Not Coveting
Aqkaamai Selvaththirku Yaadhenin Veqkaamai / Ventum Pirankaip Porul
Classical English couplet — “What saves prosperity from swift decline?Absence of lust to make another's cherished riches thine”
What it says in plain words
“To protect your own wealth, do not seek to make someone else's money or belongings yours.”
The classical Tamil reading
ஒருவனுடைய செல்வத்திற்குக் குறைவு நேராதிருக்க வழி எது என்றால், அவன் பிறனுடைய கைப்பொருளை விரும்பாதிருத்தலாகும்.
An expanded Tamil interpretation
தன்னுடைய செல்வச் செழிப்பு குறையாமலிருக்க வேண்டுமென்றால் பிறருடைய பொருளையும் தானே அடைய வேண்டுமென்று ஆசைப்படாமலிருக்க வேண்டும்
The ethical and philosophical heart
The couplet links protecting your wealth with respecting what others own. Wanting their belongings for yourself can pull you toward harmful choices. Instead, care for what is yours without reaching for theirs. This keeps your attention on managing your own money and belongings.
In personal life, work and society
- Personal
- You admire a friend's new phone without wanting to take it from them.
- Workplace
- You leave money collected for office supplies untouched by your personal spending.
- Family
- You respect your sister's savings instead of treating them as yours.
- Society
- Neighbors respect one another's land rather than trying to claim it.
How to apply this today
- Decision-making
- Before seeking something, consider whether it already belongs to someone else.
- Integrity
- Keep other people's money separate from your own spending.
- Communication
- Ask to borrow something without pressuring its owner to give it away.
- Leadership
- Teach your team to respect belongings that are not theirs.
- Governance
- Keep public money for public needs, not personal gain.
For leaders and teams
Show others how to respect what belongs to others. Never treat money under your care as your personal property.
Something to sit with
“How could you better care for what you have without wanting someone else's belongings?”