MATERIAL SUCCESS AND CH'AN

QUESTION:

Are material success and benefits a detriment to practice, or can they be of help?

SHIH-FU:

Whether one has material wealth is not the issue. What is important is the attitude one has towards it, and how one handles it. The Bible says that it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the gates of heaven. In Buddhist sutras there are no such sayings. On the contrary, there are numerous examples of wealthy and powerful people who were excellent practitioners. Also, in Sakyamuni's time, wealthy people played an important role in supporting the Buddha. Some wealthy people, men and women alike, were both Dharma protectors and good practitioners. In fact, a few attained the third fruition of the Hinayana path. The reason they did not attain the fourth fruition is because they did not leave home. But they did have the proper attitude toward material wealth.