Wealth and Spirituality

Is material life the enemy of spirituality?

Are you being tempted by the Devil if you choose wealth as a goal?

Shall we all abandon all wealth and monetary goals to simply focus on meditation, healing and inner-work?

Should all spiritual work be charitable in nature?

Will the practice of spirituality interfere with your worldly success or career path?

Can you really have wealth while being spiritual?

Is it safe for you to switch over to a spiritual career now, or should you keep doing your regular job which pays your bills so far?

Is it bad to desire wealth, happiness, beauty and love when there is so much poverty, unhappiness and misery in the world?

These are some of the questions that you may have asked at some point of time. It’s almost like a part of you is in the material realm while a part of you aspires to rise above and perhaps even does at times. With one foot on earth and one in the sea, there is a need to find some balance…. some way to integrate…. to attain peace within yourself.

So let me focus on those of you who have been riddled with these issues and questions so far and help you choose what is right for you.

Like the characters called Agents in The Matrix (movie) there are things that might have blocked you from total spiritual awareness. These are not really enemies but those gatekeepers who are there to test you and your faith in yourself. Once you are ready you can not only dodge their bullets, you will find that you do not even ‘need to’. These agents are your own inner blocks of ignorance or fears and none will remain if you are self aware.

Ignorance is a block to spirituality. If you are aware of spiritual truth you will realise that all that is material is indeed connected to and in-fact created by the spiritual. It is a bondage to the illusion of materialism and not material life itself that is your blockage. You falsely believed that material world is unchangeable and you have no power over it. This was your blockage. You believed falsely that you were a victim. You believed falsely that because circumstances and situations in your childhood or past lives were limited or limiting to you. You had lacks, poverty, helplessness and slavery so far and believed them to be your blocks, your limitations – they were not. Your circumstances and situations can no longer be blamed for your bitterness, anger or sorrow. You are and always were in-charge of your destiny, with absolute and total control over any situation or circumstance. You just did not KNOW that till now.

With the awareness that you are the creator of your material life, you can create a beautiful life. Surround yourself with those material things that link you back with the spiritual. Instead of showing off brands that fulfil your ego or status needs you will have loving and empowering objects full of magick and power in your homes and offices. You will go for high energy, good vibration foods, clothing, décor, jewellery – not just for taste or thrill or showing off or looking good, but because of the way they reconnect you to the inner truth and help you stay aware and joyful. Fresh, organic and healthy foods, comfortable, ethical and magickal clothing, magickal crystals, meaningful décor or art, feng shui and magickal arefacts, sacred amulets and talismans can all remind you that material and spiritual life are now being integrated in your quest for oneness.

The Devil is nothing but ignorance of inner spirit. When you are without meditation, without inner silence, it is easy to believe that the outer physical world is all there is. When you look within, you discover that the God or Goddess or Universe is truly inside you and everyone ‘else’ is actually part of the inner self or Spirit which is truly one being manifest as all of us – both things and people around. The Devil is the temptation to stay in the illusion of physical reality.

If Wealth be you only goal ever in life then yes you are in the clutches of the Devil and have no idea what you are truly here for on earth. In you quest for wealth you may go after things that harm your soul, reduce your inner power and make you more and more vulnerable to unhappiness. Drugs, smoking, alcohol, sadism, self destructive behaviours, unethical ways of earning or living, unhealthy sexuality, abusive relationships, harmful behaviours, terrorism, religious fundamentalism, oppression and suppression of those who mean no harm are some of the extreme manifestations of ignorance or Devil.

There is no need to be angry or upset when you see someone earning well or being wealthy. Stop thinking that people who ask for a nice sum of money in return of products or services are fleecing others. Every time you pay someone for some product or service do it with joy and thank the person who is giving you that product or service for helping you and serving the divine self. Do not complain, crib or bargain as this reduces the value of what you are trying to have. You will be always be blessed with multiple times greater wealth than the amount that you are parting with because material life is a creation of the spirit and there is infinite wealth that can be yours at any point of time. Do not feel limited and give with all your heart to those who are giving you something of value in return. Do not say that you cannot afford something you want or do not have the money for it. When you imagine you have more than enough to give you will indeed draw to yourself more than enough provided you do feel deserving of that which you are trying to have.

