Lesson 6: Material Transience

Everything that we have in this world is only temporarily ours – on loan to us by mother nature. Therefore, it is a mistake to become so attached to anything material, even other people, that losing it, which is inevitable, can stop us from going on with life.

This is particularly hard for people in our Western society to be able to accept and live with because so much emphasis is placed on material things and possessions as sources of identity, importance, and even personal meaning. We evaluate ourselves in terms of what we have as material possessions and we give status to people based on how much they have in comparison to others. When we lose material possessions, and/or loved ones, it feels like we lose ourselves or our identities, stripping us of a sense of personal worth and challenging our reasons for going forward or even wanting to live. Prominent religious leaders of various denominations around the world have preached about emphasising the importance of our selves and our relationships with others and deemphasising our posessions and the material world around us as being essential to attaining happiness and serenity in life. This is also the key to being able to handle whatever trials and tribulations life throws at us.