Sowing the Seeds of Our Own Suffering

Again, this is not a criticism of material prosperity, because that is not the problem. It is our relationship to acquiring that is the problem. Once the mind becomes fixated on material wealth and we lose our agency, then we begin to sow the seeds of our own suffering. Even if we reach our material goals, that happiness is very tenuous; the slightest touch can disrupt it. It is not genuine well-being. Everyone needs to make enough money to have a comfortable life for themselves and their family. But do not take it to such an extreme that money rules your life—that material prosperity becomes the be-all and end-all of your existence. Make sure that you keep it balanced and equal. Set aside a certain amount of time for making money and achieving your material goals but reserve the rest for personal development and cultivating unconditioned happiness.

Excerpt From
Loving Life As It Is
Chakung Jigme Wangdrak

Image: The Sower, Christoph Murer