M. There is no such thing as MATERIAL covetousness. All covetousness
is spiritual
Y.M. ALL longings, desires, ambitions SPIRITUAL, never material?
O.M. Yes. The Master in you requires that in ALL cases you shall
content his SPIRIT--that alone. He never requires anything else, he
never interests himself in any other matter.
Y.M. Ah, come! When he covets somebody's money--isn't that rather
distinctly material and gross?
O.M. No. The money is merely a symbol--it represents in visible and
concrete form a SPIRITUAL DESIRE. Any so-called material thing that you
want is merely a symbol: you want it not for ITSELF, but because it will
content your spirit for the moment.
Y.M. Please particularize.
O.M. Very well. Maybe the thing longed for is a new hat. You get it and
your vanity is pleased, your spirit contented. Suppose your friends
deride the hat, make fun of it: at once it loses its value; you are
ashamed of it, you put it out of your sight, you never want to see it
again.
Y.M. I think I see. Go on.
O.M. It is the same hat, isn't it? It is in no way altered. But it
wasn't the HAT you wanted, but only what it stood for--a something to
please and content your SPIRIT. When it failed of that, the whole of its
value was gone. There are no MATERIAL values; there are only spiritual
ones. You will hunt in vain for a material value that is ACTUAL,
REAL--there is no such thing.
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