Soul wealth. Mental and material wealth

Not everyone can call themselves a spiritually rich person. Sometimes such controversial definition criteria are mixed up or replaced by deliberately incorrect ones. What signs are the most accurate and what it means to be a spiritually rich person will be prompted by the article.

What is it, spiritual wealth?

The concept of "spiritual wealth" cannot be interpreted unambiguously. There are controversial criteria by which this term is most often defined. Moreover, they are controversial individually, in combination with their help, a fairly clear idea of spiritual wealth is formed.

criterion of humanity. What does it mean to be a spiritually rich person from the point of view of other people? Often this includes such qualities as humanity, understanding, empathy, and the ability to listen. Is it possible to consider a spiritually rich person who does not have these qualities? Most likely the answer is no. But the concept of spiritual wealth is not limited to these signs.
The criterion of education. Its essence is that the more educated a person is, the richer he is. Yes and no, because there are many examples when a person has several educations, he is smart, but his inner world is completely poor and empty. At the same time, history knows individuals who did not have an education, but their inner world was like a blooming garden, the flowers from which they shared with others. Such an example could be. A simple woman from a small village did not have the opportunity to get an education, but Arina Rodionovna was so rich in her knowledge of folklore and history that, perhaps, her spiritual wealth became a spark that ignited the flame of creativity in the poet's soul.
The criterion of the history of the family and homeland. Its essence is that one cannot be called a spiritually rich person who does not carry a baggage of knowledge about the historical past of his family and homeland.
The criterion of faith. The word "spiritual" comes from the word "spirit". Christianity defines a spiritually rich person as a believer who lives according to the commandments and laws of God.

Signs of spiritual wealth in people

What it means to be a spiritually rich person is difficult to say in one sentence. For each, the main feature is something different. But here is a list of traits without which it is impossible to imagine such a person.

humanity;
empathy;
sensitivity;
flexible, lively mind;
love for the motherland and knowledge of its historical past;
life according to the laws of morality;
knowledge in various fields.

What does spiritual poverty lead to?

In contrast to the spiritual wealth of a person, there is a disease in our society - spiritual poverty.

Understanding what it means to be a spiritually rich whole person cannot be revealed without negative qualities that should not be present in life:

ignorance;
callousness;
life for one's own pleasure and outside the moral laws of society;
ignorance and non-perception of the spiritual and historical heritage of their people.

This is not the whole list, but the presence of several traits can already define a person as spiritually poor.

To what does the spiritual impoverishment of the people lead? Often this phenomenon leads to a significant decline in society, and sometimes to its death. This is how a person works, that if he does not develop, does not enrich his inner world, then he degrades. The principle “you don’t go up - you slide down” is very fair here.

How to deal with spiritual poverty? One of the scientists said that spiritual wealth is the only kind of wealth that cannot be deprived of a person. If you fill yours with light, knowledge, goodness and wisdom, then it will stay with you for life.

There are many ways to spiritual enrichment. The most effective of them is reading worthy books. This is a classic, although many modern authors also write good works. Read books, respect your history, be a man with a capital letter - and then the poverty of the spirit will not touch you.

What does it mean to be spiritually rich

Now we can clearly outline the image of a person with a rich inner world. Spiritually rich man, what is he? Most likely, a good interlocutor knows how to not only speak so that they listen to him, but also listen so that he wants to talk to him. He lives according to the moral laws of society, is honest and sincere with his surroundings, he knows, and will never pass by someone else's misfortune. Such a person is smart, and not necessarily due to the education received. Self-education, constant food for thought and dynamic development make it such. A spiritually rich person must know the history of his people, the elements of his folklore, and be versatile educated.

Instead of a conclusion

Nowadays, it may seem that material wealth is valued above spiritual wealth. To some extent this is true, but another question is, by whom? Only a spiritually impoverished person will not appreciate the inner world of his interlocutor. Material wealth will never replace the breadth of the soul, wisdom, moral purity. Sympathy, love, respect are not bought. Only a spiritually rich person is capable of expressing such feelings. Material things are perishable, tomorrow they may no longer exist. But spiritual wealth will remain with a person for his entire life, and will illuminate the path not only for him, but also for those who are close to him. Ask yourself what it means to be a spiritually rich person, set a goal for yourself and go for it. Believe me, your efforts will be justified.

