Moneyless For Five Years

Renunciation of money is about as radical a decision as one could make in this world. Of the few that do it, understandably less actually write about it.

This blog is written by someone who's been voluntarily moneyless for five years. It's extremely verbose compared to the punchline blog posts I'm used to skimming, but it's also surprisingly informative and reasonable.

One year I went to Alaska with my 2 friends, Leslie & Mel, in their van & spent the late spring, summer, and early fall there. At first I worked on the docks. But none of it felt honest. So I quit and decided to go on a solo pack trip and try to live off the land for a few weeks. Lo & behold, I ran into a Basque dude named Ander who was also toying with thoughts of living off the land. So that's what we did. We speared fish, ate mushrooms & berries, and lived very well. Then we hit the road, hich-hiking, and realized how generous people were, and were astonished at the plethora of magical "coincidences" that kept happening to us. Eventually we split up and I decided to hitch all the way back to Moab, Utah, with $50 in my pocket, just to see if I could. When I arrived in Moab, I had $25 left. Then I realized I had only used money for things I didn't need, like snacks and a beer. For the first time, I was seriously realizing I could live totally moneyless.

I've been transfixed to read the whole way through, where I stumbled into what started him on this remarkable endeavor:

Then I hooked up with Michael again and we hopped to India. After wandering in India for a couple months, I ended up at McCleod Ganj, near Dharamsala, where Tibetan refugees are. And the Dalai Lama happened to be there, and I got to hear his talks for a week. He directed something to us westerners. He said he thought it was admirable that people come from all lands to explore Tibetan Buddhism. But he emphasized that truth is found in every religion, and perhaps only a few could find fulfillment in another faith. Otherwise, he recommended that everybody go back to where they were planted, instead of trying to find greener grass on the other side of the fence. This was cynching it for me. What good would it do for me to be a sadhu in India? A true test of faith would be to return to one of the most materialistic, money-worshipping nations on earth, to return to the authenticly profound principles of spirituality hidden beneath our own religion of hypocricy, and be a sadhu there. This idea exhilerated me. I can be a sadhu in America, I thought. To be a vagabond, a bum, and make an art of it - this idea enchanted me.

In 2003, I was in Mcleod Ganj at the same time of year (for the Dalai Lama's annual talks) and I remember hearing the same advice from HHDL, but having little formal experience with Christianity, I felt it did not really apply to me. Which eats at me a little bit - as though confirming how little I have in common with living in this nation. I admire the courage that it must have taken this blogger to leave it all behind, something I might one day resolve to do. But if I do, should I feel inclined to stay here, simply of the argument I've lived here for so long?