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Today's
Meditation:
It's
kind of amazing to see just how much has been written and
taught about the truth that riches don't make us happy,
and at the same time see the multitudes of people who
spend their lives doing little but chasing riches.
They don't take jobs for personal fulfillment or the
desire to contribute something important to the world--
they take them for the pay, and the highest pay
wins, even if it means compromising integrity and
sacrificing freedoms and happiness.
Our
pursuit of wealth can become all-consuming, leading us to
do things that we never would consider doing if money
weren't in the equation. And to a great extent, our
society is one that is creating-- or at least
exacerbating-- the situation. After all, it costs a
great deal to provide things like insurance, housing,
food, electricity, water and sewage, vehicles for getting
to work, etc., etc., etc. And it cost even more when
the people providing the services "need"
ever-higher profits. Our lives have become much
more expensive than they used to be, and those costs have
to be paid somehow.
The
Native Americans, like the indigenous peoples of many
different areas of the world, have tended to recognize
that the accumulation of wealth can lead to some very
negative consequences. They have tried to keep their
focus on their families and their communities, for if
these are kept healthy, then life is much more manageable
for all the members of both, and there will be peace, and
there will be love. But we reject their perspective
in favor of the one that says wealth is best, and we pay a
heavy price for doing so.
Which
path do we choose in life? Do we choose the path for
spreading love and enlightenment and peace, or the path
for gaining wealth and "power"? And if we
choose the latter, what price will we-- and the planet--
pay
for it? Is it possible to be on both paths in a
responsible way? These are questions that we really
do need to address at some time in our lives if we're to
stay on a course that will allow us to become the best
versions of ourselves that we can be.
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