In the Shanti Parva of the Mahabharata, it is mentioned that all kinds of meritorious acts flow from the possession of great wealth like rivers from a mountain. From wealth springs all religious acts, all pleasures and heaven itself.Wealth gives us the ability to experience life fully. It is one of the four Purusharthas (goals of life). Wealth, however, has to be created ethically and without cheating others. Do not obsess over wealth. Wealth is elusive when you seek it directly, and it invariably comes to you when you are creating value for others. Spend less than you earn. Save and invest the surplus. Limit debt unless you are creating long-term assets. Insure for hard times and unforeseen calamities.We all have customers, either in business or as employees. Understand and satisfy their needs. Create value for them and price fairly. Do not cheat or overcharge them. Resolve their problems promptly.Krishna & the fruit SellerA wandering fruit seller was once passing by the streets of Gokul. She happened to stop by little Krishna’s house. As Krishna’s parents were away, she found herself displaying her wares to the only potential customer in the house, Krishna himself!Krishna was tempted by the ripe, juicy fruits he saw in the fruit seller’s cart. He wanted them all! He pointed to each of them. It was a hot afternoon, and the fruit seller was feeling thirsty. She had yet to sell any fruit, but she found herself drawn to the little fellow, with a peacock feather in his hair and a cheeky smile, and decided to humour him and make him her first customer of the day. She said to him, ‘You can have them for a fistful of grain!’Krishna understood what she said and ran inside excitedly to fetch her what she asked. He gathered as much grain as his little fists could hold and ran back towards the vendor, squealing with joy. He did not realise that in his excitement, most of the grain he held had fallen to the floor, slipping from his tiny fingers and loosely clenched fist.Proudly, he offered her the few grains remaining in his hand and demanded his fruits. The fruit seller was so overcome by her maternal instinct and touched by his innocence that she took the few grains he had given her and cheerfully handed over all the fruits that Krishna wanted.That evening, as the fruit seller returned to her house to count the day’s earnings, she was most surprised to find that each of the grains she had taken from Krishna were transformed into precious gems.Shiksha: Think of each of your customers as little Krishna and keep him happy. Create value for him. You will be rewarded with far more than you expect, as the fruit vendor learnt to her pleasant surprise.— Excerpted from ‘Dharma Yoga: The Hindu Code and Way of Life’, Volume 2. With permission from Rupa