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Culture & Religion

What Religion Has to Say About Money as a Religion

Author and music producer Kabir Sehgal finds instruction on the true value of money running through the world’s sacred texts.
Jesus clears the temple. (CARL HEINRICH BLOCH)

It’s not entirely clear if this quote actually comes from the Dalai Lama or not, but it’s a good one:

People exist to be loved; objects exist to be used. The world is in chaos because these things are the other way round.

The acquisition of money — and the things it buys — has been a crazy-making influence on mankind from as far back as we can tell. It’s served as a means of controlling others and as the reason for obsessive, injurious behaviors throughout history. An unquenchable thirst for wealth has been so continually destructive that every faith — no matter what else they may not see eye to eye on — has something similar to say about it. Author and music producer Kabir Sehgal explains.

Since money is the vehicle through which a culture expresses value and serves as the engine that gets society’s work done, it’s not something one can really do without. But that a belief in wealth as something of value all by itself leads to nothing but emptiness is something upon which every sacred text seems to agree.


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