Greed Is Not A Spiritual Value!

As a child, my mother often read stories to me from Aesop’s Fables. One that comes to mind periodically when I hear various news stories is the fable of The Dog and the Bone. A quick review: A hungry dog finds a luscious bone and walks home proudly with the prize in his mouth. On the way home he sees a pond. Walking to the water’s edge, and not recognizing his reflection, he only focuses on the second, mouth-watering bone. In an effort to grab it and have two bones in his possession, he drops the one in his mouth in the water and it sinks, leaving him with no bones whatsoever. Greed is the ego’s desire for more; more of anything, but typically money and all things “material.” Greed is a fear-based thought process, and hence a stress-prone behavior. Greed often leaves others with less (and often not enough). Today’s news is filled with stories of greed, from the ENRON debacle to the banking industry (and near collapse of the economy), to politicians to multi-national corporations. The average person is no different. Under stress, greedy behavior can be observed in just about everybody. Given the status of the world today, greed is quite unbecoming. And given the choice between greed and altruism, there really is no choice. Finally, as the saying goes, “If money is the root of all evil, what is the root of money?” Could it be greed?

• Stress Tip For The Day
Are you perpetually keeping up with the Joneses? Stop and ask yourself how many times you have looked at the “second bone” with envy? Are you a fear-based thinker stuck in a financial survival mode of thinking that ends up sabotaging your best efforts, and perhaps losing clients, customers and friends in the process? Do you grab the steak and toss the bone to others? Count your blessings today (and every day) and recognized fear (and the greed it breeds) for what it is. Given something back today instead of taking something extra. Take the high road instead! It may be more work, but the views are great! Remember, greed is not a spiritual value!

• Links/Books Worth Noting:
Every now and then it’s nice to remind ourselves of the works of luminaries who’s light guides the way for others. This link is a reminder that we too can walk the path of altruism, not greed:

http://www.opendemocracy.net/article/globalisation/mahatma_gandhi_s_achievement

• Quote for the Day:
“The greed of gain has no time or limit to its capaciousness. There is sufficiency in the world to satisfy every man’s need, but not every man’s greed.” —Mahatma Gandhi

Photo of the Day:
When my dog, Logan, heard that this entry included the story of a dog and his bone, he quickly picked up his bone and begged to have his photo taken (with no reflections). Enjoy!

Brian Luke Seaward, Ph.D. is an internationally renowned expert in the fields of stress management, mind-body-spirit healing and stress and human spirituality. He is the author of over 10 books including the bestsellers, Stand Like Mountain, Flow Like Water, Stressed Is Desserts Spelled Backward, The Art of Calm, Quiet Mind, Fearless Heart and Managing Stress (6E). He can be reached through his website:www.brianlukeseaward.net

© Brian Luke Seaward, Ph.D.

Brian Luke Seaward

Author Brian Luke Seaward

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