January 1, 2026
Though the terms ‘haves’ and ‘have-nots’ are usually associated with the Marxist theory, also popularized by a soap opera, in this blog I am using the terms from a spiritual perspective. I argue such a perspective is necessary for the new year.
In Marxism, the rich or haves exploit the poor or have-nots throughout the ages. In ancient times masters exploited slaves, in medieval times landlords exploited serfs, and in the modern times capitalists exploited the workers. Marx advocated for change through force towards establishing a communist society in which there is no exploitation.
Marx’s analysis is not without criticisms – starting from historicism, which argues that Marx is applying a historical lens and arguing that the same historical relations will repeat in future, thus closing new relations and possibilities. Other theories such as the end of ideology, post-industrial state, and managerial revolution challenged the statist interpretation of relations.
While Marx’s analysis was external, my analysis is internal. Let me explain how I apply a spiritual perspective and to what end, and how such a perspective is relevant for the new year.
I believe every individual irrespective of identities – religious, racial, socio-cultural, national, gender or even imaginary – is a creation of God. God dwells in every individual. Sanskrit words Soham (I am That) and Tat Tvam Asi (You are That), or the saying ‘the kingdom of God is within you’ proclaim this universal nature of God. The question then arises – if God created everything and every being, and if God dwells everywhere, why is there such a wide variation in individual nature – why some individuals are kind and some cruel, why some groups are accommodating and why others are exclusivist?
The answer lies in whether an individual is cultivating God-consciousness, and actively applying it in their daily behavior and action. Sanskrit terms Para Vidya and Apara Vidya come handy here – the former implying cultivating divine knowledge and living in that knowledge, while the latter is the opposite of that. As human individuals we have agency, free will, to decide which path to choose – whether to cultivate actively divine knowledge or remain embedded in our lower nature, which is, to use Hobbes’s words, ‘solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short.’ To me, this earth is the field action – here it is hell and here it is heaven – and it is the individual who lives in God-consciousness and applies it to their daily life are the ‘haves’ in contrast to ‘have-nots’ who do not live in God-consciousness.
A Bengali song comes to mind. It starts with, ‘Jenu Maharaja Vishwa Jara Praja, Janunare Man Ame Putra Tar. Rajputra Hoi Samanyata Noi, Pitar Dhaner Amar Purna Adhikar.’ It means – ‘O’ mind, you do not know that we are the children of God, the Emperor of the Universe. We are not ordinary as we are the children of the Emperor. As children of the Emperor we inherit His wealth.’ This approach, I argue, is the divine approach to life and society. Not just by accepting it in intellect, but by embedding it in one’s thought, word and action, one becomes rich with the divine wealth – the wealth that never diminishes.
While in the Marxian world the wealth of the rich implies poverty of the poor, thus ensuing ceaseless conflict with no apparent end in sight, in the spiritual world all the members are ‘haves’. In that world, spiritual brotherhood – not violent conflict – reigns supreme. A spiritually wealthy individual or a spiritual ‘haves’, a Yogi, or a Saint, would rather by giving his wealth to others be further rich. It is truly said by distributing spiritual wealth, one gets richer. There is no decrease in spiritual wealth by distribution, rather it increases. The logic here works completely differently in contrast to the Marxian world. Also, I argue, true communism is possible in a society in which all members are rich in spiritual wealth. I should be clear that a spiritual world is not necessarily a religious world, particularly an exclusivist religious world governed by superstition and obscurantism. Religion can be a helper on the spiritual path, but it can be an obstacle if it is practiced with an exclusivist mindset.
This is my prayer for the new year – Let individuals in all parts of the world cultivate the God within. We discuss a lot about the conflicts in various parts of the world, which we should and try our best to find pathways for resolution, but, unfortunately, we seldom discuss the inner conflicts within individuals. The battle of Kurukshetra is not just a battle in a field between two warring tribes, but between haves and have-nots within us and amidst us. In this battle, opposite to Marx, the more the haves win the better for everyone. Once individuals win this real battle, and evolve into their higher selves, we will see many of the conflicts withering away.
I am always grateful to be reminded that the truest self is larger than the apparent everyday living self who inhabits the material world. The author balances the material necessity of caring for the everyday self without getting lost in a Marxist loop of oppressor/oppressed while at the same time showcasing the riches available to all at any level of the material spectrum. The author also does a good job in recognizing the practicality that most readers would embrace- that is, of living a reasonably prosperous and just life. Both goals can be pursued at the same time- spiritual growth and material satisfaction. This article is a beacon to that dual pursuit while skillfully reminded all of us that spiritual growth is almost certainly the precursor to a just and by extension prosperous material world.
The author proceeds from the idea that true and lasting change comes from the “divine wealth” within each of us, which multiplies when we act on it. The essay aptly points out that we must nurture our better selves, even amid real-world adversity, lest our spirit fail to reach its fullest and happiest potential. This argument reminds us that we may ultimately be alone in this world, but that we are all alone together. With that realization, the world might just become a better place, one person at a time.