So, is it that we have been thinking in the wrong way all along?

所以，是不是我们一直以来思考问题的方向都错了呢?

Don’t care too much about money, because money can only interfere¹ with your pursuit of happiness. The irony² is that people think they will be happy when they have money.

不要太在意金钱，因为金钱只会对你追寻幸福的过程造成干扰。最讽刺的是，人们以为自己拥有金钱就会幸福。

In fact, money has nothing to do with happiness. If you are happy and have money, you can use money in exchange for happiness.

事实上金钱与幸福毫不相干。如果你感到幸福，同时又拥有金钱，你可以用金钱来换取幸福。

However, if you are not happy but have money, then your money can only bring you more misfortune, as money is only a neutral force.

然而如果你没有感到幸福，却拥有金钱，那么你的金钱只能换来更多的不幸。因为金钱只是一种中性的作用力。

Please do not get me wrong. I am not against money. I have no objection to anything. But money is just a means. Money will allow you to move forward with your current lifestyle, no matter how good or bad it is.

请别误会：我并非反对金钱。我没有反对任何东西。但是金钱仅仅是一种手段。金钱会让你按照已有的生活模式向前迈进，无论你此时的生活模式是好是坏。

But people still keep chasing money as if money can bring them happiness. Whenever they realize that they can find money at another crossing road of life, they will immediately reverse their lifestyle and change their way of life.

可是人们还是不停地寻求金钱，似乎金钱能带给他们幸福似的。任何时候，如果他们发现在生活之路的另一个岔路口上可以找到金钱，他们就会立刻扭转自己的生活模式，改变自己的生活道路。

But once these people find money, they immediately lose themselves because they are ready to change themselves for money.

可是这些人一旦找到了金钱，却会立刻迷失自我，因为他们已经准备好了为金钱而改变自己。

This is the common secular³ way of life in this world. Remember, I call them secular not because they have money, but because they have changed their life goals for money. It goes the same for people who are poor.

这就是世俗中芸芸众生的生活方式。记住，我称其世俗并非因为他们拥有金钱，而是因为他们为了金钱而改变了自己的生活目标。对一文不名的人来说同样如此——或许他们仅仅是贫穷。

Poverty does not necessarily mean that the spirit is noble, and wealth is not necessarily equal to money worship. The true money worship lifestyle is to let money over everything.

贫穷并不等于精神高尚，而富贵也并不等于拜金主义。真正的拜金主义生活方式是让金钱凌驾于一切之上。

As to the lifestyle that does not worship money, money is only seen as a means: happiness, joy, and your individual dignity are placed higher than money. You know who you are, where your goals are, and you won’t get distracted.

而非拜金主义的生活方式，是将金钱仅仅视作一种手段：幸福、快乐和你的个体尊严都是高于金钱的。你知道自己是谁，知道自己的目标在何处，你不会受到旁骛的干扰。

If you can do this, you will find Zen in your life.

能够如此，你就会发现，你的生活忽然有了一种禅意。