I have found a great and wonderfully inspiring article published by http://www.spiritual-happiness.com about Surviving and thriving in these tough economic times.
Our life is frittered away by detail . . . Simplify, simplify.
— Thoreau
For
generation after generation and in culture after culture, the same
truth has been taught by spiritual sages — that outer wealth is not
enough to satisfy the soul. With the materialism of our world getting so
out of balance in recent decades, it is not surprising that a kind,
loving, and conscious universe would step in to bring that materialistic
obsession into balance – and voila, your budget gets slashed. Gee,
thanks, universe.
Nobody likes having to go through tough
economic times, but as dear Mary Poppins said, a spoonful of sugar makes
the medicine go down. In the case of economic setbacks, this sugar
consists of the beneficial potentials and important lessons that can
come from loosening our attachments to temporal treasures that won’t
last. To paraphrase Jesus with a touch of modernization:
"Do not
store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust and good
stocks gone bad consume and where thieves and incompetent CEOs and
hedge fund managers break in and steal; but store up for yourselves
treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust nor layoffs nor bear
markets consume and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where
your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
Whether through
natural disasters or man-made aggressions, wars, thievery, or
incompetence, people in all times and cultures have been given
opportunities to remember that their worldly treasures are temporary and
subject to decay and loss. If such losses help open our awareness to
more sublime treasures in life, then those tragedies become great
personal triumphs. Many people have risen from the ashes of challenging
experiences into new realms of success and happiness after approaching
their challenges with appreciation, enthusiasm, and a positive spirit.
Whether
we shift our attachments, greed, and desires voluntarily or
involuntarily, certain principles can help us to create a more peaceful
and happy life. These principles are often followed by monastics – the
kings and queens of simplicity who, for thousands of years, have sought a
deeper connection to the universe by shaving their materialistic lives
down to the minimum.
Monastics treasure their aloneness and
sparse surroundings just as non-monastics treasure their social lives
and belongings. They have chosen to step out of the usual fray of
frenetic worldly life and into a space of deep inner focus. The word
monastic comes from the Greek “monos,” which means alone.
In
almost every time and culture, you’ll find spiritual seekers whose
quests have led them to retreat into simpler lives, whittling their
belongings and needs down to the bare essentials. Some monastics, such
as Saint Francis and Teresa Lisieux, were penniless and barely known
during their time, but have since achieved spiritual fame as people
around the world remember them and visit their shrines for inspiration.
I
have devoted my energies to the study of the scriptures, observing
monastic discipline, and singing the daily services in church; study,
teaching, and writing have always been my delight.
— Venerable Bede
Aside
from moving to a cave or monastery, how can people living in a
commercialized society find their way back to simpler roots? How can
those who always think they need more realize that they can be happier
with less?
One way to shift a materialistic focus back into
balance is through losing some of the outer wealth that we may have
thought was so important. Economic losses can be beneficial to our
personal evolution if we are able to respond in a positive way. We may
not always be able to choose what happens, but we can choose how we
respond.
When approached with positive thoughts and actions, the
same economic downturns that create so much unhappiness can also end up
being just the medicine to spur us into new fields of spiritual
awareness, happiness, and freedom.
Some people do understand the
value of simplifying their lives and may choose to go outside their
comfort zone by camping, climbing mountains, or visiting third-world
countries. Even going to a spa can be an experience of simplifying
their lives for some folks, depending on the person and the spa.
At
the Golden Door Spa where I’ve offered many lectures on topics such as
“The Inner Makeover,” guests spend many thousands of dollars per week to
come and live simple lives while working very hard. Their day begins
with a silent hike up the hill at 5:30 am followed by a full schedule of
exercises, courses, massages, facials, meditations, yoga, and no
alcohol aside from one optional glass of wine on their final evening.
This is not a spa where you see sunbathers sitting around the pool
playing scrabble and drinking martinis. Aside from the lack of prayers
and devotionals, this spa’s schedule is similar to the monastic life I
used to live in an Indian-based ashram.
The guests come to this
challenging spa because they know it’s good for them. They leave their
daily lives aside to have a weeklong taste of a sparse but comfortable
life, with simple rooms and healthy meals. The guests spend most of
their time in robes or simple workout clothes, and usually don’t wear
any makeup. They don’t have to let anyone else know “who they are” in
their worldly life, and can simply be themselves.
Even a week of
this life of inner repose, yoga, meditation, exercises, and courses
(with pampering) allows guests to replenish and nourish their personal,
physical, mental, and emotional strength and to keep their lives in
proper perspective. The atmosphere is one of inward focus and personal
growth, with many elements in common with a monastic life.
