Transforming Wealth into the Path

Though you become famous and many bow to you,

And you gain riches equal to Vaishravana’s,

See that worldly fortune is without essence,

And be unconceited—

This is the practice of bodhisattvas.

See that Worldly Fortune is Without Essence 

Due to having been generous and respectful of others in the past, your karma may be such that this life you become famous and wealthy. Many people shower you with gifts, honour you, and proclaim your greatness and glory. The meaning of gaining “riches equal to Vaishravana” is that your wealth equals that of Vaishravana, one of the deities of wealth. In other words, you’re richer than Bill Gates. You have three times everything that you want. In addition to that, everybody thinks you’re wonderful. You’re famous, powerful and popular. 

We may wonder, “What’s wrong with that? I’ve got what I’ve always longed for; does Buddhism say that I have to give it up?” There’s nothing wrong with wealth and you don’t have to renounce it. What you do have to do is safeguard your mind from miserliness and arrogance, both of which arise easily when we have worldly fortune. For that reason, we practise seeing that worldly fortune is without essence. In other words, wealth comes and goes. Fame comes and goes. Praise, honour and respect come and go. They are impermanent, transient, arising only when the causes and conditions for them have assembled. Having them does not mean we are successful and worthwhile because they are simply a passing ripening of karma. Therefore they are without essence and lack any ultimate meaning. 

How we relate to the wealth and honour influences the karma we create and thus what we will experience in the future. If we care about others in society, want to share our wealth, and use it in ways that benefit humanity, then we create the constructive karma of generosity. If we keep our wealth to ourselves without caring about all other sentient beings on the planet upon whom our happiness depends, then that wealth becomes the source for our future misery, because it has corrupted our mind and made us lose our good heart. 

Sometimes worldly fortune can be detrimental to our Dharma practice. We get rich and then become complacent. We forget that money, possessions, respect and popularity are impermanent. Some people become famous and wealthy and think, “Now, I’m powerful. I can make people follow my wishes. I don’t need to practise the Dharma because I’ve got it made.” This is similar to people who were lonely and then fall in love. They think, “I feel fantastic. Finally, somebody loves me.” Their wisdom has been obscured by attachment to their fortune so they no longer wish to practise Dharma. They are too busy being wrapped up in attachment to their good feeling and the person who appears to be the cause of it. 

In reality, all those things are temporary. They come and they go quickly. Even if they last most of this life, at the time of death, we have to separate from them and go on to our future lives without them. Even while wealth, respect and power last, if we investigate them deeply in our mind, we see that we still aren’t completely satisfied and peaceful. We may have worldly success, but we’re still subject to sickness, ageing and death. No amount of money, love or fame can protect us from them. In addition, we have a new set of difficulties: we have to protect our wealth, status and power. Thus rich and famous people have a house that resembles a prison because they have to protect themselves from thieves and from people who resent their wealth or dislike how they use their power. They are restless and fearful of losing what they have. In other words, worldly fortune may be present, but peace of mind is absent. 

A friend of mind went back to school to do graduate work. After the first semester, I asked her how it was going, and she said, “I did very well and got As for all my exams. But now I’m very anxious because I don’t know how I’ll ever be able to do that again.” She was successful, but her mind was restless and worried because she felt pressure to maintain her excellent status. I think many sports heroes and movie stars must feel likewise. In other words, there is no security in worldly gain. 

It’s clear that even when we have worldly success, the fear of losing it haunts us. We have to fend off competition and enemies who are trying to take it from us. Or, you fall in love, and then become insecure, fearing that the person may abandon you or may suddenly die. 

It’s extremely difficult, if not impossible for a mind that is bound by ignorance, afflictions and karma to ever be content. Even if we have good circumstances, they lack essence; they don’t have the ability to give us everlasting peace and happiness. We have experienced such disappointment time and time again, but ignoring them, we think next time it will be different. 

It seems we haven’t yet developed enough confidence that Dharma practice can bring a completely different kind of happiness than worldly happiness. We are locked into the narrow view that happiness comes from outside, and so we need external things, people and situations in order to be happy. But when we understand the type of happiness that comes through Dharma practice—mental peace— lasts longer, is more stable, and can be experienced no matter what our external situation is, then our interest in worldly happiness will naturally decline. 

In addition, thinking of the benefits that having a Dharma mind can bring to ourselves and others energises us to practise. Think of having genuine deep compassion for others and making your life meaningful by being of service and benefit to others. Know that you have the ability to do that and generate the confidence to do it. The inspiration and joy this brings in the mind far excel that giddy feeling that worldly pleasures bring. 

Think, “What would it be like to be a Buddha? I could be of great benefit to others; I’ll know the right thing to say to somebody at any particular moment and will have the ability to evaluate situations and do what is of the greatest benefit. A Buddha can manifest many bodies and be able to serve sentient beings.” When we think of having such capability, our minds become more confident, joyful, and energised to create the causes for it. That joy is much more worthwhile and meaningful. There is some purpose and reason to cultivate the abilities of the bodhisattvas and Buddhas, whereas worldly success comes and goes in a twinkle of an eye. 

This verse recommends that you remain unconceited and humble, even when worldly success comes your way. Instead of getting puffed up and strutting around saying, “Look at me. I’m so rich. I’m so famous. I’m this. I’m that. I’m talented and successful,” be completely humble. A person who has deep selfconfidence is able to be humble because they have no internal need to prove themselves to anybody. 

But, those of us who lack self-confidence easily become conceited, because we don’t really believe in ourselves. We put on a big production about Me, thinking that if we can get others to think we are wonderful, then we must be wonderful. But when we have genuine self-confidence, we don’t need to do that. There is no craving to receive others’ approval because we are able to evaluate our own motivations, actions and confidence in our Buddha potential. We have become friends with ourselves.  

Great practitioners are unconceited. I tend to react with doubt towards the meditators and Dharma teachers who make big productions about themselves. His Holiness says that in India some people are nobody, but when they come to the West, they have five titles before and after their name, they wear big hats, and sit on high thrones. Personally speaking, I am much more attracted to the humble practitioners and teachers. I have had the good fortune to meet a number of them and they are excellent examples of what a practitioner should be—kind, generous, unassuming. They encourage others and teach them the Dharma without seeking anything for themselves. These are the people that I admire and want to be like.

~Commentary by Bhikshuni Thubten Chodron