3 Ways Spiritual Teachings Can Improve Your Finances

Spirituality and religion are a part of everyday life and touch every part of your day-to-day existence, and this includes money.

It might be difficult to rationalize money within your spirituality or religious beliefs. Money is something that feels so mundane and man-made, so it can be strange to pair it with the over-arching longevity of spirituality.

Yet spiritual teachings can improve our relationship to money; a relationship that’s often fraught, trying, and can end up controlling our lives.

Many different religions and spiritualities offer advice, but here are some ways Buddhist teachings affect how we treat money.

Spirituality Promotes Giving

Buddhism sees human interaction as a constant flow of giving and receiving. Giving isn’t just about birthdays and Christmas, but the everyday acts that go unseen in your relationships. When you open up to the natural flow of giving and receiving, you also open up to the gifts given to you by your friends and family and appreciate them even more.

When it comes to your finances, this teaching make you less stressed about holding onto your money and less likely to worry about the future or an emergency in which you need money quickly.

Giving money away can bring you more happiness than clinging onto it. Giving gifts to your friends and family or donating to charity is a great way to spend your money.

Spirituality Diminishes Greed

Buddhism teaches the existence of three poisons: greed, hatred, and delusion. These three poisons are seen as the cause of most pain and suffering in the world, and Buddhists aim to remove these three poisons from their minds, actions, and lives.

Greed is often tied to your thoughts about money. Ask yourself: do you need all these things you’re buying, or could the money be better used elsewhere? Think about this teaching when budgeting or planning to donate to charity.

Spirituality Makes You Conscious of Your Impact

Buddhist teachings ask you to become more conscious of your role in the world. You should make a positive impact and don’t sell harmful things, like drugs or guns, for example. This applies to the job you take and all areas of your finances.

If you have investments, then are they invested in harmful companies? If you’re invested in cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, are you invested in a proof of stake variety or proof of work? Proof of work has a negative environmental impact, whereas proof of stake is typically better. Questioning your finances leads you to put more good into the world, whether for your fellow humans, the environment, or the animals on the planet.