“Artha means wealth. The Vedas recognizes the importance of material wealth for the overall happiness and well being of an individual. As householders, we require wealth, because we  perform many duties to uphold dharma and take care of the needs of our families and society. We should not seek wealth for the sake of wealth but to uphold dharma and help the members of our families and society achieve their goals. The Vedas therefore rightly place material wealth the second most important objective in human life. While dharma and moksha are meant for oneself, wealth and sex are to be pursued for the sake of others. The Hindu diety Vishnu is the best role model for any householder. He leads a luxurious life, served by the goddes of wealth herself, Lakshmi, but is very dutiful, helpful, responsive and righteous. So was Krishna while he was in human form. He lived a very luxurious life, but was righteous, detached and balanced.

The Vedas advocate austerity, simplicity and detachment, but do not glorify poverty. Wealth is not an impediment to self-realization  but attachment to wealth is. Desire for wealth is different from greed for wealth. Selfless desire for wealth is preferable to selfish desire for wealth. Money and wealth are a form of divine energy. God is abundance. He is endowed with eight kinds of wealth. But we have a negative attitude mostly about wealth because hostile and negative forces (and occasionally modern day advertising) want us to believe so and thereby prevent its use for righteous reasons.”

- from Purusharthas or The Four Aims of Life, Jayaram V

“You only have to let the soft animal of your body love what it loves.” -Mary Oliver “
… My son does this as easily as breathing, while I struggle with it most of the time and every once in a while experience it as unbidden grace. I look at him as my teacher in this way. Also, I take my own mothering instincts as teachers. I look upon his body and my mother’s heart loves it and marvels at it. So I turn this same quality of vision on my own body, my own yard and home, on the Earth, and I love them and marvel at them in the same way. They are equally holy and beloved.”

from Nature & the Human Soul, Bill Plotkin