Spiritual or Material?

An improved life has little to do with materials but more with spirit
improved 被提昇的，改進的
material 物質的
spirit 心靈的

For the average people like you and me, the foremost concerns for how to live better lives in this material world seem to involve buying more luxurious houses, posher set of wheels and outfits, higher position at work, more relations in sex, and just to name a few. Therefore, making more money to fulfill our needs in this material world has become the only solution to the pursuit of better life. We can't criticize those for what they are doing. Neither can we tell them what is the right nor wrong thing to do. After all, I still think what people wish to do is by their own will.

average people 普通人
foremost 最重要的，首先的
concern 關心
involve 牽涉，有關
luxurious 奢侈的，豪華的
posh 流行的，第一流的
set of wheels 車子
outfit 服裝
position 職位
relation 肉體關係
fulfill 滿足，成就，實踐
solution 解決方法
pursuit 追求
criticize 批評
neither 也不

Nevertheless, here I would like to refer to the ground of a spiritually improved life, which is by all means against the material. A spiritual life means simplicity by nature, and you will decrease the desire of concerning with money and possessions once you know what is more important for you. You will learn to cherish everything around you, to love your family, friends and colleagues, and to help those who are in need of help. As a result, being more affluent means little to you, and that is the improvement of a spiritual life.

nevertheless 但是
refer to 提到
ground 主題
by all means 當然
against 反對，不同於
simplicity 簡樸，單純
by nature 本質上
decrease 減少
desire 欲求
possession 擁有物
cherish 珍惜
colleague 同事
as a result 結果
affluent 富裕的
improvement 改良，改進

The evidence shows that people seem not to get happier once they become materially richer. The materialistic value is apparently not the remedy for unhappiness. The two things are just on the opposite side of the scale. Which one do you prefer to be heavier, my friend?

evidence 證據
materialistic value 物質化的價值
apparently 明顯地
remedy 治療
opposite 相反的
scale 天平
prefer to 寧可
heavier 較重的