From: esoteric777@...
Reply-To: BardonPraxis@yahoogroups.com
To: BardonPraxis@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [BardonPraxis] Wealth and Esotericism
Date: Tue, 17 Feb 2004 08:30:36 EST
Dear List,
One of the list members stated that he was still in the university and very
career motivated; he was wondering if his drive for achieving big success
would
be an impediment to his spiritual progress.
In short, he asked "is there anything wrong with that (making 'BIG
money')?"
Having had the opportunity to deal with people across the entire financial
spectrum, from very poor to so wealthy they literally did not know what to
do
with it, I think there are several things anyone asking this question needs
to
consider.
The current belief in material poverty as being good and wealth as being
bad
has its roots in several areas, one of which a form of gnosticism which
says,
material life is essentially evil and needs to be escaped from, thus throw
yourself into your spiritual activities.
The same is found in any schools of yoga, and is easily understood as a
form
of compensation in cultures and communities that suffer under crushing
poverty
or little avenues for material advancement.
Another influence is the Roman Church, that used similar language to
comfort
peasants (or keep them from rioting) for the last 1,000 years. With
improved
standards of living, courtesy the industrial and technological revolutions,
this holds less power.
The Protestant Work Ethic that equates material success and wealth as a for
of godly blessing has also eroded it somewhat.
So where does that leave us?
Well, if we look at Wealth and Esoteric Wisdom, we see they both relate to
the qabalistic sphere of Chesed. Wealth it the more material manifestation
of
this force, wisdom its more subtle form.
Chesed is in short, out inner blueprint or highest ideals in the realms of
duality, or manifestation.
Projected through Yesod, or our subconscious, they take form.
Now, lets look at the idea of renunciation in Easter and Western though. We
hear a lot about it, giving once again the idea that only a monastic life
is
the spiritual life. However, there is the warning that it is easier to be
a
sinner while a hermit than in the world.
In truth, renunciation is not an absence of material things, but in using
them, not being used by them, and being firm in your commitment that the
material
life is a tool and not an end.
From this point of view, all things can be brought into the Path of
Service.
If our highest ideal is to be enlightened for ourselves alone, that puts us
at Tiphareth. If our ideal is to make wealth for ourselves alone that puts
us
in Malkooth. If our ideal is to serve and be of assistance to humanity,
that
puts us in Chesed, where all things are at our disposal.
There is also the reality that you will die.
Your time is limited, even if it is 100 or 150 years thanks to medical
science.
As such it is not so much what you do, but why you do it. Time is limited,
pick wisely.
If it is out of need for security and to own nice things, for status, and
privilege, you are working from fear. If it is to enjoy life while making
firm
and definite assistance to others, then it is our of love and compassion -
the
domain of Chesed - and you will not even be asking the question you did.
I hope this makes your journey into the Magic Mirror a little more
fruitful.
Sincerely,
Mark Stavish
Institute for Hermetic Studies
Advisor to the Louis Claude de St. Martin Fund
www.hermetic.com/stavish/
www.hermeticinstitute.org (under construction)
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