There’s a paradox in matters of prosperity, spirituality and the simple life. We live in an abundant universe governed by an intelligent energy which is willing and able to meet all our needs. And yet most of the great spiritual teachers were exponents of the simple life, shunning wealth and status. So do we have to deprive ourselves to get in touch with our spirituality? Absolutely not! But there is a balance to be achieved between seeking material possessions and pursuing spiritual goals.

Modern life appears complex and busy, but our needs are really very simple. Socrates, a leading proponent of the simple life, loved going to the market in Athens. When asked about this, he replied, ‘I love to go and see all the things I’m happy without.’ Once we have a steady supply of the essentials, extra money and belongings make very little difference to our happiness.When we live simply we discover, like Socrates, that there are sources of pleasure that do not depend on possessions and countless things we’re content to live without.

295 Everything Material Is Impermanent

Everything you have will one day cease to exist in its present form. Even your body will return to the dust from which it was made. If you chase after possessions, hoard them and rely on them for security, you make yourself a slave to things that inexorably deteriorate. They are not a stable basis on which to build your happiness.

People who are highly acquisitive are often too busy or stressed to enjoy life. Think of the effort and expenditure to which some go to ensure that they are up to date with the latest fashion trends so they can win the admiration of others similarly inclined – and yet in a very short time, the items on which they relied for their feelings of pleasure lose their appeal. Wouldn’t it be better to attend to something that brings lasting benefit – the qualities of consciousness that bring lasting security, happiness and peace of mind?

296 Buddhist Economics

One of the greatest statements on living simply is to be found in E. F. Schumacher’s book, Small Is Beautiful: Economics As If People Mattered. The chapter entitled ‘Buddhist Economics’ pointed out that consumption is merely a means to an end. Our aim, he argued, ‘should be to obtain the maximum well-being with the minimum of consumption.’

Using clothing as an example, he suggested that the most economically efficient approach would be to provide warmth, comfort and an attractive appearance for everyone, with the least amount of effort and minimum destruction of natural resources. Collecting clothes we hardly ever wear simply doesn’t make sense. We could choose to toil less and have more time for other pursuits. This would also put less pressure on the environment.

When we go for maximum well-being with minimum consumption, we help to make the world a kinder, gentler place, and it doesn’t mean depriving ourselves because we’re gaining much more than we lose, including time for ourselves and our loved ones.

297 Good Work

Work has two purposes: firstly, it provides for our needs; secondly, it expresses our gifts and powers. This is equally important, because if you work only for money, you will never be prosperous, regardless of what you earn.

If your work is unfulfilling, change it. Find work that you enjoy, uses your talents and enables you to make your best contribution. If this alarms you, relax! Apply the spiritual principles, set the Laws of Cause and Effect and Attraction in motion, and use the I-T-I-A Formula^©. Everything you need will then manifest in your life. When you do what you love and put your heart and soul into it, providing it benefits others, you will be taken care of, according to Spiritual Law.