The life of a billionaire is difficult for ordinary people to imagine and understand. Recently, a billionaire couple in Gujarat, India, suddenly decided to donate 2 billion rupees (about 170 million yuan) of their entire wealth.
This full-time net worth is not even a cash deposit for the rest of his life, but a real full-time net worth. They don't even have their mobile phones left, and for the rest of their lives they will become monks, wandering barefoot, living only on alms......
This time, the billionaires are Bawesh Bhandari and his wife Kinnar Bhandari.
The Bhandari family owns a prestigious real estate company that has been extremely successful in the local area, working mainly with the financial community and real estate developers.
Her husband, Bavesh, holds a degree in business administration and is an accomplished entrepreneur who manages various real estate projects. Although he joined the company after his father and brother, he eventually became the owner of the company, and his father and brother turned to help him.
And his wife, Kinnar, has been his strongest backing for the past few decades.
The couple had one child: a 19-year-old daughter and a 16-year-old son. In every way, this family is very happy and happy, and it can be called a winner in life.
At the same time, however, the family was also very devout in Jainism.
The religious concept in India is deeply rooted in the hearts of the people, and Jainism is one of them. It originated in ancient India and has been around since the 6th century BC and has about four to five million followers worldwide.
It is one of the most violence-rejecting religions in India, with teachings emphasizing non-violence, pluralism, and soul purification, with the goal of achieving the ultimate liberation of the soul, which is freedom from the cycle of birth and death.
In India, Jainism is an out-and-out "upper-class sect" with the highest literacy rate (87%) and the richest community in India.
But the teachings of this religion advocate extreme simplicity. The monks gave up all material possessions and walked barefoot, keeping only two sets of white clothing, a bowl and a white broom to sweep away small insects, to avoid injuring them while sitting and lying down.
To non-believers, this may seem strange. But believers feel that this will enable them to detach themselves from material life and seek spiritual enlightenment and liberation from the suffering of samsara.
In fact, one of the Bandari couple's children has been a monk as early as 2022......
"My children grew up under the teachings of monks, and during the lockdown, they also had the opportunity to live with monks, which prompted them to make the decision to become monks. ”
Leaving a child out of the house means giving up worldly relationships, including kinship. But instead of being saddened by this, the Bhandaris felt very proud of them.
Subsequently, they were also inspired by the children and finally decided to follow in their footsteps and give up material possessions to live an ascetic life and give up all worldly pleasures......
The decision to become monks in the Bhandari family shocked everyone - why did this family make such a decision when they had a good life and a successful career? Even their parents and family did not agree with them doing this.
However, the couple made up their minds:
"I had a hard time convincing my parents that it would take time for them to accept, but I was determined. I used to live a life of luxury, carefree, but I am proud that I chose the right path in life and became a monk. ”
In early February, the couple made the decision and started disposing of their Rs 200 crore family property. They completely handed over the huge business to their father and brother, and donated all their real estate and savings, and even personal belongings, such as jewelry and home appliances, to others.
Even the mobile phone, I don't leave ......
Abandon everything you have gained in the world, leaving only a bowl and a broom and two white clothes, and rely entirely on the charitable donations of others to survive in the future.
On April 22, the Bhandari family held their final official ordination ceremony with 35 other people.
The grand ceremony took place on the banks of the Sabarmati River, where thousands of people from the Jain community in India and abroad gathered. On this sunny day, the Bhandari couple began the ceremony by standing on top of a richly decorated float.
Bavish was dressed in a golden kurta robe, while Kinnar shimmered in a red-and-black sari embroidered with intricate patterns.
The two were surrounded by family and friends, and to the sound of gongs and drums, the floats slowly drove along the narrow and winding village road, and many villagers and spectators from afar gathered on both sides.
The Bhandaris, on the other hand, kept throwing down their clothes and money during the 4-kilometer-long "float procession", symbolizing their complete farewell to material life......
One can imagine how hundreds of people would have scrambled to pick up the clothes and cash that had been left behind.
After that, they will change into white robes, pluck out or shave their hair, and travel barefoot across India, living on alms alone......
In our opinion, this may be incomprehensible.
However, in India, there are really many wealthy people who believe in Jainism, and they have chosen to become monks......
Most of the monks who were ordained at the same time as Mr. and Mrs. Bhandari also lived well-off lives, without worrying about food and clothing, and there were several couples, and all their children had already become monks......
Last year, another diamond merchant and his wife in Gujarat made a similar decision. Five years after the wealthy couple's 12-year-old son became ordained, they also held a rite of ordination.
Five years ago, their son drove a Ferrari in a parade of floats. The couple, on the other hand, drove Jaguar to throw their possessions......
Further back, in 2017, a wealthy couple from Madhya Pradesh donated Rs 1 billion to become monks and handed over their 3-year-old daughter to their grandparents to raise.
And in 2015, the Indian plastic tycoon Banvaral, who started from rags to riches as a street vendor, left behind a net worth of 6 billion rupees and became a monk.
But the most famous is probably the 8-year-old "Diamond Princess" Stephensie Sanvi.
She is the heiress of the Surat Jewellery Company, India's "City of Diamonds", and should have inherited a family fortune of 5 billion rupees.
However, Tivansia, who was heavily influenced by Jainism since childhood, often attended temple ceremonies, and she even "never watched television, movies, or went to shopping malls or restaurants."
At the beginning of 2023, she decided to become a monk completely.
Her ordination ceremony was held for four days, leaving her family fortune on a float pulled by an elephant and surrounded by countless people.
Finally, she took off her elaborate and ornate gown, changed into a simple white cotton monk's outfit, and shaved her hair......
After that, she will spend her life in strict discipline.
For wealthy couples, choosing to become a monk and scatter their wealth may not be a bad thing.
They have witnessed the prosperity of this world, experienced wonderful lives, and after countless choices, finally decided to pursue peace of mind and get the life they wanted.
But for children born in Jainism, they don't have any choice from the start – their world starts with strict teachings, and they may never see another option, another path, in their lives......
Is that a good thing for them?