This essay continues a sequence. Read the previous one here.
Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth,
where moth and rust doth corrupt,
and where thieves break through and steal:
But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven,
where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt,
and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
— KJV, Matt 6:19-21
The material is a mirage. It is the spirit that determines value.
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Popular teachings on this state that:
- “Treasures on Earth” include money and possessions;
- That Christ was not against money and possessions but against greed and materialism.
- That by being generous, forgiving, etc. we are “investing” in heavenly treasures;
What Exactly Is “Treasure”?
One man’s meat is another man’s poison. So, treasure is defined by what we personally value:
For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
Our hearts can be set on anything, not just money and possessions. Reputation, love of comfort, unhealthy infatuation with another human being, and so much else.
The material is lifeless: real life is non-material (ref. “28. Active Spirit, Passive Matter“)
So, the rightness or wrongness of an action is not defined by appearances but by the nature of the volition that generated it (ref. “29. Creating Is Perpetual“).
Treasures: Visible vs Invisible
Just as we are visibly surrounded and connected to our material treasures, we are closely surrounded and connected to the volitions and thoughts that gave rise to them (ref. “28. Active Spirit, Passive Matter“).
Many people become wealthy due to love of gain.
Certain people motivated by love for their fellow men make groundbreaking discoveries which lead to wealth.
The material treasures in the two cases are similar, but the “invisible treasures” are completely different.
Treasures: Higher vs Lower
We speak of “higher” realities like the Almighty, Heaven, etc. and “lower” realities like Earth:
Ye are from beneath;
I am from above:
Ye are of this world;
I am not of this world.
— John 8:23
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A volition focused on material things is focused on what is low and lifeless. The resulting “invisible treasures” are dead and worthless. This is spiritual poverty, regardless of how materially “wealthy” the individual is.
A person motivated by higher things, such as purity and love, is surrounded by a lively and rich invisible world, whether or not he is materially wealthy.
Such a noble-minded person can produce volitions and thoughts (i.e. invisible treasures) of such purity that, through the Law of Attraction (ref. “32. Law of Attraction: Pseudoscience or Fact?“), they can be attracted Heaven-ward.
Ideal Human Beings
This is laying up treasure in Heaven: the individual is on Earth but his works are connected to, and inspired by, higher realities.
He is not a dreamer or a recluse. He is working energetically and selflessly on Earth towards a higher vision, e.g.:
My meat is to do the Will of Him that sent me,
and to finish His work.
— John 4:34
So, “Lay up treasures in Heaven” could be interpreted as:
- “Set your heart on a selfless spiritual goal, and structure your life accordingly“;
- “Let everything you think and do become a service to God”;
- “Thy Kingdom Come” (ref. “73. The World’s Most Underrated Prayer, Part 1“).
Christ also stated it differently, e.g.:
Labour not for the meat which perisheth,
but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life,
— John 6:27
Our Labour & Our Lifestyle
Our labour should not be motivated by material (visible) goals:
The wind bloweth where it listeth,
and thou hearest the sound thereof,
but canst not tell whence it cometh,
and whither it goeth:
so is every one that is born of the Spirit.
— John 3:8
Christ was not repudiating wealth when He advised certain people to dispose of their belongings. It was only evidence that those particular individuals had put too much of their hearts into those possessions.
This teaching calls for a wholesale change in our approach to our inner and outer lives.
The fear of material deprivation if we become primarily spiritual in our orientation is misplaced, as can be inferred intuitively from the teaching itself and as explained in “Does ‘Take No Thought’ Make Any Sense?”.
Today’s Resolution:
- Let us apply ourselves to setting everlasting goals, and developing the courage to live accordingly.
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