Eliteness

So today over tea with Tarun and Sandeep Muley, we had this question about what defines eliteness. Muley's contention was that a person earning 10 lakh annual salary in India (=20000 USD) is elite since he or she is in the top 5% of Indian population. Whereas Tarun says (and Swati agrees with it) that with 10 lakh, he wont feel elite in any big city in India, because 10 lakh salary does not give him the freedom to do what he wants.

I personally agree with both of them. With a salary of 10 lakh, I should indeed feel lucky in India. But people have the natural tendency of comparing themselves with their immediate friends and family members. I know a person in USA living in Martha's Vineyard whose wife had an inferiority complex because they only had a 2 million dollar (=10 crore ruppees) home, whereas others in the neighborhood had 10 million dollar homes. So yes, if you are part of a materialistic society, one should always strive to earn more. But the trick is not to get too feverish or get caught up with the concept of earning money. Furthermore, just having wealth does not imply happiness. I know rich people in India and USA whose life is full of problems and diseases. If you look at our ancient culture, having money indeed meant more pleasureful life, but was also seen as a way for an individual to contribute more to society. One should always remember the following doha from Kabir:

rukha sukha khai ke, thanda paani peev
dekh paraai chupri mat lalchave jeev.

Eat well, drink well; dont get upset over others lifestyle.