What does it mean to be spiritually rich? Of course, everyone has their own opinion on this issue. Spiritual wealth is something ephemeral, it cannot be calculated by formulas, it is unthinkable to decompose into molecules. It is not amenable to structuring and other computational methods. Spiritual wealth is the inner filling of a person, consisting of noble thoughts, humanity and a thirst for knowledge.

Terminology

For someone, writing an essay “What does it mean to be a spiritually rich person” is easy, while someone encounters difficulties already at the first stage. Basically, this is due to a misunderstanding of terminology. Subconsciously, the student knows that a spiritually rich person is one who does the right thing and never hurts anyone. It just can't explain it.

In order to unravel the question of what it means to be a spiritually rich person, you first need to understand what spirituality means. In journalism, spirituality is understood as a set of traditions and values that are concentrated in religious teachings and images of art.

Who is he, a spiritually rich man?

And yet the concept of spiritual wealth is complex and multifaceted. It can be associated with different philosophical and religious movements, the level of intelligence or the presence of principles, but this is not enough to answer the question of what it means to be a spiritually rich person. First of all, this is a full-fledged and harmonious personality with a full set of universal human qualities.

So what kind of person can be called spiritually rich? Firstly, this is a person who has deep, comprehensive knowledge, successfully applying them in practice. Like Leonardo da Vinci. The inventions of this genius were far ahead of his era and are relevant even now. But knowledge is not everything. It must be understood that any invention should be used for the benefit of mankind. Take, for example, the creators of the atomic bomb. Indeed, such work is worthy of respect, but what were the scientists guided by when creating weapons of mass destruction? Obviously not the ideas of humanism. And, by the way, a spiritually rich person does not forget about them for a minute.

Secondly, a spiritually rich person acts wisely and makes informed decisions. And thirdly, such people are distinguished by high morality, acting according to the laws of conscience.

Is that all?

Being spiritually rich means having a worthy store of knowledge, acting humanely and being guided by moral standards. But is that all? Of course, such an answer will be counted and graded, but a truly spiritually rich person will have a feeling of dissatisfaction with his work, caused by understatement.

Therefore, when starting to write an essay “What does it mean to be a spiritually rich person”, first of all, you should think about yourself. Am I satisfied with my actions? What do I feel when I look at people and nature? What do I like and why? It would seem banal questions, but it is behind them that the right answer is hidden.

Knowledge is power, but not humanity

They say that a spiritually rich person is one who constantly strives for knowledge. And that's right. He fills his inner spiritual vessel with a variety of knowledge from the world of culture, religion, art. Such a person can support any conversation, show off his mind even among intellectuals. But here, too, there is a point of contention. A person can turn himself into an encyclopedia, know the answers to hundreds of questions, but never get closer to the sources of spiritual wealth. Of course, there is power in knowledge, but what is the point of it if a person thoughtlessly quotes what is written in books.

Once S. Sukhomlinsky said: "A spiritually rich person is one who has access to the whole range of human feelings and relationships."

Beyond the rays of the spectrum

Everyone can become a spiritually rich person if he fills himself not only with information, but also with emotions. After reading another scientific article, first of all, you need to ask yourself whether I agree with this or not. And it’s not scary if some doubts creep in - this is the only way a person forms his inner spiritual space. If he is disgusted by some thought that does not correspond to his moral principles and values, he must accept it. Understand why he does not agree, and form his attitude to a particular issue. This is how spiritual food is created and assimilated.

In order to expand one's spiritual heritage, a person must understand how other people may feel. Not to look for excuses for their actions, but to realize that this or that action had a motive. Every person wants to be happy. In pursuit of their desires, people can act thoughtlessly, risky and wrong. But what's wrong with wanting to snatch at least a few happy moments from fate? And as soon as a person realizes this simple axiom, his spiritual vessel will be filled by half. He will understand that behind any actions there is always an ingenuous desire for simple human happiness, and then he will begin to look at the world with different eyes. He will find the truth between pathos lines, see hidden messages in pictures and lend a helping hand to anyone who needs it.

