As part of the residential programme organized by Uditam: Institute for Integral Healing, Sri Aurobindo Society, Dr. Beloo Mehra, Director, BhāratShakti, was invited to facilitate a group discussion session on Saturday, December 13, 2025. For her session, Dr. Mehra focused on the topic – The Yogic Attitude Towards Money.

The session began with Dr. Mehra sharing a brief comment about the recently released BhāratShakti and Auropublications volume with the same title. She highlighted that the book integrates insights from Indian cultural tradition and Sri Aurobindo’s and the Mother’s teachings on the ideal attitude that a sadhaka must cultivate towards money.

She briefly elaborated on the point which Sri Aurobindo emphasises, namely, that one should neither turn with an ascetic shrinking from the money power nor hold a rajasic attachment to it. Dr. Mehra also shared a few insights that we get from Indian cultural tradition which can help us harmonise the necessity of material well-being with higher pursuits in life. Appropriate examples were given throughout. 

The session was conducted in an interactive manner so that participants could freely share their insights on the rightful place of money in their lives. Concerns such as linking money with success and identity were also explored keeping in consideration the contemporary challenges and a right attitude from a spiritual perspective.

One of the most significant learnings for the group was that money is a force. Sri Aurobindo’s and Mother’s explanations about the nature of money as a force and how it needs to be conquered and put at the service of the Divine became a deep source of reflection for the participants. Another idea that money should be kept in circulation also generated some good discussion.

It was also pointed out that many of the insights we find in the writings of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother also find resonance in the ancient Indian wisdom on money – as found in our itihasa-s, dharmashastra-s and nitishastra-s. Dr. Mehra also added that cultivating a yogic attitude towards money is significant in the light of Sri Aurobindo’s and Mother’s vision for a transformed earthly life, and for a more harmonious future society.  

The group also shared reflections on poverty, charity, and the right spirit of giving. The Mother’s writings and conversations on these topics provided much clarity in this regard. To close the session, Dr. Mehra reiterated Sri Aurobindo’s explanation of money as the “visible sign of a universal force” which “in its origin and in its true action it belongs to the Divine”, and that we should earn money not for the satisfaction of their ego and fulfillment of their vital desires, but for “its true action” in the world.

To read more of our sessions conducted for Uditam, see HERE.