Once I
was having dinner with some of the Golden Door guests when our dessert
was served – it was a small raspberry turnover. The elderly woman seated
across from me wasn’t served a turnover because she had requested meals
with no wheat. Instead she received a small dish of fruit. The woman
became somewhat upset and anxiously told the wait staff that this wasn’t
really the kind of wheat she meant. Of course, this woman knew that
she could ask for ten turnovers and probably get them, but that would
defeat the purpose of the week, both in discipline and in diet.
I’ll
never forget watching this woman who was probably a multi-millionaire
joyfully receiving her little turnover and then cutting off just a small
corner to eat before wrapping the rest up to save for the next day. “I
get hungry in the mornings,” she explained, sounding like a little waif
who had to beg for morsels of food. I could see a glimmer of
satisfaction as she tucked the remaining part of the turnover into her
pocket.
Whether voluntary or involuntary, economic downturns are
great times to rein in the greed machines of endless accumulation and
take back our peaceful, contented lives. You don’t have to have more
stuff to be happy. You don’t have to go to movies or play video games
to be entertained. You don’t have to buy more make-up or expensive
clothes to be beautiful. You don’t have to have ten or even one hundred
times what you need (I’m thinking shoes, ladies!) You don’t have to
purchase obligatory expensive gifts to show how much you care. Contrary
to what advertising agencies want you to think, surrounding yourself
with more stuff is not the answer.
Some folks have a difficult
time sitting quietly for even half an hour, but monastics actually
choose to live this kind of simple, peaceful, and inwardly focused life
all the time. Still, integrating monastic principles into your life
doesn’t require a radical shift. Jesus instructed his followers to “Be
in the world but not of it.” You can add touches of monastic principles
– times of quiet repose, contemplation, prayer, and contentment – and
give yourself the inner resources to make the most of what you have,
whether your finances are in an upswing or a downturn. You can enjoy all
the abundance and challenges of your life, while keeping your
foundation rooted in your eternal soul nature.
I
spent ten years living a monastic life in an Indian-based ashram, and
can assure you that most of us were definitely and demonstrably works in
progress when it came to expressing the qualities of acceptance,
harmony, respect, and brotherly love that are pillars of monastic life.
My
spiritual teachers were vibrant, exciting, and fairly well known guides
– they’re the spiritual gurus described in the “Pray” section of
Elizabeth Gilbert’s book Eat, Pray Love, and Elizabeth’s narrative shows
how liberal the ashram’s open door policy was for many years.
The
excitement and energy of this path attracted hundreds of thousands of
unlikely monastics – lawyers, celebrities, customer service
representatives, doctors, actors, housekeepers, mothers, fathers,
daughters and sons of every possible occupation and walk of life – who
would come to spend a day, week, month, or even years waking up
super-early every morning for a full and challenging day of meditation,
chanting, service, scriptural study, and focus on the divine inner Self.
The goal of coming for an ashram retreat was to develop a love of these
disciplines and principles that would continue to nourish people when
they returned to their worldly lives.
When you arise
in the morning, give thanks for the morning light, for your life and
strength. Give thanks for your food, and the joy of living. If you see
no reason for giving thanks, the fault lies with yourself.
— Tecumseh, Shawnee Chief
Using
monastic principles to bring ourselves into harmony with the shifting
circumstances of life can allow us to experience economic downturns
without too much suffering. Principles such as simplicity, service, and
contentment can turn difficulties into avenues of gratefulness, growth,
and remembrance of what is more important in our lives.
Here
are some monastic principles that can help you to not only survive but
thrive during tough economic times, regardless of your religious or
spiritual path or lack thereof:
The Principle of ContentmentThis
monastic principle says: If you have less, enjoy and appreciate
whatever you have. If you have more, enjoy and appreciate whatever you
have (and be generous with others). In other words, even while working
to achieve your goals and dreams, be content with whatever you have
right now.
An adjunct to this principle of contentment is the
principle of simplicity – finding contentment in the peacefulness of
simple enjoyments, such as a simple walk through nature, deep
conversations with friends and family, and taking time to focus on
improving ourselves from the inside out through meditation, prayer,
self-examination, contemplation and other methods.
I’ve been from
one side of the financial spectrum to the other – from a simple ashram
lifestyle where purchasing a new toothbrush would be an occasion of
great joy to a successful, six-figure Hollywood career. Then, after
working too many hours to keep that successful career going, I became
physically ill and spiritually world-weary, and moved to Cardiff by the
Sea for a time of healing and creative service, once again living a
simple life without much money.