I am the universe

A spiritually rich person is a person who has the whole Universe inside. Seeing such a person in the company, it immediately becomes clear that he is made of a different test. He is friendly, helpful, attentive and loves to smile. He will always find words of support and consolation, help solve a difficult problem, and will surely be able to tell more than one hundred amusing stories. Such people will never neglect anyone, will tactfully express their disagreement and every minute, bit by bit, will fill their spiritual vessel.

Spiritually rich people always remain themselves, do not put on masks, do not play a role. They feel and understand others, they do not want to part with them, like with anyone else. After all, unknown galaxies are hidden behind their outer shell, their thoughts are pure and noble, and their eyes always sparkle with happiness. They are simply glad that they exist, and there is still so much unknown in the world. They understand and accept their shortcomings, but they want to correct them. They do not strive to become perfect, but simply want to show others that the world we live in is truly beautiful. This is an example of what it means to be a spiritually rich person.

The question of spirituality is currently considered very widely. Everyone understands in their own way what it means to be a spiritually rich person. For some, this concept is inextricably linked with faith in God, someone expands the boundaries of their soul and improves with the help of Eastern practices, and someone simply acts like they put the interests of others above their own, for example, as Mother Teresa did.

What does it mean to be spiritually rich?

A spiritually rich person is rich because he puts the needs of the soul, not the body, in the foreground. For him, it is not material values that matter, but those that contribute to the improvement of the soul. Showing interest in religion, painting, music, and other forms of art, a person learns the environment and social phenomena. As a result, his inner world is filled, a person develops from different sides, becomes an interesting interlocutor, thinking, having his own point of view on everything.

A spiritually rich person strives for self-improvement. He learns new things, using the works and discoveries of famous artists, writers, poets. The actions and deeds of such a person are responsible and meaningful. Thoughts and motives always have a positive color, because he understands that the real treasure is not material values, but inner peace, fortitude and spiritual values. But for those who are interested in what a spiritually rich person should be like, it is worth saying that the fullness of the soul is achieved not only through knowledge. Most often, this comes through suffering. Tests change the worldview, as they say, turn the world upside down.

Those who wonder what it means to be spiritually rich should answer that a person can collect a wealth of knowledge all his life and still not achieve perfection, and suffering does it in a shorter period. It happens that a single event turns the whole mentality, crosses out the past life, dividing it into “before” and “after”. Often people then come to God, considering spiritual well-being as a relationship with the one Creator.

Distinctive features of a person with a rich inner spiritual world

Such people radiate some kind of inner light that seeps through a kind smile, a look of wise eyes and a desire to share their wealth with others.
High morality is what characterizes such people. They are endowed with honesty and responsibility, they feel dignity, which is expressed in a respectful attitude towards others, goodwill and devotion.
Such people do everything not from the mind, but from the heart. They understand the true meaning of God's commandment "Love your neighbor as yourself" and follow it.
Modesty and forgiveness - that's what distinguishes them. It is not only about forgiveness of other people, but also of oneself. They realize the full depth of their mistakes and first of all repent before themselves.
Peace and harmony live in their hearts. There is no place for base passions and emotions. They understand the meaninglessness of feelings of guilt, aggression or anger and bring only goodness into the world.

Of course, becoming a person with a rich soul is not easy. The combination of all factors plays a role here - upbringing, and piety. You can be a pious person, but still not understand what the meaning of faith is, or you can read and develop a lot, improve your intellectual level, but remain callous in your soul and hate everyone and everything. In general, spiritual wealth is inseparable from condescension, wisdom, patience and readiness to lend a helping hand to your neighbor at any moment. Only by giving, without demanding anything in return, you can get rich.

The main goal of the family is to earn enough money to provide for themselves, children, relatives. We spend a lot of time at work, not paying attention to our spouse and children.

