How to Relate to Money
Dear friends,
This is a tricky topic because there are so many facets to it. On the one hand you might think, "What is a Spirit-oriented newsletter doing talking about money?" Rest assured, we will not be talking about the hottest investment trends, or how to get rich from the latest multi-level marketing scheme.
Money represents the entire material plane. "Render unto Caesar what is Caesar's" is not really about ancient Rome. It is saying that the Spirit world and the material world cannot both be primary for any of us. Pick one.
That said, given that we are in fact living in a material world, these two realities do overlap and greatly influence each other. Ramakrishna said it is difficult to be spiritual on an empty stomach. But once our needs are met, where is our focus? When someone of limited means comes into $1 million they are completely thrilled. When someone has $3 million and they lose $2 million they feel broke. Both people have $1 million, and one is ecstatic and the other depressed. Several studies have shown that almost everyone, of every possible earning level, feels that if they just had 10% more, things would be fine.
Something is clearly amiss here. It stems from the root false belief that "If I could only get my circumstances just right (Caesar) then I'd be happy." Oh, and then the further fantasy is that once everything is perfect, you will somehow be able to freeze reality so that state of affairs does not change. How is that working for you?
Money, at a certain point, represents a kind of freedom. Once your true needs are met (not desires pretending to be "needs"), you are more free to do as you will. The highest good is to spend more time focused on Spirit and less on getting "more."
There is nothing wrong with money, especially given that it can give us the freedom to pursue higher things. It is the craving and attachment to money that is the problem. The old often quoted aphorism, "Money is the root of all evil" is actually a misquote. The true quote is "Love of money is the root of all evil." Craving any material plane thing creates problems. Do we want the interior presence of Spirit and the peace and freedom that brings, or Caesar? To an enormous degree the choice is ours.
May we each see money as the tool it is: an aid to creating a material plane existence that enables us to focus on Spirit, where our true satisfaction and joy lies.
Blessings,
David G., manager
For the staff at East West