Wealth and Spirituality = Oil and Water?

Source: http://www.stat.org.au/

I recently read an article entitled How Materialism Posing as Mysticism Limits Consciousness and Subverts Spirituality. The article makes a lot of interesting presuppositions and I agree with its basic premise...to a certain point.

It's true that there are charlatans who fleece unwary believers of their money, and even in genuine spiritual/esoteric organizations there are unscrupulous individuals who are either power-tripping or out to amass more money at the expense of others (usually both). However, equating the use of the Law of Attraction with greed, as the article seems to imply, would be an oversimplification of the complexity of living in the modern world.

We are aware, at some level, of the rising level of inequality between the rich and the poor. In fact, I've heard many references about the 1% that controls majority of the world's wealth and resources. So for the rest of the world population that has access to much less, keeping one's financial neck above the water can become a daily challenge. Especially now in a tepid world economy, there is a lot of motivation for the breadwinner to provide a better life for one's loved ones.

Of course, the Lord Jesus did say that you cannot serve both God and mammon. However, while there are yogis, hermits and sadhus who renounce everything of the world, including ties to family, there are those who want to be spiritual yet still live within the framework of mainstream society. And as such, these people still need to live within the norms of that society, and that usually means having a roof over your head, feeding your family, sending your kids to school and other banalities expected of normal people. Even in alternative or off-the-grid communities, the demands of daily survival still require the acquisition and use of material resources.

Just like in most subjects that deal with the spiritual and esoteric, discernment and balance should be the key. It's hard to be spiritual when your stomach is growling or if you see your loved ones suffering and you can't help because you lack the means to do so. It's simply Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs at work.

Given the above considerations, I wouldn't call using the Law of Attraction so that you can create the conditions that would provide a roof to stay under, feed your family three square meals a day or pay your child's tuition as "worshiping mammon."  Not having to worry about paying the bills on time or wondering where your next meal will come from would certainly free up a lot more energy to engage in spiritual practices and help other people as well.

But that's the key distinction that I think spiritual seekers need to keep in mind. We need to earn enough to be able to discharge our earthly responsibilities without this drive devolving into the pursuit of wealth for the sake of wealth itself or to merely maintain or acquire greater social bragging rights.

Of course, what constitutes "enough" will differ from person to person. For example, someone who is married, has a housing mortgage and needs to send children to school will need much more compared to someone who is single. I do think it's possible to achieve that material balance, but I admit that it's easy to get lost in the effort itself, and I think that's the danger that the article I mentioned earlier was trying to point out. But while the struggle to maintain a balance is hard, isn't that what the spiritual development process is also about?

So don't worry if you're trying to use the Law of Attraction in order to improve your lot. Just remember why you're doing it. And don't feel guilty if you get rich, because I know of wealthy people who help their financially challenged siblings or send their nephews or nieces to school if the child's own parents couldn't afford it.

It's not just the tool itself, but the way that you use the tool that determines if your effort will lead to good or ill.