In the foreground, this is material wealth, from which the spiritual wealth of relatives suffers.

There is always work, do not listen to those who say that there is nowhere to earn money, this is not true.

There is always work, there is an employer who needs performers, it’s just that everyone individually decides whether he can take on and perform this work or not. You can give a second example that you can’t redo all the work, you need to rest. You receive a salary, but of course, it does not suit you. Why? You have tried something better, and you don't want to give it up at all, you strive for the best, you need money to achieve this.

If you are alone, then you replace your personal life with work, but if you have a family, then you should think about spiritual wealth. Nothing can compare with a child's smile, there is so little of it, but how much warmth it brings.

Such moments are needed, they inspire new achievements, they give a special strength to overcome all difficulties. So strive for spiritual wealth, you will receive material wealth from it.

Quite a long time ago, there was a program called "Millionaire" on television in the United States. Every week, some worthy person received a bearer check for a million dollars from an unknown benefactor. The recipient of the check could keep the money for himself and spend it as he liked - provided that he did not name where they came from. Every week the recipient faced many difficulties in connection with this agreement. And quite often the recipient had to return the money.

Many films have been made in Hollywood that demonstrate that happiness does not come from material wealth. In film "Money doesn't grow on trees" it was about a family who suddenly became rich after discovering that money was growing on one of the trees in the yard. And the plot shows a lot of difficulties that this family is going through because of the money tree.

These are fictional examples where people did not find happiness in wealth. But what about reality? There are times when people become instant millionaires by winning a big prize in the lottery or by receiving an unexpected inheritance.

When asked how their lives had changed after receiving the money, many answered that their lives had become much more complicated. Large sums appeared at their disposal, but they did not become happier: on the contrary, they had many new problems.

In many fictional and real situations of this kind, an important link is missing. If we have not developed a source of spiritual wealth in ourselves, then no amount of money will make us happy. Spiritual wealth brings happiness. It gives us love. It bestows wisdom. Spiritual wealth leads to happiness because it helps us build relationships with others on the basis of love.

It is very easy to calculate our material wealth, but in order to see how rich we are spiritually, it is important to look at our lives. What kind of relationship do we have with others? Have we learned to love and accept others for who they are, without any reservations? Have we learned to forgive and forget what we perceived as insults? Do we appreciate life in its various manifestations? Are we making full use of our talents? The answer to these questions will allow us to accurately assess the size and quality of our spiritual reserves. We may think that happiness is the result of external circumstances.

is a spiritual principle that we can learn and use regardless of external circumstances and conditions.

We don't have to wait for circumstances to bring us happiness. When we try to make others happy, we are rewarded a hundredfold. We can create our joy - and let it change the circumstances of our lives. One of the great paradoxes of truth is that a happy heart draws to itself all that it needs to be happy.

spiritual wealth can be the path to true and secure happiness, because with it we have the opportunity to get everything we need. Material wealth can depend on many external factors that are sometimes beyond our control. Spiritual wealth can be controlled, because it is "an internal matter." We ourselves determine how wide we open our hearts and minds. If we examine ourselves and find that we do not have spiritual wealth, we have the opportunity to replenish it. Within us is everything we need to build a fruitful and happy life.

We can acquire the ability to be useful and thus be able to enjoy life, regardless of what is happening around us.

Of course, material comforts can be a positive factor in our lives. With them, we have no problems with food, paying bills or educating children. In a strong economy, material wealth provides reliable protection. But what happens if the economy worsens? When we create spiritual wealth, our inner confidence always stays with us. If we lose our savings and sources of income, our spiritual wealth will help us to persevere and make up for the losses. If our life is based on spiritual wealth, we gain a deep and secure peace that cannot be obtained from material wealth alone.

If we sincerely want to be happy, we must remember three basic principles.

Happiness can be both a cause and a consequence of the influx of blessings into our lives.
Our happiness is increased by using it, because when we think, speak and act with joy, there is no room in our lives for anything less.
We can cultivate happiness by serving others.