Enlightenment and Material Riches: Is There a Spiritual Conflict?

Those of us who are on the path of enlightenment and desire to abide by holistic living principles in health, awareness, wisdom, and lifestyle are often faced with a spiritual conflict. The spiritual conflict faced by many who practice holistic living has always centered on whether or not one can have money and material riches and still be spiritual. So, many people often wonder:

"Can I enjoy the experiences of wealth through material riches and live holistically. Do I have to make a choice between being rich and the path of enlightenment? Furthermore, does spirituality discourage the experience of material riches?"

The pertinent answers to such power questions depend on our ability to communicate, live, and operate in life as our true and authentic self. Once the true self is realized then there is no longer a conflict. At this point, we are enlightened and we are operating as a co-creator. Furthermore, as a co-creator, we are utilizing our gifts, talents, abilities, skills to create. Based on these factors, what is the conflict?

So let's look at how our level of consciousness and are commitment to the path of enlightenment can affect the experiences we have with material riches and yes, money.

First, you can effectively spread more goodwill, kindness, and love with wealth and abundance than you can without it, if this is our focus. As with all things, the true beauty of life is learning to do all things with balance. The balance is making sure that our spiritual development complements and harmonizes with our material riches. Being rich is not a bad thing, but being rich without knowledge of our true self can be dangerous and destructive. In this state, the ego makes choices out of pain, confusion, desperation, complacency, fear, lust, greed, and pride; hence, propelling one down the path of self-destruction. Yet, when the true self is realized money and material riches are simply the result of one's ability to weal or prosper.

Second, when living a holistic lifestyle (meaning that we consider the whole self) with material riches, one should strongly consider that his or her trust does not lie in that which is material. Material riches, wealth and abundance are a provision of the universe to add joy and quality to our lives. If one's wealth and money are not adding joy to life, but stress, then this is not holistic living and it is most certainly not the path of enlightenment. If one's material riches and money are hurting others and the planet on which we live, then this is not holistic living or the path of enlightenment.

Third, as long as we see money and riches as a conflict, this becomes our point of attraction and our level of vibration. This is the law of attraction and the law of vibration at work. Specifically, according to the law of attraction and the law of vibration, by having subconscious thoughts that wealth, abundance, material riches, and money are a conflict with our spiritual development and our commitment to the path of enlightenment causes conflict. This conflict causes disruptions in the flow of abundance; therefore, we have fleeting moments of good fortune.

Finally, as we take a closer look, we realize that our level of enlightenment will draw more wealth and abundance to us because we have the ability to prosper. The more enlightened we are, the more resources we will attract to us. Moreover, as a co-creator, we are able to see the resources, opportunities and people that will propel us toward success.