How is meditation related to gaining material prosperity? what is the relationship between spiritual practices and material wealth? it seems very abstract and difficult to see the connection? people often think that spirituality and material wealth have no relation, and in fact that "spiritual" people appear "poor" externally at least, and this is discouraging as it is not a practical practice.
—SS, United States
Dear Friend,
You raise a very insightful and important question: the relationship of the spiritual life to material life. It is a long standing belief, teaching and truth that righteous living brings material success. Harmony with nature, with people, and the ability to live by high principles which bring calmness and concentration and creativity — all these naturally incline a person to be successful, to be admired and to be magnetic. Magnetism draws to one circumstance and people in tune with that magnetism. Spiritual living aligns one with other people and with the higher power of creation and the Creator.
So, yes: there IS a relationship. However, the problem with this relationship and teaching it (the so-called Prosperity Gospel) is that righteous living conducted for the purposes of and with an emphasis upon material success is undermined by attachment to material success. One of the most important aspects of success is non-attachment to that success. This teaching is one of the core precepts taught by Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita!
Famously in the Book of Job in the Old Testament, Job’s material success is questioned by Satan. Satan makes a bet with God that if he, Satan, is allowed to take away Job’s material success, family and health that Job would then disown God and his own life of righteousness. Job, moreover, is accused by his so-called friends that his subsequent troubles must surely be the consequence of his non-righteousness (aka “sin”). Thus we see the assumption that righteousness produces wealth. Every religion has some exponents and some expression of this teaching which, while containing some truth, is misleading.
According to this doctrine a saint should never be ill or suffer the effects of poverty. But this is obviously not true.
What, then, IS true? Truth is individual. There are those whose righteousness and devotion to God attract to them material success. If they are true devotees they will NOT be seeking material success for its own sake, and if they attract it, they will be generous with it and non-attached to it, being guided by dharma (righteousness) and devotion to God.
Then there are those whose attachment to material success must be tested by its being taken or withheld from them to help them deepen their commitment to the spiritual life and the love of God as their only goal.
In the age in which humanity has arrived, there happens to be a need for many to see material success and a spiritual life as going hand in hand. In former times, one had to forsake ordinary worldly life and escape to the monastery, mountains or deserts to affirm and pursue the spiritual life. But now the need, in general, is for spiritually-motivated people to see life in the world as a means to God and not a distraction or temptation away from God. To live in this world requires education, energy, talent and creativity. The devotee who can walk the path of life with material needs supporting spiritual goals and vice versa is the everyman devotee of our times. But non-attachment remains the bedrock of the soul’s relationship to matter and hence success or failure, health or sickness, joy or sorrow, the devotee marches on in faith, even-mindedness amidst either, and seeking the joy of the soul (made in the image of God).
I hope this brings light and clarity to a very important question.
Blessings to you, friend!
Nayaswami Hriman
