# A New Vision Of Money - 8. Can money cover our needs?  We have learned that we tend to desire things we do not truly want, things that will also harm us. But what about needs in this world? Can money at least satisfy those? After all, it seems evident that money has the power to buy the things we need and serves as our sustenance. However, the Course responds with an emphatic no to this question. When we believe that money can sustain us, the Course says we have placed our faith in the most trivial and absurd symbols. In Lesson 50 of the Course, we find this: > Here is the answer to every problem that confronts you today and tomorrow and > throughout time. In this world, you believe you are sustained by everything > but God. Your faith is placed in the most trivial and insane symbols: pills, > money, “protective” clothing, influence, prestige, being liked, knowing the > “right” people, and an endless list of forms of nothingness which you endow > with magical power. All these things are your replacements for the love of > God. All these things are cherished to ensure a body identification. They are > songs of praise to the ego. > > Do not put your faith in the worthless. It will not sustain you. ([CE W-50.1-2](https://acimce.app/:W-50.1-2)) For most of us, seeking things like money, medicine, protective clothing, and good connections can give us some sense of being sustained. There is no doubt about that. But do we feel protected in all circumstances? Do we feel truly beyond any trial life may put before us? Do we feel perfectly surrounded by peace? Certainly not. Lesson 50 says that, in this world, we can reach a state of mind where nothing can disturb or threaten us. Can money give us that? No matter how many things we acquire for the body, the need for peace will always leave us feeling empty. There is no amount of money, pills, connections, or clothing that can bring us that peace. It is a well-studied fact that people report no significant increase in happiness when they receive a salary increase beyond a certain threshold. The happiness that money can buy is very limited and fleeting. We cannot deny that if we look at the list of items mentioned in the first paragraph of the quote, these are the things we most value in life. Who does not need clothing to protect against the elements? It is a very radical teaching to say that these are unnecessary. Yet it makes perfect sense. As long as we are convinced that these things sustain us in this world, we will have made the body our identity and left God’s sustenance forgotten. The idea that we do not need things to sustain the body is so radical that it sounds ridiculous. To the surprise of many, the evidence that this is possible is not as distant as we might think. A remarkable example is the Dutchman Wim Hof, who became famous for holding the record for the longest time submerged in an ice pool and for running marathons in the snow completely barefoot. If that does not seem impressive, consider that he also climbed up to 7,400 meters on Mount Everest wearing only shorts and sandals. Another experiment conducted with students of his method involved injecting them with a substance that causes flu-like symptoms. Those who participated in the experiment were able to instruct their immune systems not to react to the substance and experienced no symptoms. Another remarkable example is Prahlad Jani from India, who claimed not to have eaten from 1940 until 2020. The interesting part of his case is that Jani was the subject of several medical studies, where he was kept in absolute isolation for days while his vital signs were monitored, ensuring he did not eat. All studies concluded that Jani could indeed survive without food with no change in body mass. At the very least, these examples show us that the mind has power over the body, even if only in certain areas of control. In other words, they demonstrate that the body is an effect, not a cause. These are extreme examples, and I present them here only as a reference and not to encourage you to attempt them. They are useful examples to show us that money as a means of sustaining the body is an idea that can be discarded. The good news for us is that the Course does not aim for extreme states. The true purpose of the Course is to let God satisfy your needs. Instead of pursuing money as an intermediate goal to then be able to buy what you need, the idea is to let God take charge of providing what your body needs to sustain itself while you are here in this world. To progress toward this goal, we must first question whether we truly feel sustained by money. I believe there is no doubt it helps us survive and perhaps excel in certain areas. But do we really feel sustained by money? Can anyone honestly say they feel protected in every circumstance by the money they possess? I am sure no one feels perfect peace because of the possessions they have amassed in life. It is undeniable that there is no amount of money, medicine, shelters, or pleasures in the world that can truly give you lasting peace and a sense of being beyond all trials or tests. So, why do we continue deceiving ourselves with these fantasies? The researchers who conducted the study I mentioned earlier asked the same question. If it is true that spending money on others brings more happiness than spending it on oneself, why do we not do it more often? One hypothesis is that we are not allowing these experiences of happiness to teach us in return and ultimately change our perspective. In our case, we know very well that money cannot truly sustain us, but we are not letting the experience teach us and change our view. The second step to move toward the goal of letting God satisfy your needs is simply to allow Him to do so. If all our mental energy is focused on devising strategies to obtain money and carrying them out, then you will not have the time to do what He recommends. You will likely not even have the time to ask Him or the mental focus to listen. In our experience, money has met our needs in the past. But how often have we allowed God to be our sustenance? Let us not place our faith in what cannot sustain us, but rather trust that God will take care of all things. ## Practice ### In the morning Let us use the practice instructions from Lesson 50 as our morning meditation. For 10 minutes, do the following: 1. Slowly repeat the phrase, “The Love of God is my sustenance.” 2. Allow thoughts that support this idea to come to you. 3. Let the meaning of this idea enter your being, showing you its significance and the benefits it brings. 4. Spend the final minutes in silence, feeling that God sustains you and that you can rest in Him. Throughout the day, monitor your mind to observe thoughts suggesting that external things are needed to sustain your existence. Whenever you feel in need or lacking, respond immediately: > “The Love of God is my sustenance.” Use your phone’s timer to remind you of this phrase every 20 minutes: > “The Love of God is my sustenance.” ### During the day Monitor your mind to observe thoughts suggesting that external things are needed to sustain your existence. Whenever you feel in need or lacking, respond immediately: > “The Love of God is my sustenance.” Use your phone’s timer to remind you of this phrase every 20 minutes: > “The Love of God is my sustenance.”