“Having lots of money and no peace is like dying of thirst while bathing in a lake.”

This metaphor vividly illustrates the paradox of material abundance paired with spiritual or emotional emptiness. It suggests that while external resources are present, the internal capacity to enjoy them is missing without a calm and centered mind. In a modern corporate world, this speaks to high-achievers who sacrifice mental health for financial gain, only to find themselves unsatisfied. People search for this wisdom to recalibrate their priorities in a consumerist society that often overlooks inner well-being. Yogananda, who introduced Kriya Yoga to the West, consistently taught that true prosperity is a balance of outer efficiency and inner peace. By cultivating stillness, one learns to actually "drink" from the abundance they have created. The practical takeaway is to invest as much time in mental hygiene as one does in career advancement.