| | | | | soul with the good spirit. |
| | | | | |
| People who take a spiritual path in life are often | | | | Many saints have said centuries ago that |
| found asking a common question—can | | | | spirituality, which is also termed as |
| materialism and spirituality go together? It is a | | | | ‘bhakti’ (devotion to the supreme lord), is |
| topic that is discussed too often. Do money and | | | | very detached from the material world. The |
| spirituality share any common characteristics or | | | | underlying reason is that spirituality pulls you |
| are they entirely different. Let’s get an insight | | | | inwards and creates a detachment from the |
| into the relationship between materialism and | | | | mortal traps of the physical world. On the other |
| spirituality. | | | | hand, money is like a ditch that makes man more |
| | | | | and more engrossed in worldly deeds. A |
| In today’s world, money is found to be the | | | | materialistic person may not be much concerned |
| root cause of people getting tense, becoming | | | | about the Almighty, morality and the good deeds. |
| stressed, and facing several other emotional | | | | All that he may be interested in is the money and |
| problems. Their life centers on money and the | | | | the pleasures that it brings along. |
| various pleasures that it provides. It is the cradle | | | | |
| of various issues in life. People are becoming | | | | However, some people hold a contrasting view to |
| increasingly materialistic and getting detached | | | | this. They feel that money and spirituality go hand |
| from the spiritual aspects of life. If people have | | | | in hand. They argue that money inculcates self |
| any passion in life, it centers on money, because it | | | | worth in a person, which is not felt by a poor |
| has become a common thought that one can buy | | | | fellow. If you do not have money, you lower your |
| happiness in life with money. | | | | desires, your sense of feeling and admiration of |
| | | | | God affecting your spiritual sensibilities. Their |
| Which happiness are we talking about over here? | | | | contention is that money makes you live the |
| Is it the happiness of the material world that | | | | purpose God has bestowed you with. But, some |
| money can buy for us? The money that can run | | | | saints believe that money distracts an individual |
| your family, buy food and clothes for your wife | | | | from his or her purpose in life, which is simply to |
| and children? All this is a far cry from spirituality. | | | | be a good human being. |
| | | | | |
| If you are so caught up in materialism, you | | | | Nevertheless, money and spirituality are like two |
| cannot experience spirituality. Spirituality involves | | | | sides of the same coin. They go together; only |
| realizing the self and being one with the inner | | | | when one side is up the other is down. And it |
| peace. While money can buy you happiness in the | | | | depends on you which side you want to keep up. |
| material world, spirituality provides contentment to | | | | When you focus on money, spirituality takes the |
| the inner being. It can not be bought by money | | | | back seat and the same is true the other way |
| but can only be realized by the interaction of the | | | | round. |