To determine what the value of the dollar is in relation to gold, or for that matter, what the value of anything might be to anything else, we must first establish what the goal or the "most valuable thing" is...

Dollar at Zero Value

The Dollar and the Value of Gold

To determine what the value of the dollar is in relation to gold, or for that matter, what the value of anything might be to anything else, we must first establish what the goal or the "most valuable thing" is, because everything else is only valuable to the extent that it helps us to realise the most valuable possession, "the goal of life".

The goal of life is to be happy, and the opposite of this is to be unhappy or suffering. No one wants suffering. Everyone wants enjoyment.

There are four primary sufferings, which everyone must endure: birth, old age, disease, and death. Therefore, the goal is to get permanent freedom from these four sufferings.

We find those possessing unlimited dollars or gold are not free from these sufferings. Therefore, we can conclude they are not happy, and furthermore conclude that dollars and gold have no real value, because they cannot mitigate these four sufferings.

Value in plain living, high thinking

The hoarding of gold indicates the standardization of money — the gold standard — which eventually degenerates into paper currency. Paper currency is false money. The paper actually has no value; it is only a promissory note. The government hoards gold and issues paper money, but it issues more paper money in value than the stock of gold in reserve. In this way, the government creates inflation. The paper money is systematically devaluated, because it does not represent the actual gold in reserve. It is of inflated, or exaggerated value. Thus the whole system of government is gradually destroyed, and the economic system deteriorates. Bad money drives away good money.

Paper money should be discontinued. People should use real gold coins, and the government should allow them to purchase pure gold for jewelry to a limited extent. In this way the situation will be stabilized.

At present all kinds of cheating is going on in the name of economics. The farmers who are producing the necessities of life are actually going bankrupt, because they are being cheated by this false system of values. Real value is land and cows. If someone has land and cows, then he will have no problems. He will not have to go to a factory to work hard producing machines, nuts and bolts. He can live by the grace of material nature, cultivate the land, milk the cow and build a small cottage for shelter.

Village life was the Vedic system. The village people produced all their necessities. They could not be exploited, because they were self-sufficient and followed the principle of simple living and high thinking. They were satisfied to produce the necessities of life; they did not require machines, slaughterhouses, breweries or hotels. The village life style is now practically lost, except in India, where there is still some village organization, but that too is rapidly vanishing.