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# RE: Wealth and Esotericism

#### Message 02234 of 3835

- To: <BardonPraxis@yahoogroups.com>
- Subject: RE: [BardonPraxis] Wealth and Esotericism
- From: "Johan Pretorius" <africure@...>
- Date: Tue, 17 Feb 2004 21:21:31 +0200
- Importance: Normal
- In-reply-to: <4d.3b00f379.2d63717c@...>

    Hi,

    I just have a few thoughts on this subject.

    As students of Bardon our path is about balance and moderation. Let's face
    it. Money is great. But at what cost?

    Most of the very wealthy men did not set out to be that wealthy. Bill Gates
    would still be messing with computers even if he did not make any money. He
    is doing what he loves.
    Making money just to be very rich will leave you no time to follow a
    spiritual path. You are going to be working day and night. You will never be
    content, as someone will always have more money than you. As you live in
    fear, once you have made your big money, you will then fear losing it.
    Sooner or later the pressure will be to much, and you will either end your
    own life, or die of a drug overdose. I realize that I am making general
    assumptions and wild statements, but I think not far from the truth.

    The point is that our path demands consistent practice for us to advance.
    For me the path of the very rich and the Hermetic path don't go well
    together. Somewhere in between will we find the balance we are seeking.

    Best Regards

    Johan Pretorius

    -----Original Message-----
    From: esoteric777@... [mailto:esoteric777@...]
    Sent: 17 February 2004 03:31
    To: BardonPraxis@yahoogroups.com
    Subject: [BardonPraxis] Wealth and Esotericism

    Dear List,

    One of the list members stated that he was still in the university and very
    career motivated; he was wondering if his drive for achieving big success
    would
    be an impediment to his spiritual progress.

    In short, he asked "is there anything wrong with that (making 'BIG money')?"

    Having had the opportunity to deal with people across the entire financial
    spectrum, from very poor to so wealthy they literally did not know what to
    do
    with it, I think there are several things anyone asking this question needs
    to
    consider.

    The current belief in material poverty as being good and wealth as being bad
    has its roots in several areas, one of which a form of gnosticism which
    says,
    material life is essentially evil and needs to be escaped from, thus throw
    yourself into your spiritual activities.

    The same is found in any schools of yoga, and is easily understood as a form
    of compensation in cultures and communities that suffer under crushing
    poverty
    or little avenues for material advancement.

    Another influence is the Roman Church, that used similar language to comfort
    peasants (or keep them from rioting) for the last 1,000 years. With improved
    standards of living, courtesy the industrial and technological revolutions,
    this holds less power.

    The Protestant Work Ethic that equates material success and wealth as a for
    of godly blessing has also eroded it somewhat.

    So where does that leave us?

    Well, if we look at Wealth and Esoteric Wisdom, we see they both relate to
    the qabalistic sphere of Chesed. Wealth it the more material manifestation
    of
    this force, wisdom its more subtle form.

    Chesed is in short, out inner blueprint or highest ideals in the realms of
    duality, or manifestation.

    Projected through Yesod, or our subconscious, they take form.

    Now, lets look at the idea of renunciation in Easter and Western though. We
    hear a lot about it, giving once again the idea that only a monastic life is
    the spiritual life. However, there is the warning that it is easier to be a
    sinner while a hermit than in the world.

    In truth, renunciation is not an absence of material things, but in using
    them, not being used by them, and being firm in your commitment that the
    material
    life is a tool and not an end.

    >From this point of view, all things can be brought into the Path of Service.

    If our highest ideal is to be enlightened for ourselves alone, that puts us
    at Tiphareth. If our ideal is to make wealth for ourselves alone that puts
    us
    in Malkooth. If our ideal is to serve and be of assistance to humanity,
    that
    puts us in Chesed, where all things are at our disposal.

    There is also the reality that you will die.

    Your time is limited, even if it is 100 or 150 years thanks to medical
    science.

    As such it is not so much what you do, but why you do it. Time is limited,
    pick wisely.

    If it is out of need for security and to own nice things, for status, and
    privilege, you are working from fear. If it is to enjoy life while making
    firm
    and definite assistance to others, then it is our of love and compassion -
    the
    domain of Chesed - and you will not even be asking the question you did.

    I hope this makes your journey into the Magic Mirror a little more fruitful.

    Sincerely,

    Mark Stavish
    Institute for Hermetic Studies
    Advisor to the Louis Claude de St. Martin Fund
    www.hermetic.com/stavish/
    www.hermeticinstitute.org (under construction)

    [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

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- References:
  - Wealth and Esotericism
    - From: esoteric777@...

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