Spirituality means knowing of our Self, our Essence and our Source: Allah, Buddha, Krishna, Yahweh, Yesuah, etc.
Anything that has to do with a material outcome is not spiritual. But can we use such things to help our spirituality? I would respond with a resounding yes!
For example, money allows us to purchase things and services. Depending on the amount of money we have, some of us are able to do and acquire more because we have more money. Money might enable us to have lots of “toys” (i.e., material things). If we can use these toys to help us see Spirit/God because of them, then the toys can rightly be called “tools” to help you along your path.
But if we become engrossed and attached and overshadowed by these toys, they certainly are not reminding us of Spirit/God, are they? If fact, they may become so painful that we pull away, maybe even from Spirit/God Herself!
There were times in my life when I was more fascinated by the toys than the toy maker. This ultimately caused me some type of pain: “Oh I wish I had that,” or if I was able to purchase it, I wanted it to last forever and, of course, it didn’t.
And there is one other strong connection between money and spirituality. On all of our currency, it says “In God we Trust.” Does that make the currency spiritual, in and of itself? No. Does it help me remember Spirit/God? Once again, I offer a resounding yes! Whenever I see currency, even a penny, I pick it up and say…In God I Trust.
Focusing and setting intentions for a better way of life is great, and it is called metaphysics. Personal development is another fantastic thing to do for yourself; that’s why it’s called self improvement. Communication with the “spirit” world, channeling and the paranormal is still working within creation. It’s a level most people don’t see, but it’s just another level of creation.
True spirituality is transcendental. It’s beyond creation and concerns itself with Source (Higher Power, God, etc.), rather than creation. True spirituality will directly enhance your relationship with your higher Self and the God of your understanding.
All the avatars and teachers taught on three levels:
1. Social (Love one another)
2. Spiritual (Be in this world, not of this world)
3. Mystical (There is only One)
So it is important that we each help others (social), create the best we can for our family (metaphysical), avoid becoming overshadowed by the outcome (spiritual) and remember that there is only One, and that one is God and we are part of that Source (mystical).
I know some folks who believe that if they have too much money, it impedes their spirituality. Or they believe that money is evil, and it attracts unwanted people and circumstances.
Or they recall this familiar saying that most of us have heard (or said) from time to time: “Money is the root of all evil.” Actually, that saying is a famously misquoted passage from the New Testament. The correct quote reads: “The love of money is the root of all evil.” The speaker quoted is Jesus of Nazareth and the passage is from the Apostle Paul’s First Epistle to Timothy.
Another misconception is that we have to renounce everything in order to be spiritual. Believe me, there are many saints and sages walking among us in this world, standing in line at the checkout counter, riding the subway to work, playing with their children at the playground, walking in the park with their dogs, etc., and all of them have money and, indeed, need it to be a functioning part of society. Does that make them less spiritual than those who sit in monasteries, ashrams or other secluded places without possessions? Absolutely not!
The ideal situation is to create a balance wherein we enjoy all that we have, including money, without being overshadowed by it. It is okay for us to be upset when we lose part of our retirement nest egg because of the stock market, if our new car is stolen or wrecked, if we lose our job, if we lose a loved one, if the Mets lose…again, etc. But we have our feelings, move through them and know that it’s who we are, not what we are or what we have, that is what’s really important. Because when we know and understand who we are, we’ll know that all of this is just part of the experience/journey on our path home…which is our real destination.
Is money spiritual? No. Can we be spiritual if we have money, even lots of it? Yes! So have fun, enjoy life, make the most of it and remember who you really are: a child of God or Pure Spirit, witnessing all of this as spirit, or Part and Parcel of God. Remember that you’re just passing through…this is not the destination.
The original article appeared at www.selfgrowth.com
