Daily Meditation: Friday, October 11, 2019

Material goods - it is better not to abandon them if one does not possess inner riches

10/11/2019

To live a spiritual life, one’s spirit must be free. However, it is difficult for people to have a free spirit when they have an entire fortune to maintain, and even to amass – not to mention the temptations it presents. Why give up all their pleasures when they have so many means of satisfying their desires? But leading a spiritual life is not simply a question of abandoning one’s possessions. There is no point in renouncing material wealth unless we also rid ourselves of the thoughts, feelings and desires that cloud our inner sight. Those who do not know what true spirituality is may imagine that by giving up their material goods, they will find salvation. So, they flee society to seek refuge in monasteries or elsewhere, only to find emptiness. And even worse – deprived of all the activities and distractions the outside world has to offer, instead of meeting presences of light, they are confronted with their own demons. Before forgoing material goods, we must ensure that we possess enough inner riches to be able to live the life of the soul and the spirit.