Some may consider money as the root cause of all evil. However, it extends our consciousness toward the flow of abundance depending on how we use money—showing that spiritually, money is a neutral energy. It only serves as a medium of exchange; on its own, it is neither beneficial nor evil. It provides that power and influence to determine what we want or need and how we behave physically and mentally. It is like technology—creative and destructive, depending on usage. In today’s world, money is crucial, like water and air, to live comfortably. It is a tool to enhance material growth while spiritually revealing whether we have earned righteously or not. Anything in excess tends to go bad, and so is the case with money. Spirituality guides us to the values concerning money, how and why we should be content with clarity, and the ability to understand why sharing with all that exists in togetherness and oneness is essential.

Spirituality teaches us not to identify or attach to anything to avoid suffering. You are not to decline, disrespect, discard, or disregard anything; love with grace and respect for all as one. Being sensitive to everyone and everything and not sentimental to a few is the ultimate mantra or the meaning of moksha in spiritualism. Feel and use everything mindfully with your third eye open, for there is enough for everyone. Likewise, money and mindful energy can complement each other if applied righteously to fulfill what we desire to avail, but not abuse.

Money can enhance your spiritual pursuits; like in my personal life, spirituality became the prime focus to attain clarity about life’s meaning and purpose after becoming content with not wanting more of this or that, except what is necessary through money. I repeat, the essence of life lies in finding contentment and clarity in every aspect based on the standards or benchmarks you use. Money provides that freedom to explore within and discover who and what you are behind what we call personality (false mask), cleverly superimposed on the substratum of your unique individuality from all that exists. Hence, balancing the material with the spiritual is essential; both contribute and complement each other in the wholesomeness of life. Spiritual aspirations and material responsibilities work in unison to align your financial goals with spiritual values. Righteously earn and enjoy wealth, for you are here to celebrate, where gratitude over greed, selflessness over selfishness, and self-awareness over self-esteem or self-importance is your entitlement and answer to enjoy a rightful living with financial success.

Therefore, irrespective of what many would say negatively about money, we all require and cannot survive without it. Economic prosperity will remove you from insecurities, fears, doubts, and unquestioning beliefs about mythical, mystical, unsound, and illogical beliefs, making you mentally healthy. You will come across some who claim that they do not care about money or what it provides, especially those who do not have enough but inwardly want more. Such statements may seem confusing or sometimes even understandable, but only in theory—never underestimate the power of money. Politicians, pundits, padres, and everybody else require money to survive in our modern world.

Now, let’s go further in our spiritual outlook beyond money and happiness—you take on a journey of wholesomeness, oneness, peacefulness, like-mindedness, and mindfulness. It is that gradual transcendence transforming from health, wealth, and wisdom to wean away from all that you identify and attach to become a witness through your soul of all that a mind does in its wants in this and that, from here and there, for its likes and dislikes. A self-knowledgeable person considers a wealthy life spiritually successful only if they know their existence beyond the body, mind, and the individual soul, allowing the embedded aware spiritual energy to overpower their devilish deeds with divinity. Therefore, spirituality is not against money; it is a tool for the spirit to make the mind aware of the greater purpose of finding salvation. Integrating both in one’s life, you live a life of material astuteness with spiritual insight since the material and the spiritual comprise the same whole.

The power of money lies not in its physical aspect but in its energy ability and capacity to interchange goods and services. The force of cosmic energy attracts a magnetic field of supply in various forms. The most significant art of spiritual life is to be self-aware, to discover the true self, and to realize there is no self but the spirit engaged in the dualities of life through its body and mind and how to celebrate life. Second is how to make money to satiate your desires, gratify your body and mind, and serve and share your abundance with others. Money ultimately funds all philanthropic works except those that are harmful.

From sinners to saints, all are thinking of money. The advantages of money are unquestionable, but it has negative traits when mismanaged, misused, or misunderstood. Some of the negative factors include addictive behaviors, neglect of personal well-being, inflated ego, feelings of isolation and loneliness, psychological issues resulting in anxiety and stress, leading one to criminal activities to amass more and more extra money, disturbing personal relationships to social interactions, lust and greed, and many, many more. It’s not about money but how you use money, rightfully or not, and if you wish to rectify it, are you self-aware to avoid disasters or recklessness? Enough money allows better preparation, reaction, and recovery from various factors, reasons, and emergencies. 

Money can lead you towards disaster if mismanaged or while making reckless decisions, such as overindulgence or investing in risky or unaware ventures. Adequate financial resources can provide safety nets, allowing us to better prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters, such as retrieving financial savings in times of need. Further, I have experienced and realized that the more you give and share, the more you receive—this law of giving leads to more significant tangible or intangible rewards. Generosity leads to favorable results if you engage in acts without expectations. You also cannot deny that money positively influences our minds with the abovementioned ways we feel, act, and live. Money may not provide lasting happiness, but offers ease, comfort, security, and tremendous opportunities.

The major problem with money is that the thirst for money always continues, and its power is unlimited. We continue to accumulate more than we want, and that desire never ends. There are two ways to answer this problem: you need not renounce money, live in the present, moment to moment in meditative awareness, and drop future thoughts as much as you can from your mind. Second, befriend contentment – real richness emanates from contentment. It reduces being restless and reckless by not chasing more than you need. In the Bhagwat Gita, Lord Krishna clarifies true yogis find contentment and tranquility in the present moment and practice moderation in every aspect of their lives.

The mind is all about desires, starting from the desire to live and continue to live. Contentment transcends desire; it springs from mindful living. You cannot stop desires, but you can constantly watch and be aware of the worth of every desire. Contentment is bliss; it is that state of mind when you attain peace and tranquillity in all you possess, even if what you have may be less than your equals. Being content, the satisfaction you realize reaches its optimum, and our spiritual journey begins. It cultivates humility and simplicity, cherishing what you have and appreciating where you have reached. We neither feel superior nor inferior nor compare with others to go further toward transcendence to evolve and transform.

Please remember everything is a manifestation of the spirit, as with money; it is also a presentation and illustration of energy. Money, as we know, is essential for comfort and security, providing happiness. Spirituality is more profound, giving wholesomeness and fulfillment, which money cannot. Money offers happiness, whereas spirituality provides peace of mind. We require a balance between the opposing forces, accepting the tension between material and spiritual usefulness. Money can facilitate existential requirements alongside spiritual growth, providing that transcendence of fulfilling both with equal grace and respect to evolve righteously in life with divine deeds for the sake of peace of mind in its qualitative state of divineness.