________________
How to Dissolve Challenges
187
People able to fulfill all their material desires, but lacking orientation beyond this, easily lose themselves in activities that do not advance growth: - charity without real inner engagement, accumulating over-priced artifacts, partaking in social circles for appearances only etc.
The emptiness and boredom such people emanate should tell us that accumulation of money, objects, land, power and the 'security' of material wealth is far less interesting and stimulating than first impressions suggest.
Material Wealth is Unimportant for Inner Growth The higher we go, the more we recognize matter as only a partial aspect of life. Its influence on us continually diminishes as our perception widens. Material factors attract us less, because the new and subtle we discover fascinates us far more. Yet this process doesn't work the other way round!
RENOUNCING our possessions does NOT
advance us to higher levels. Only after we have risen to a more advanced stage, - i.e. when we experience it continuously, - will material 'matters' begin to affect us less.
Renunciation is the Wrong Track It's simply wrong to assume that higher stages will unfold only if we renounce material possessions.
Dynamic growth has nothing to do with sacrifice or giving up the world. On the contrary - such feelings not only hamper growth, but block it altogether.