True wealth is inner wealth and with this outer wealth can be created easily with the power of positive karma (inner and outer work). However for those who are born with a good amount of material wealth but lack spiritual awareness, outer wealth depletes too and they are reduced to beggars eventually. It is a positive and abundant state of consciousness therefore that one must acquire instead of going after outer wealth alone.

Wealth can be created through any positive work, inner as well as outer. It need not be only through the practice of spirituality as a full time career.

You are on the right path if you choose your goal to be your true life purpose – seeing your life purpose as something that gives you inner joy and helps you help the divine self in its expression. Wealth will be just one tool to help you grow and multiply your efforts to create something good on earth. This does not mean that all of us should only choose to be spiritual healers for career. You may be an accountant who chooses to help earth by helping people work with clear financial plans and honesty, thereby doing a lot of good to earth. You may choose to be an air hostess who helps travellers feel safe and well looked after and therefore does a lot of good on earth. You may be a millionaire businessman giving employment and bringing to consumers ethical products and services that make life easier and happier for the world and definitely you too are doing a lot of good on earth. Being in a meditative state helps you perform any of your tasks better and more purposefully. You can be completely present in your job or business on a day to day basis as you serve your inner god or goddess through your outer work as well as inner work.

We are always serving the divine as all of us are parts of the great divine self. Anything we do to help each other is a divine work. The moment you gain awareness about how your being here is part of the universe’s good and divine self you will then earn and create wealth without guilt. Wealth can therefore be your goal but not the ultimate goal, only a way in which you can live better and work better for the benefit of our world.

If you are serving other beings of nature (not just humankind) you will still be rewarded with true wealth and happiness in return for nature always gives us magickal powers, support, love and joy as rewards for taking care of its children. By working for clean environment, green trees and healthy animals, we are creating a healthy world and a happy world to enjoy. There is no point in having a lot of bank balance and real estate if there is no fresh air to breathe in, if you cannot take a walk in a beautiful forest or garden from time to time, if you cannot hear the chirping of birds, the rustling leaves, the murmuring waters, play with cats, marvel at beasts and befriend a familiar.

Spiritual work need not always be charitable. Some spiritual workers might not feel comfortable asking for charity and might want to be fair and clear in their dealings of all giving and receiving plus prefer to pay their full taxes as well.

There is no need to be afraid while making a switch from your mundane jobs to a spiritual healing career in case you are truly ready to perform this task on earth. If there is any fear of whether you will be able to sustain yourself or pay your bills, your fears are truly baseless. You need to check whether you are truly ready yet for it is necessary to be self realised and at least healed at a basic level before you try to teach or heal others.

You can have wealth while being spiritual. It’s just that usually spiritual people do not feel the need to accumulate or hoard wealth. They are simply not very insecure and truly less needy. The universe is our bank, the universe always has infinite resources and the universe is within. When we need something and only if we need it, we surely manifest it. We feel little or no need to show off wealth or to acquire more than required material possessions as we are happy to have what feels right. We do not need to have a huge bank balance to save for a rainy day as we are always safe and secure from within and we simply will not manifest a ‘rainy day’ unless it is raining happiness, love and abundance.

We feel glad to see others happy, well to do, honest, loving, fulfilled, beautiful and healthy as we realise that all are parts and aspects of our own inner divine self. If there are any signs of poverty, misery or sorrow in the world, it is just a sign that we need to create more awareness and spread spiritual truth around for this is the only way to liberate and help the world.

Read wealth affirmations regularly and incorporate them in your spells and prayers.

You can use some sample affirmations to begin with.

Blessed Be

(*)

Rev. Swati Prakash