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Originally Posted by dreamextremes
Nice thread. I agree that the LOA is likely "misused" or misinterpreted at times, but I think it is hard to evualuate who is misusing it and for what. For example, if someone uses it for material gain, there is no way to determine that this is the "wrong" way for them to utilize it. In some instances, material gain may be exactly what is best for that person and their spiritual journey, whether they are consciously aware of it or not.
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Right. I try to avoid using the word "wrong" in cases like this, as it seems to imply a moral judgement. Rather, I prefer the term "skillful." The skillful use of one's ability to create and shape their life is, by Buddhist definition, any way which brings about more wholesome and pure states of mind and lessens the defilements of the mind (attachment, aversion, delusion, etc).
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This is just one example. I guess I'm basically saying that the only person who knows exactly what you need is yourself. Perhaps in gaining material wealth, in one's current disposition and incarnation, perhaps this is the best way currently to get to where you need to go on a spiritual level. Perhaps without material gain, a person may be more likely to go down the wrong path or make grave mistakes, for example, which will hinder them spiritually, etc.
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It is possible that a person may learn a lesson that their soul requires by acquiring material wealth and then perhaps using that wealth in good ways, such as to selflessly help others, or create the optimal conditions and environment for spiritual practice. Or perhaps the lesson comes from their unskillful use of the wealth and the harm it causes. Or perhaps the only lesson our souls require is whatever lesson leads to the purification of the mind, in which case doing things that lead in the opposite direction of this are likely unnecessary hinderances to spiritual development.
There are those who know what they need, and those who think they know what they need but are wrong. Many people operate from a place of ego, attachment, aversion, delusion, and other unwholesome states of mind, and coming from unskillful states of mind like these, a person is likely to have a distorted perspective regarding what is the best for them. They are likely to be swayed by the ego's desires for sensual pleasure rather than spiritual growth. Most people I know fall into this category to some extent.