The ancients said, "Money is something external to this physical body." Everyone knows it, yet everyone pursues it. A young man seeks it to satisfy his desires; a young woman wants it for glamour and luxury; an elderly person goes after it to take care of himself in his old age; a learned person desires it for fame; a public official fulfills his duty for it, etc. Hence, everybody pursues it.

Some people even compete and fight for it; those who are aggressive take risks for it; hot-tempered people resort to violence for it; a jealous person might die for it in anger. It is the duty of the ruler and officials to bring wealth to the populace, yet promotion of money-worship is the worst policy one could adopt. Wealth without virtue will harm all sentient beings, while wealth with virtue is what all people hope for. Therefore, one cannot be affluent without promoting virtue.

Virtue is accrued from past lives. Becoming a king, an official, wealthy, or nobility all come from virtue. No virtue, no gain; the loss of virtue denotes the loss of everything. Thus, those who seek power and wealth must first accumulate virtue; by suffering hardships and doing good deeds, one can collect virtue among the masses. To achieve this, one must understand the principle of cause and effect. Knowing this can enable officials and the populace to exercise self-restraint, and prosperity and peace will thereby prevail under heaven.