How to Be Inwardly Rich

Within the hope of man alone
The highest goal draws nigh.
He chooses, raises up his soul
To that which is on high.
He can duration to the moment give,
He can in Time the Eternal live.

From Rudolph Eucken, The Truth of Religion

How to be inwardly rich? What does it mean? In the opinion of the world, a rich mind is one that has intellectual range and depth, or one rich in virtues like compassion, patience, fortitude, cheerfulness, or a mind that combines intellectual gifts with a warm heart.

But in the view of the enlightened, being inwardly rich is something deeper than intellect and good character, and is within the reach of all of us. The inner wealth means that we experience permanently, in the depth of our own mind, satisfaction, fulfilment, joy, understanding—knowing what we came into the world to know, feeling what we want to feel. It is the certainty that, at the deepest level, all is well, nothing is wrong with us—we are safe at last! We have discovered that the central core of self-experience is taintless, indisturbable, infinite, and we are identified with that.