Comments on: Money and spirituality – let's be responsible about it http://www.allconsidering.com/2008/money-and-spirituality-basics/ Considering life, spiritual growth and more ponderings Tue, 24 Jan 2012 11:34:22 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Pradip tong http://www.allconsidering.com/2008/money-and-spirituality-basics/comment-page-1/#comment-44302 Pradip tong Mon, 29 Aug 2011 14:38:20 +0000 http://www.allconsidering.com/?p=212#comment-44302 Wow!!! a vivid idea of being an spiritual individual rather than a money-centred human. it is perfectly a better idea! Wow!!! a vivid idea of being an spiritual individual rather than a money-centred human. it is perfectly a better idea!

]]> By: Dan http://www.allconsidering.com/2008/money-and-spirituality-basics/comment-page-1/#comment-99 Dan Mon, 13 Oct 2008 17:03:03 +0000 http://www.allconsidering.com/?p=212#comment-99 It's kind of ironic to me how, of the four elements, money is associated with the element of earth--and these days, there is, as you phrased it, a "disconnect" between money and the material world. On one hand, the value of money is in constant flux, and I don't think it can be said that the value of money is inherently connected to anything material. Instead, there is increasing abstraction when it comes to money and banking practices, with so much emphasis on credit, or in other words, on what we don't have. Some people make their entire livings simply manipulating these abstractions (often to the detriment of others, though those others did make their own decisions), with no work of any materially valuable nature being done, whatsoever--no bread being baked, so to speak. And as you also touched on, nowadays, a lot of our money is represented by numbers flying through cyberspace--we're beginning to move away from even pretending it's inherently valuable by giving it a physical form. Diamonds are valuable because they are rare and we cannot just print them up (or pretend they exist) at will. Money does make a lot possible, including the diversity of vocation that you've alluded to, so my intent here is not to beat up on the concept and say we should go back to a barter economy of some kind; but the economic disasters ongoing in the world are showing us that there are limits to how far from material reality we can carry our economies before harsh consequences emerge. They are lessons, and I hope that collectively, we are able to show that we have learned them. It’s kind of ironic to me how, of the four elements, money is associated with the element of earth–and these days, there is, as you phrased it, a “disconnect” between money and the material world. On one hand, the value of money is in constant flux, and I don’t think it can be said that the value of money is inherently connected to anything material. Instead, there is increasing abstraction when it comes to money and banking practices, with so much emphasis on credit, or in other words, on what we don’t have. Some people make their entire livings simply manipulating these abstractions (often to the detriment of others, though those others did make their own decisions), with no work of any materially valuable nature being done, whatsoever–no bread being baked, so to speak. And as you also touched on, nowadays, a lot of our money is represented by numbers flying through cyberspace–we’re beginning to move away from even pretending it’s inherently valuable by giving it a physical form.

Diamonds are valuable because they are rare and we cannot just print them up (or pretend they exist) at will. Money does make a lot possible, including the diversity of vocation that you’ve alluded to, so my intent here is not to beat up on the concept and say we should go back to a barter economy of some kind; but the economic disasters ongoing in the world are showing us that there are limits to how far from material reality we can carry our economies before harsh consequences emerge. They are lessons, and I hope that collectively, we are able to show that we have learned them.

]]> By: Saurabh http://www.allconsidering.com/2008/money-and-spirituality-basics/comment-page-1/#comment-98 Saurabh Thu, 09 Oct 2008 04:54:40 +0000 http://www.allconsidering.com/?p=212#comment-98 Agree - money is just another form of energy - if we do the right things physically - eat good food, exercise and so on, physical energy naturally flows to us. There is not stopping it. Our purpose then becomes to apply the energy fruitfully. Methinks the same goes for money - if we do the right things, in the right way, money cannot but flow to us. After that, we only have to decide how to use this energy :)! Agree – money is just another form of energy – if we do the right things physically – eat good food, exercise and so on, physical energy naturally flows to us. There is not stopping it. Our purpose then becomes to apply the energy fruitfully. Methinks the same goes for money – if we do the right things, in the right way, money cannot but flow to us. After that, we only have to decide how to use this energy :) !

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