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A Practical Guide to Prosperous Living
Introduction Revised Version
What does prosperity mean to you? Money? Health? Status? Security? Many books have been written that present a straightforward set of techniques aimed at acquiring wealth, success and good fortune. Most prosperity books and seminars promise instant wealth but demand little in terms of growth-stimulating introspection on the part of the operator. This is not that sort of book. Even those that approach this subject from a spiritual perspective often foster a view of God and the abundant Universe that is reminiscent of Meister Eckhart’s cow: Some people want to see God with their eyes as they see a cow and to love him as they love their cow—they love their cow for the milk and cheese and profit it makes them. This is how it is with people who love God for the sake of outward wealth or inward comfort. They do not rightly love God when they love him for their own advantage. Indeed, I tell you the truth, any object you have on your mind, however good, will be a barrier between you and the inmost truth. Books that are aimed at little more than getting milk from the cow ultimately produce results that are shallow and fleeting and leave you short of the rich and satisfying life you desire. The goal of this book is to help you awaken to true prosperity—a prosperity that reaches across Eckhart’s barrier between you and the inmost truth. I will show you a way to evolve your prosperity from the inside out, to touch your inmost truth and to live your life from this eternal source. To understand this method, we must first identify the three modes of consciousness that we see expressed throughout the human family. These are basic survival, creative survival and artistic expression.
In the first category, basic survival, consciousness rests on a body-centered identity or self-image. The person living as a basic survivalist defines themselves according to the condition of their body (age, beauty and physical prowess) and their surroundings (food, clothing and shelter.) Things are accomplished primarily with physical skills. Prosperity is defined as more of anything that ensures bodily survival and creates comfort in the physical existence. To the basic survivalist, the spiritual dimension is vaguely perceived as a realm beyond human understanding. Emotions are ruled by blind faith in an Old Testament God surrounded by mystery and religious superstition, an external force to be petitioned, bargained with and appeased if possible. They typically remain in the religion of their upbringing. In the second category, creative survival, the person defines themselves according to social status. Though the physical remains important, the creative survivalist takes an expanded approach, measuring prosperity by the amount of money they make, the people they know, the boards they chair, their titles and degrees, the schools that educate their children, the church they attend and the neighborhood in which they live. Prosperity is defined as nearly anything that bolsters social status. The creative survivalist favors an intellectual rather than emotional approach to spirituality. Science and philosophy may replace religion altogether. Those who are religiously inclined are guided by a black and white morality grounded in dogmatic creed rather than experience of a deeper reality. The creative survivalist chooses a church that advances their social standing. In the third category, artistic expression, the goal of life is not acquiring material goods or achieving social status, but rather expressing more of one’s spiritual essence. At this level the individual recognizes their essential identity as spiritual, as an individualized expression of the Creative Life Force, God. Though physical and social skills continue to be developed, intuition, spiritual knowing, becomes the guiding basis of life. Life is viewed much as an artist would view a blank canvas, as an opportunity to creatively express, through the entire range of one’s experience, the innate qualities of the spiritual nature. In this mode, the individual’s external life becomes a reflection not merely of physical prowess or social status, but of who and what they are at the spiritual level. The influence of Spirit becomes prominent. Divinity is perceived, not as a powerful being enshrouded in mystery or as a mere philosophical possibility, but as the Creative Life Force behind all that exists. Artistic expressionists seek association with formal religion to the extent that it inspires and guides them into a more integrated and experiential relationship with the Divine. This comparison is not intended to challenge or discredit either the basic survival or creative survival modes. These modes simply represent stages of our individual growth. When you have risen through the ranks of these first two modes and still feel that something is missing, you have, in all likelihood, reached the cusp of artistic expression. At this point it becomes clear that the missing element is not another thing to be acquired or accomplishment to be achieved. The missing element is you. If you want to find this missing element, if you want to remove Eckhart’s barrier between you and the inmost life, then you must learn the art of being true to yourself and find the courage to follow your dreams. This is the way that you are seeking. This is the path to true prosperity. |
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Meister Eckhart |
