Written & presented by Frank Von Vloten
1.) Good morning, friends. If you look at the state of the world today, most reasonable people would say that conditions are rather chaotic, with pockets of civil wars, tribal fighting and conflict to be seen everywhere. Just think for a moment of what could be the causes of all this turmoil, and you would soon come to the conclusion that humanity has either neglected or lost its true sense of values and that society in general has become unbalanced, with the god of materialism having supplanted the essence of spirituality. We come into this life on the earth plane only with consciousness, leaving it again after the proverbial three score years and ten, with only our consciousness, hopefully having learnt what we came for, and ideally having lived a balanced life between the material and the spiritual.
2.) In actuality, what do we see? Because most of us live largely on the material plane, where our senses play such a large part in our lives, we mostly take cognisance only of what is happening around us physically. Being human, we would like our lives to be as comfortable and as pleasant as possible, and these conditions are brought about very largely by our having access to the required amounts of money. Normally, people regard money purely as a means of exchange without having any other qualities attached to it, but this morning I would like to talk to you about the nature of money and how it should be regarded. This has been considered on a previous occasion, but this time it may be useful to deal with other aspects which were not mentioned before. Just in passing, today is fathers’ day and for much of our lives on earth, fathers and money are very often associated directly!
3.) First of all, how do you regard money? Is it purely physical, a token of value comprising a collection of notes and coins, or does it go somewhat deeper than that? For many people, money is purely a material token relating to something generally regarded as having material worth. In the everyday world in which we live, the more money we have, the more possessions we can acquire and services we can command, and therefore our standard of living, materially, can increase linearly with our wealth.
4.) However, if we go into the concept of money a little more deeply we can see that, in essence, money represents crystallised energy. It is a step further and more convenient than the old barter system, and can be looked at as an intermediate stage between the creator of that energy and the user. Energy comes from the Creator, the universe, and because we are all sparks of the divine, we have access to, and are able to channel that energy and use it in whichever way we please. Implicit in this is the fact that this energy carries our vibrations, our motivations, whether for good or for evil (which is another word for unenlightenment), and so money is rather more than just a means of exchange without any other qualities attached.
5.) Many people today have money as their god, and worship it accordingly. For them, money represents security, stability, a position in society, a cushion against the uncertainties of life and essentially as an insurance policy for the future. What they fear most is having no money because they believe that, then, they would no longer be in control of their lives and would have to suffer the vagaries of fate. Belief in a divine Father, the protector and provider for humanity, no longer has much support. Most people believe that they alone control their lives and their destinies and that if they don’t look after their own interests, nobody else will. Such an attitude simply reflects the nature of the times we live in, in Sanskrit called Kali Yuga, or darkness, when God has been replaced by Mammon. Today, money, however it is obtained, is worshipped more than God. A man of wealth is accorded more respect than a man of God. All you have to do is to consider our own society in this country, to see ample evidence of this. Corruption and theft are in great evidence and everywhere to be found, a most depressing situation on the face of it.
6.) However, always to be borne in mind is natural law in the form of cause and effect, or karma, which governs absolutely everything. If money represents energy, then if it is earned with right motivation, with right action, with right morality, it has ten times more value than that earned through usury, through human exploitation or through immorality. Although it may seem outwardly that one dollar, one pound or one rand is as good as any other dollar, pound or rand, eventually, and it could be a long time, perhaps in another lifetime, the value of that money will be revealed. Let us remember also, what is the source of all things on the material plane. It is your Creator, although it may appear to be your boss or the bank manager through whom your Creator is acting, because God is in everyone. These professionals, either knowingly or unknowingly are all doing God’s will. As an aside, and perhaps being a bit controversial, the view can be expressed that money is for those who do not believe in God. Why? Well, if the Creator of all life is present in all life, and if we are one with our Creator, then why do we need money? If God knows and meets all our needs, then what do we need money for? That is why it is said that a spiritual master owns nothing but has the use of everything.
7.) Reverting to what was said earlier, about money making it possible to acquire many possessions and being able to live a very comfortable lifestyle, let us consider the implications of winning a great deal of money, for example in a lottery. Many people believe that if they were to win a large sum of money, then all their problems would suddenly disappear. The fact of the matter is that all money has karma attached to it, the more money the more karma there is to be worked off, sometimes taking many lifetimes. Who would want that? Also, those people who participate in a lottery are very often the ones who are poor and who can least afford to lose money in a game of chance. In many cases this pattern becomes an addiction which, in due course, takes them down the road to ruin, affecting not only themselves but also their families. You do not get something for nothing because the very nature of the universe is balance. If you were to obtain a lot of money due to circumstances, this would not be by chance. What money you do have should have been earned from your honest efforts and you should ensure that it is used wisely and with the correct motivation. If this is done, you will create sufficient, appropriate to your needs, and unless you live in poverty, be satisfied with what you have. Karmically, the test of wealth is a very difficult one to pass, although it may appear to be exactly the opposite. It has been said that wealth is like a pair of shoes: too little, and the shoes pinch; too much, and your feet move around and they get blisters. The right amount gives the best fit. After all, any excess has to be left behind on your transition, since it is given to you as the modelling clay to be used during your lifetime, to enable you to expand your consciousness whilst on earth.
8.) Another situation which is very common, and which is being exposed to public view in increasing measure nowadays, particularly in our own environment, is that of theft. Not only is stealing money very attractive because of its apparent anonymous nature, but it is also becoming more difficult to trace. What must be borne in mind, though, is the all-seeing law of karma which will always exact a just repayment. With very few exceptions, the money which is stolen will be of very little value to the thief and as always, the motive for the action must be considered before passing any form of judgment – perhaps the legendary Robin Hood was an exception here. It is difficult to generalise on such a wide subject as theft since there are so many levels and degrees, and even the law of the land may not arrest and punish the perpetrator. But never forget that retribution can come in many guises, and not only in this lifetime but possibly also in lifetimes to come, to the grandchildren of the individual concerned. For example, a soul that has made a large amount of money from the illegal sale of arms, creating great physical misery for many other souls in the process, will perhaps die a rich man but, from the higher planes of life, might then see his children destroy themselves through the wrong use of the wealth he has created.Remember that money is crystallised energy. Money which has been correctly earned has a positive energy and when given to someone, will affect them positively, will inspire him or her to use it as a force for good in the world. On the other hand, money which has been earned from the abuse of the human and animal kingdoms has a negative energy, and in the long term will amount to nothing unless the energy is transmuted.
9.) In conclusion, therefore, it should be quite apparent that spending money you do not have, either as a nation or as an individual, is the path to ruin. You have only to consider the circumstances prevailing in the world during the past 3 or 4 years to have ample evidence of that. Just remember that money comes to you with invisible strings attached, to enable you to live on the material plane and acquire those possessions which can be used as the modelling clay to enable your consciousness to expand and progress on the eternal upward spiral towards your Creator.