Outline: Introduction – alms to the beggars – help to the poor relations – help to poor children – make my fellowmen happier – healthy and happy pursuits – conclusion.
If I were a millionaire, I would have a plan to use the money in the best possible way. This is how I would go about it:
First, I would give alms to the beggar in my town. I would particularly help the blind and the maimed beggars. I do not have an iota, of respect for the able-bodies ones.
When this would be done, I would send for all my poor relations, and give at least a thousand rupees to each of them. I have a very poor relation, a struggling writer. I would give him five thousand rupees. I would also ask all of them to come to my place from time to time to share joys with me. I would never for a moment be selfish and tight-fisted. On the contrary, I would arrange an ice-cream party, once a week, to treat the children of my near and dear ones.
Then I would set aside fifty thousand rupees in helping poor children, I would see to it that they could go to college on clearing the S.S.C..
Wealth, as we all know, has no absolute power to procure happiness. As soon as wealth is in our grasp, we are tempted to use it for all kind of bad purposes. Therefore, if I were a millionaire, I would never touch drink, gamble, or go in for any evil pursuit. I would rather go in for the promotion of the welfare and happiness of mankind. This is a laudable ambition and it would be the ideal of my happiness. As a truly philanthropic person, I would always try to make my fellowmen happier. My aim would always be to work for the upliftment of humanity. Any calamity that would befall a person I know would make me unhappy, and I would feel akin to the misery as if I myself had met with a personal loss. I would indeed be a help to the helpless. I would go in disguise at night through the streets of my town to locate the extent of wretchedness and squalor among the people. I would use a lot of my millions to preach the religion of unity, of brotherhood, and of the service to mankind.
It would always be my pride to have healthy and happy pursuit. My chief pleasures would be not only spiritual but also intellectual and artistic. I would buy a lot of good books to read and a fine collection of Indian and Western classical music- compact discs and would travel from Tokyo to Timbuctoo, for travel is education.
Lastly, I would invest the rest of the money in a bank, for I know that the Goddess of wealth is fickle. Who knows I might become a splendid pauper tomorrow!
