WHAT HAS MONEY GOT TO DO WITH IT?

CAN MATERIALISM AND 

SPIRITUALITY COEXIST?

http://timesofindia.speakingtree.in - Can materialism and spirituality coexist? Is it possible to be spiritual and materialistic at the same time? Why not? In fact, it is more difficult to be completely spiritual or completely materialistic. It is a lot easier and more enjoyable being a combination of both. Even if the ratio is 70:30 or 80:20, it is fine. Most of us fall in this category. People with a ratio of 95:05 are rare. If money and spirituality could not co-exist, we would not have so many Hindu gods and goddesses wearing gold crowns and silken robes.
In fact, the word money, itself, is said to have originated from the Roman fertility goddess Moneta, an aspect of Juno, in whose temple money was first minted. Hence, many spiritual leaders believe that money is a part of divine energy and should be wisely used in our own interest and the interest of society.

Clearly, there’s no conflict between wealth, prosperity and spirituality. It is greed and spirituality that cannot co-exist. Contrary to what is popularly believed, money is not the root cause of all evil in society. It’s the urge to cling to it that is the problem. Comparing present-day lifestyle with that of earlier times, it might seem that there’s a decline in spirituality, but it is actually not the case. Earlier, people led simple lives and, therefore, had enough time and money to devote to spiritual pursuits. Today, an average person works 10 to 12 hours a day and spends so much time commuting to work.
Necessities of life too, have increased. To be able to maintain a ‘decent’ standard of living, people have to work really hard. As a result, they might not be able to devote themselves to religious or spiritual pursuits. There’s a saying in Hindi: “Bhookhe pet bhajan na hoy”. It means that you can’t be spiritual on an empty stomach. Clearly, there’s no contradiction between material needs and spiritual needs.

What is the relationship between money and spirituality? "Money is not the cause of all evil. It is the urge to cling to it that is the problem," remarks Bhavleen Kaur, the author of the article. "In spite of not going to the temples every day, and not participating in bhajans and kirtans (congregational chants), one could still be close to the Divine through one’s concern for one’s family, friends and the world around him." Even in the complicated daily life, one can act spiritually "As long as his moral compass is pointed in the right direction," she explains. The real treasure that we must cherish is our relationship with God and try to turn our greed into real generosity to others using our money to spread God Consciousness.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US? 

Householders engage in fruitive activity earning money, so it is recommended for them to use the fruits of their labor toward offering food to Krishna, or God. They are also required to host as many guests as possible. ... Though the ideal householder life may be difficult to implement in this age, the best thing a family can do is to become devotees of Lord Krishna and offer all their food to Him prior to eating. This prasadam should also be distributed to as many friends, family, and neighbors as possible. Through this system, there is no need for government programs or food donation charities. In this way, the householders can perform the highest service to their fellow man and satisfy society’s real hunger, the hunger for spiritual life.

Krishna's Mercy.org - Jai Shri Krishna :
"Feeding the Hungry"
Written by: Keshava - Published on Jun 18, 2009
http://www.krishnasmercy.org/dotnetnuke/
http://krishnasmercy.wordpress.com/2009/06/18/feeding-the-hungry/
http://www.krishnasmercy.org/dotnetnuke/News/Blog/tabid/57/EntryId/71/Feeding-the-Hungry.aspx

Published by dasavatara das - "Vedic Views on World News"
http://www.vedicviews-worldnews.blogspot.com.ar/

WHEN WANTING IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN HAVING

WANTING STUFF IS MORE 

PLEASURABLE THAN HAVING IT

http://blogs.psychcentral.com - Wondering why your appetite for more “things” seems insatiable? A study to be published in the June 2013 Journal of Consumer Research confirms that people tend to find greater pleasure in wanting things vs. having things. “Thinking about acquisition provides momentary happiness boosts to materialistic people, and because they tend to think about acquisition a lot, such thoughts have the potential to provide frequent mood boosts. But the positive emotions associated with acquisition are short-lived,” said study author Marsha L. Richins. She continued, “Materialists are more likely to overspend and have credit problems, possibly because they believe that acquisitions will increase their happiness and change their lives in meaningful ways.” In other words, lusting after that new flat screen is pretty exciting. After purchasing, it morphs into “the TV.”

Most people in the age of consumerism can probably relate. When you hype yourself up for a new toy, the let down is sure to follow. People in pursuit of shiny objects tend to visualize those objects in certain ways. Big, bright, glistening pictures dance around in the their minds, enhancing the thrill of the pursuit. The cycle: We amp ourselves up in pursuit of “stuff.”  We acquire said stuff. We then feel let down or empty, or not nearly as fulfilled as we imagined when convincing ourselves we needed the stuff. So, we look for more stuff! Sometimes we are willing to go deeply into debt to get all the stuff, as if we were addicted. 
Why do we subject ourselves to this cycle again and again? This is where it gets interesting. It involves more than seeing the simple pattern or even understanding how it manifests in the mind. Here we need to delve into why people seek fulfillment in things that do not fulfill and then do it again and again and again.

Materialists tend to buy more than other consumers and are more willing to go into debt because they believe that buying things will make them happier. But does acquisition actually make them happier? "After the TV is set up and working, adjustments are made to the internal mental imagery. The internal images of “the TV in the living room” dull down, become smaller and lose their internal glisten. Good-bye pleasure. Time to look for the next temporary high. Sometimes the string of temporary consumer highs is expensive and debt begins to pile up. This is where problems develop," explains Mike Bundrant, the author of the article. The intensity of the illusory happiness drives materialistic experiences before making a purchase, and such pleasure vanishes when the desired object is achieved.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US? 

There are endless possibilities for material enjoyment in the dreamland, and there are as many outlets for devotional service, or bhakti-yoga. In this highest discipline the temporary pleasure turns into ananda, or bliss. Instead of disturbing the mind, the various aspects to the material creation help to fuel the enthusiasm to please Krishna, who always reciprocates the devotee’s offerings. Sometimes He’ll remove obstacles that weren’t foreseen, keeping the devoted soul under His wing, protecting them like a pet child. The outlook of the individual then changes as well, as the eyes are said to be anointed with the salve of devotional love. Sort of like putting on rose colored glasses, seeing with the Krishna vision enables one to use everything around them properly and thus remain immune to the effects of the dreamland.

Krishna's Mercy.org - Jai Shri Krishna :
“Virtual Reality”
Written by: Keshava - Published on Aug 16, 2012
http://www.krishnasmercy.org/dotnetnuke/
http://www.krishnasmercy.org/dotnetnuke/News/Blog/tabid/57/EntryId/1238/Virtual-Reality.aspx

Published by dasavatara das - "Vedic Views on World News"
http://www.vedicviews-worldnews.blogspot.com.ar/