Thanks to the principles I
learned in the ashram, I was still able to experience a certain
contentment during this decade-plus of low-income living. I decided to
choose happiness and align my thoughts and feelings to be in harmony
with what the universe was giving me. I chose to be content with
whatever I had and whatever I didn’t have, and focused on giving good
spiritual artistic works to the world.
One of the charitable
projects I offered during these years was to script and edit a
documentary about an amazing woman who went by the name Peace Pilgrim
and walked back and forth across the country for nearly three decades as
a penniless wanderer in the name of peace. She wouldn’t accept money
or car rides, and would eat only when someone offered a meal, and sleep
when someone offered a bed, or at a truck stop or a field by the side of
the road.
During her walks, Peace Pilgrim touched people
personally and through the media. She spoke about the blessings she
experienced from living at need level, without having to spend so much
time and energy taking care of a lot of possessions. Peace understood
that her need level as a monastic-style pilgrim was not nearly enough
for most people, and she urged people to find their own need level.
In
the newsreel footage I used in this documentary, Peace showed off her
worn and tape-covered shoes like a trophy – she claimed to only need a
new pair every 1500 miles – and the look on her face as she turned her
battered shoes toward the news camera was filled with light and
exuberance. As Peace Pilgrim would often explain with her lilting voice,
what she wanted and what she needed were exactly the same.
Without
going to such extremes, you can still choose to be content with
whatever does or doesn’t come into your life. Then, even in times of
economic downturn, you’ll be able to make whatever adjustments are
needed with a smile.
The Principle of Priorities Contemplating
your deeper goals is always a good use of time and energy. You may
have all the “law of attraction” and “success” skills you need, but if
you don’t know which direction you should be going, you’ll likely end up
somewhere else. As Yogi Berra wisely said, “You've got to be very
careful if you don't know where you're going, because you might not get
there.”
Arranging your priorities is very helpful in dealing with
tough economic times. If you haven’t done enough soul-searching to find
what is most important to you, then the task of budgeting when
resources are less can be especially painful and confusing. However,
when you’ve set your priorities, which also include your personal
preferences, then you can approach the task of budgeting with greater
harmony and ease. One way to arrange your priorities is to make a list
of all the expenses in your life and give each one a number from one to
three (or one to five if you want to allow for greater nuances). The
divisions go like this:
- Assign a number one to the things
that are most important to you –perhaps taking care of family and pets,
living alone without a roommate, having personal transportation, or
having cable TV and computer access. Items in this category are things
you definitely do not want to eliminate from your life if at all
possible.
- Assign a number two to things you really could
do without right now. I had to create this kind of list when I left my
high-income job. The first thing to go was the cell phone. I certainly
didn’t need to be accessible by phone at all times in my simple new
lifestyle. For me, clothes were also on this part of the list, since my
somewhat reclusive lifestyle didn’t require me to be especially
fashionable.
Some people spend massive amounts of money to buy
cars or clothes just to impress other people. Even if your job requires
a good wardrobe, there may be some things that are not necessary to
make a professional impression. Again, this is your list, not mine. If
clothes are on your number one list, then you can find other areas of
expenditure that are not as important for you to have.
- Everything
else goes into category three: things you keep if you can. If finances
go down to the point that you have to let some of these optional
expenditures go, well then you’ll just have to do that.
Once
you’ve arranged your priorities in this way, even if you miss certain
enjoyments, the great thing is that you’ve hopefully managed to fund all
the items on list number one and will still have those things that are
most important to you.
The Principle of SharingIn
monasteries, members share in the work and in the benefits. Many monks
even call one another brothers or sisters, and there is a sense of a
larger family that for some extends to include all of humanity, as well
as animals and other forms of life. It’s a big family. But it doesn’t
have to be a dysfunctional family. Once we recognize the value of every
human being, it is easier for us to share what we have. If you have
more than you need and your brother or sister is in need, then monastic
principles would guide you to share what you have with them whenever and
however possible.
When I lived and worked in Hollywood, one of
my greatest joys was to help others with some of my extra income. I
loved to bring poor folks into a grocery store and tell them to fill the
basket with whatever they wanted to bring home to their families. When
a receptionist at work had to spend a month in another city to take
care of her ailing son, I was able to phone the motel and ask them to
put her stay on my tab. Not only did these acts give me great happiness
and nourishment of spirit when I offered them, but they also brought
comfort and contentment when I ended up going through my own times of
need a few years later. My heart would lighten while remembering that
when I had enough, I had given generously to others. I sensed that when
the time came for me to leave this world, my acts of sharing and
helping would be the great jewels that would give peace and perhaps even
go with me, in some subtle karmic sense, into whatever lies beyond this
life in this world.
