government of Tamilnadu offered free laptop, wet grinder, fan, mixer, television, free bicycles, etc, to all the eligible people. Receiving such gifts from the government is allowed, because, this is given from the government money. Not from unofficial money of the politicians. Even the Indian government offered free insurance for bank accounts last year. I did not refuse it, as it is also a promotional offer given by the government. Even credit card companies offer free insurance. These things need not be refused as they share their profits and no one loses anything.
Gambling involves Grabbing the money of other participants in bulk and luck. You may avoid such things alone. Additionally, avoid the PROHIBITED INVESTMENTS FOR DEVOTEES and avoid the investments that requires close follow up every minute or day.
(5 SIMPLE TIPS TO AVOID GAMBLING AS A REGULATIVE PRINCIPLE FOR KRISHNA DEVOTEES! READ HERE!)