Part of 'It's Time' - Corporate Wellness Series.
There are some who believe that the only way to lead a fully spiritual life is to surrender
all worldly goods, renounce creature comforts, and adopt cotton clothes. Although the path of
the ascetic is a well-trodden route to greater self-awareness and connection with the divine, it
is by no means obligatory. Yes of course it is possible to reach great heights without giving up
these things, and for most of us it is not a viable option anyway.
In fact true spirituality does not mean ‘giving up’ the things we love, it simply means
renouncing our deep-seated attachment to these things. The Buddha taught that attachment is
the basis of all suffering. If we understand this point then we can become free even whilst
having all that a person needs to live in this modern-day world.
The premise of Raja Yoga Meditation is one of a lotus-like life. The lotus grows in
stagnant waters with its roots in the mud and, yet offers its beauty to the world by always
remaining upright, pristine, untouched. In the same manner a Raja Yogi learns to lovingly be
with their family, pursue a career, move in their social circles, be an asset to the community,
own the house, the car and the latest gadgets, and yet at the same time to create a respectful
distance from those very things. In other words, there is nothing wrong in driving to work in
your Mercedes – there is only wrong thinking which fools us into believing that we need these
trapping in order to be happy.
A major reason why sages and monks step away from ‘worldly trappings’ is because they
can really be a trap… if we allow them to be. They can distract the mind, stimulate desires,
and can be a major reason for stress and emotional upheaval. Of course it is possible to keep
away from someone and certify yourself ‘detached’ or ‘tolerant’, or to avoid passing the cake
shop and deem it ‘renunciation’. Yet is it not a greater challenge and therefore victory to be in
the midst of these and yet to remain free from their influence?
It is sometimes thought that ‘money is the root of all evil’, however, is it the wealth and
possessions themselves or the avarice, the attachment, the greed or the ego of the power it
gives us that is our downfall? We simply need to cultivate the right relationships towards our
possessions – we don’t need to be a slave to them. In fact possessions and positions in
themselves are not an evil force, they can be a tribute to our achievement in life and a purpose
for celebration, but they should not create our ego identity of who or what we think we are.
A spiritual person will attract abundance on all levels: physical, mental and spiritual.
Abundance is our natural state when we are free from negative influences, and of course real
wealth lies in the treasures of happiness, love and contentment. If we don’t feel this to be our
truth then no matter how many possessions we have, we will never be satisfied. When we no
longer believe that we will find these things in people and material objects, and start Being
Who We Really Are, then the flow will naturally bring what we need towards ourselves. We can
enjoy the fruits of our labours, but at the same time we won’t cry if we don’t have a better
model car than the next-door neighbour. Either way we remain satisfied.
If we find we are not ‘in the flow’ and it isn’t happening then there is a good reason for
it. Trust the drama of life and don’t expect or wait with bated breath for something to arrive.
Sometimes we chase after that job, position, career path, university entrance or relationship
ruthlessly and relentlessly, then perhaps our energy of want, lust or greed (however subtle) is
instead pushing it from us.
It’s time... to live in the world like a lotus flower and to renounce, not our world, but our deepseated attachment with it. Real wealth lies in virtue and once we recognize this truth, we
begin to attract abundance towards ourselves. Be ‘in the flow’, sit back, relax and enjoy all
that life brings.
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