Question: Can I be righteous and successful at the same time?
Answer: Yes, of course. As Jesus Christ said so profoundly: ” Seek ye first the kingdom of God and all these things shall be added unto you”. The term “all these things” include the necessities of life though not necessarily the luxuries and comforts sought by the body and ego.
When we conduct our business affairs and our lives with integrity, consideration of the needs of others, and doing our best those duties which are ours to do, we will find support coming to us as if from the universe itself.
Many people view success as a kind of good luck or good fortune; or “who you know;” or an innate talent. But that kind of success is fragile for its source lies only in the ego and against, as it were, many other egos and the vicissitudes of nature and culture.
It’s like the tale of the tortoise and the hare. The hare moves slowly but inexorably to its goal. “Slowly” here refers to acting with integrity; integrity includes kindness, concentration and persistence. When our efforts are linked to the Divine flow that includes the welfare of others we cannot be but successful.
And what is success? Is it a big bank account? Status? True success bestows contentment because it is not achieved by cheating or forgetting one’s principles, including the highest principle: “Seek ye first” contact and attunement with God.
Answered by Nayaswami Hriman