The Three Bodhisattvas of Finance

Your relationship with money is your relationship with yourself

You were born unselfconscious, delighted at being alive, as sure of your purpose on this planet as the sun, an oak tree, or a manatee. Your very existence made you worthy. You needed no other justification, and every breath you took connected you to the living fabric of the universe.

Then life happened to you. You forgot this simple truth.

You’ve been marinating your whole life in a toxic brew of consumerism and feral capitalism that equates worth with money, measures success relative to bank balance, and weaponizes finance to extract every last bit of humanity from business. 

Some days we feel like we live in a hellscape full of hungry ghosts telling us we are not enough and can never have enough. No surprise that we develop anxiety, fear, or trauma around our riches, inner and outer.

Family history and dynamics, societal structures, ancestral inheritances  (you name it, it’s a long list) create blocks to that light – energy – Qi –  whatever you want to call the life force that animates the universe. Your conditioning throws shade on your innate brilliance and stops you from expressing your truest, most vibrant, and unselfconscious life.

These blocks are fractals endlessly repeated in what we think, feel, and do daily. Thoughts like “I’ll never be able to figure out investing” “What’s the point of saving?” or “I’m sure he’ll pay me back this time!” are the way we reinforce negative beliefs about ourselves, which leads us to take questionable action.

Some examples of unconscious beliefs you might have and what they reveal:

• If you don’t value yourself, you won’t value your assets.

• If you can’t trust others, your business (like you) will be stunted by your need to be hyper independent.

• If you’re a conflict-avoidant people pleaser, your energy and money will be needlessly siphoned off.

(🙋🏻‍♀️ Guilty on all counts, BTW.)

The good news is that these crappy thoughts and patterns show you the way home to your wholeness.

That’s why working on your “money stuff” will transform your “stuff stuff” too.

And by “money stuff” I don’t mean jacking up your net worth. Many gazillionaires are haunted by a feeling of lack, fearing their wealth will spontaneously combust one day and that they will become penniless, bankrupt inside and out.

Peace of mind does not come from the wallet but from the soul.

So how do you cultivate your inner and outer riches and live an intentional, mindful life? (I’m cringing at the platitudes, but I don’t know how else to say it.)

On my own journey, which I began after closing my business, getting divorced, launching my kids, and stepping into my crone power, I’ve come to see that there are three stages to working through “money stuff”:

1. Acceptance: Shedding the shame, self-loathing, and anxiety about our situation frees us to have the curious, playful, and open mind required for growth and change. Before starting any journey, you need to meet yourself where you are, with grace and compassion.

2. Clarity: inner – knowing and trusting your deepest, truest desires and instincts (a lifetime of gaslighting can make you a stranger to your feelings and inner wisdom) and outer – cultivating discernment without judgment, being willing to see the truth even when it hurts or is inconvenient.

3. Action: Taking intentional action aligned with your desires, fully accepting responsibility and consequences. Being willing to fail and learn, having the courage to do the hard but right thing, and standing up for one’s own truth are all forms of righteous action.

After blowing up my life, er… I mean entering my wisdom years, I turned to Jizo, Manjusri, and Daruma for help and inspiration through these stages. I’ve nicknamed them The Three Bodhisattvas of Finance.

A bodhisattva is an enlightened being who vowed to stick around until there is not a single tortured soul left on earth or the hell realms. Each has its own shtick, and like saints have different origin stories and superpowers. The Three Bodhisattvas of Finance embody the different energies needed to process our “money stuff” and our “stuff stuff.”

Jizo

Jizo is the benevolent protector of children (born and unborn) and travelers at crossroads. His unconditional acceptance reassures us that the journey to the “other side of change” will be safe. His reminder: ”You are beloved and whole just the way you are, whatever path you take.”

Manjusri

Manjusri’s sword cuts through the fog of ignorance, confusion, denial, avoidance, and collusion. Reality always wins a pissing match – there’s no point willfully misunderstanding it, avoiding it, or trying to morph it into something else. Manjusri’s message: “Wake up, see the truth, and be set free.”

Daruma

Daruma stands for righteous and resilient action created from crystal clarity and inner authority. The founder of Zen, he is one of my favorites, the inspiration and namesake for the institutional money management firm I ran for 25 years. He’s associated with good fortune that comes through focused effort and a willingness to transform setbacks into wisdom. His koan is “7 times down, 8 times up.”

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You’ll read more about the Bodhisattvas of Finance in future missives, but the TLDR is this:

The starting point to getting in right relationship with your inner and outer riches is acceptance.

Without acceptance, clarity is not possible.

And without clarity, right action is impossible.

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Cue the Ghostbusters theme song:

When you’re haunted by money hungry ghosts,
Who you gonna call?
Jizo, Manjusri and Daruma!
The three bodhisattvas of finance