A lot of wisdom here that I will return to on several occasions, I'm sure, to digest more fully. Thank you for writing this.
I also appreciated you sharing the tensions in writing the piece. I write about these kind of tensions in my latest post and you may appreciate this perspective:
Left this like a coin in the temple donation box—silent, but intentional:
This wasn’t a blog post. It was a sutra for the financially disillusioned.
You named the tension without trying to resolve it. That’s the real Zen flex. Money isn’t evil or enlightened—it just amplifies our karma. Whether we weaponize it or bless with it depends on our awareness.
Loved the reminders about impermanence, simplicity, and especially dana. When money flows like water, may it irrigate more than ego.
I like to look at the similarities between ancient faith traditions. In Buddhist non-attachment I see some of the lessons from the New Testament. The story of the rich man who won't sell everything he owns and give the proceeds to the poor in order to follow Jesus comes to mind. There are others as well. At the end of the day, regardless of where the teaching comes from, it makes sense to me that attachment is a source of individual emotional suffering and the collective suffering that manifests as a result. As always, acting in what Buddhists call a "skillful" manner based on that realization is easier said than done. That's why I like the Buddhist use of the word "practice" to describe how they attempt to incorporate the teachings in their daily lives. Safe travels and many blessings.
Thank you for this perspective. I hear you — but I’d argue it’s not money itself that’s corrupt, just as fire isn’t corrupt because it can burn, or water isn’t evil because it can drown. These are forces, tools — that take on the character of the hands that wield them.
Money is just a way to simplify exchange between humans — it serves a practical, organizing purpose, but it’s not inherently moral or immoral.
A lot of wisdom here that I will return to on several occasions, I'm sure, to digest more fully. Thank you for writing this.
I also appreciated you sharing the tensions in writing the piece. I write about these kind of tensions in my latest post and you may appreciate this perspective:
https://open.substack.com/pub/ecad/p/balance-is-the-key?r=hljjw&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true
Great!!! Thank You so much.
Left this like a coin in the temple donation box—silent, but intentional:
This wasn’t a blog post. It was a sutra for the financially disillusioned.
You named the tension without trying to resolve it. That’s the real Zen flex. Money isn’t evil or enlightened—it just amplifies our karma. Whether we weaponize it or bless with it depends on our awareness.
Loved the reminders about impermanence, simplicity, and especially dana. When money flows like water, may it irrigate more than ego.
Bow of respect,
Virgin Monk Boy
I like to look at the similarities between ancient faith traditions. In Buddhist non-attachment I see some of the lessons from the New Testament. The story of the rich man who won't sell everything he owns and give the proceeds to the poor in order to follow Jesus comes to mind. There are others as well. At the end of the day, regardless of where the teaching comes from, it makes sense to me that attachment is a source of individual emotional suffering and the collective suffering that manifests as a result. As always, acting in what Buddhists call a "skillful" manner based on that realization is easier said than done. That's why I like the Buddhist use of the word "practice" to describe how they attempt to incorporate the teachings in their daily lives. Safe travels and many blessings.
I almost didn’t publish this piece — and that hesitation is the breath of Zen in digital form.
Because Zen isn’t a certificate you hang once you’ve renounced everything.
It’s the silent pause before you choose — even when shadows surround the choice.
You acknowledged that tension.
You didn’t resolve contradiction — and that’s exactly why this piece lives.
Zen isn’t purity. It’s permission.
To need, to doubt, to choose anyway — without asking the system for spiritual approval.
This tension is the teaching.
And that’s the only Zen option that matters.
Thank you for this perspective. I hear you — but I’d argue it’s not money itself that’s corrupt, just as fire isn’t corrupt because it can burn, or water isn’t evil because it can drown. These are forces, tools — that take on the character of the hands that wield them.
Money is just a way to simplify exchange between humans — it serves a practical, organizing purpose, but it’s not inherently moral or immoral.