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Do You Have a Love-Hate Relationship with Money?
Do you think spirituality and money can co-exist? How do you balance the two without tipping the scale? Do you secretly hate money, thinking it's evil, but yet can't do without it?
Personally, I'm still trying to come to terms with the pre-conditioned concept that money is evil.
Would love to hear personal stories and advice, if any. No right or wrong answers. Just healthy sharing of personal experiences. Thank you. May we grow together through this sharing.
Personally, I'm still trying to come to terms with the pre-conditioned concept that money is evil.
Would love to hear personal stories and advice, if any. No right or wrong answers. Just healthy sharing of personal experiences. Thank you. May we grow together through this sharing.
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Comments
"Money is the root of all evil."
That's completely inaccurate.
The correct quotation is:
THE LOVE of money, is the root of all evil.
It puts a completely different slant on things and as such, changes your question fundamentally from one of avarice to one dealing with attachment.
Best wishes,
Abu
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On topic.. money can mean power and power can lead to corruption, at least that's what they say!
The quotation I think you might be thinking of, again, goes:
"Power Corrupts.
Absolute Power, corrupts absolutely."
Anyway I think the reality is, and I speak for myself too, we all have our little fantasies but what is true, is what an old friend muga used to say - "Wherever you go there you are" so we first work on straightening our own minds.
On topic of money, yes I believe to a degree it can and does. When the carrot is in front of your nose, well, here comes our greed and material ambitions. Whatmore it's completely normal.
I rather like Buddhism because however it clarifies who this self is, the one that wants the money and is scared etc etc.
I am not exempt. But I can see the power of Buddhist practice, so to speak.
Namaste.
But I am learning that money is just like any other tool.
It has a purpose it can destroy or it can help improve ones situation and improve everyones situation by using it correctly.
Here in California a few acres cost an arm and a leg.
I say split the land with a family or friends.
Bless,
Abu.
The Buddha himself praised the accumulation of wealth by laypeople, as long as they do not acquire it using violence; use it for beneficial purposes; are not blindly infatuated with it; and see the danger of it (SN 42.12; no link).
The Buddha said poverty is one of the worst sufferings and said having wealth, having money to spend, being free from debt & having a blameless livelihood is happiness on the material level.
(see link: http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/an/an04/an04.062.than.html)
Kind regards
My family has a good amount of money for the area I live in. We have a lot of luxuries, but we all agree that if you're not happy with little to nothing (my family has been through that), you won't be happy with a lot of money.
So we do like having money, but it doesn't control us or our emotions.
I felt really bad for Tony Hayward, the six million dollar man, when he went before the US congress and showed how a CEO can completely cast aside his own humanity in an effort to tow the company line. It was obvious to me that he was hurting inside while he made sure he would not say anything that would increase BP's potential financial liability - even if it meant compromising the search for the truth.
And yet at the same time I would love to have more money. I would like to travel the world and have a house in different countries, but like I said, I never had enough ambition to make it. Maybe I, too, was brought up with the idea that the love of money was the root of all evil. Yet, I don't think it is the root of all evil. I think greed is.
For me, I used to make a comfortable sum of money but I wasn't happy. So, I pared down my lifestyle and went right down to the basic. But, it could be a little extreme and after 2 years the heart is yearning for more material comfort. So, internally, there's a struggle going on. Hence, this thread.
While I know that money is only a tool and that attachment to money is dangerous, when the rubber hits the road, I'm often pull back by the greed to have more, or the fear of losing. So obviously, the knowledge I have remains only at a mental level and hasn't permeate into my blood and bones yet. There's still a lot of letting go to do.
Take care.
Here's Joe Roan talking about materialism. Mind you, there's some swearing in it, and the hosts are kind of annoying at parts. Its very interesting though, and he's a good speaker. Its the dude from Fear factor fyi.
Im my personal view, when one is willing to destroy people's lives, the enviorment, or anything else in your way to make more money, it is negative. This sort of "Money Worship" is negative and greedy, which brings loads of bad karma with it. The point of life is not to make money and look down on those without it.
Unfortunately necessary for day-to-day interaction with others, yes - but Important?
No.
I wonder if Federica knows where that one came from?
It's a Cree Indian saying.
It's beautifully profound. And a lot of Indian sayings are worthy of note.
Does Buddhism tell us to renounce the culture we live in if it is based on keeping track of material obligations to each other? I dunno. Attachment to material goods? I like some of that stuff around me.
Good question though.
The answer, "The Middle Way."
If I have a fancy homes and luxury cars and when I die I plan to bequeath most all my assents to local Buddhist sangha, is THAT ok?
I was told early on there is "no guilt in Buddhism." TorF? Money and Guilt? Good issue.
One more thing: Maybe $$$ guys like Bill Gates have good Karma from past lives! Good for him!
this is not true but: "yes, I have a love-hate relationship with money. I love money and money hates me!"