Psychological studies have shown that
sharing is beneficial to the giver, the receiver, and anyone who
witnesses the generosity. During times of societal economic crisis,
this attitude of sharing and helping others is a key to keeping a
temporary downturn from becoming a long-term disaster. As Pope Benedict
XVI said during his 2008 Christmas message in the midst of a worldwide
economic crisis: "If people look only to their own interests, our world
will certainly fall apart."
Without this kind of sharing during
an economic crisis, qualities of greed, fear, hoarding, and divisiveness
could take hold. Then we’d see families on the street with nowhere to
go while homes across the nation sit empty, or bought up for pennies on
the dollar by fat cats who just want to guzzle more and more into their
bottomless pits of greed, eventually creating almost a third-world
situation for our country and the world.
Each man
takes care that his neighbor shall not cheat him. But a day comes when
he begins to care that he does not cheat his neighbor. Then all goes
well — he has changed his market-cart into a chariot of the sun.
— Ralph Waldo Emerson
The Principle of Present Moment FocusOne
purpose of monastic life is to turn one’s attention inward instead of
focusing on the outer world. This present moment focus can translate as
the practice of mindfulness in whatever you are doing, whether cooking,
gardening, or arranging various affairs.
When you’re focused in
the present moment, your mind becomes calm, like a lake without ripples.
When the surface of a lake is calm, you can more easily see into its
depths – so it is with the mind.
Your mind is a great tool; in
fact some sages describe the mind as a portion of the infinite universal
consciousness that has created everything. The mind can be either your
friend or your enemy, and is often a bit of both. Focusing on the
present moment allows your mind to be friendly, clear, and patient.
After all, when you’re in the present moment, what could you be anxious
for but another present moment?
In terms of economic challenges,
when you’re focused in the present moment, you’re enjoying what you have
today rather than spending today worrying about what may or may not
happen tomorrow. You’re able to approach the present moment with focus
and inner strength and take care of whatever preparations are
appropriate to make for the future, but your attention is on the eternal
now as it manifests in each moment.
One way to practice present
moment focus is to look at yourself at any time and ask, “Am I okay
right now?” Unless you’re in extreme physical or emotional pain, the
answer is hopefully, “Yes.”
Through this practice, you come to see
that in spite of some challenges, setbacks, and fears about the future,
you are fine in each present moment. Then you can change your practice
to declaring rather than asking, by stating, “I am fine right now.”
This affirmation helps to not only define but also welcome your present
state as being fine all the time.
The Principle of ForbearanceThe
good news about learning to suffer cheerfully is that this cheerfulness
helps to alleviate the devastating experience of suffering and allows
you to make better decisions and take more productive actions to
alleviate the causes of suffering.
Once I was participating in a
vespers service at a Benedictine monastery, when one of the older monks
tripped and fell flat on his face, with blood starting to ooze out onto
the floor. Without even the slightest ripple in their peaceful demeanor
or cheerful faces, several of the monks brought in a wheelchair and
gently wheeled the monk out for medical attention, while another monk
wiped the blood off of the floor. This was a great demonstration of the
blessings that can come from monastic life – an ability to stay
peaceful even while attending to unexpected disasters.
Even
non-monastics can find the inner resources to respond to challenges with
a peaceful demeanor. If you’ve watched television news reports from
scenes of extreme disasters where families have lost their homes and
everything in them due to floods, fires, earthquakes, hurricanes, and
all those other, ahem. . . “gifts from the universe,” then you’ve
probably seen interviews with the victims of these tragedies.
Every
now and then we see people who do not act like victims, even though
they’ve lost so much. Instead they choose to suffer their losses
cheerfully and to find greater appreciation for their loved ones who
still remain. Some also use their moment in front of the microphone to
express faith in the divine, or to share how this traumatic experience
has shaken them into remembering what is most important in their lives.
Even
though these folks are still in painful situations where they’ve lost
many valuable things, they are not suffering as deeply as they would be
if they were feeling resistant, angry, and victimized without using
personal and spiritual tools to reframe a dark experience in an
authentic and positive light.
I wish I could show you,
when you are lonely or in darkness,
the astonishing Light of your own Being.
— Hafiz
Having
forbearance doesn’t meant that you don’t experience sadness or upset
over losses, especially when you’ve lost not just a chunk of your
savings, but the basic necessities of your life. The point of applying
these monastic principles is not to numb yourself or pretend to be
unaffected by tragedy, but to add a note of cheerful peacefulness and
conscious care to whatever you’re going through. Even if you’re feeling
unhappy or angry about suffering certain losses, you can still remember
the bigger spiritual picture within which everything is ultimately fine.
You can remember that whatever you’ve lost is less important that what
you still have – life, breath, conscious awareness, the ability to
perceive, the heart to love, and the power to give.
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