Financial prosperity is a blessing, but as with all things that are impermanent, it can change, and what is a blessing today can become a curse tomorrow. It is well known that the probability of being bankrupt is higher for a lottery winner than for the average public and they also have a shorter life expectancy. There are many anecdotal reasons for this, people that play the lotto are usually lower income so lottery winners usually don't have good financial literacy, or for some people that win the lotto they are subject to more hanger ons asking for money or scammers trying to steal the money. However, the for Buddhists money is not considered a great blessing unless it is able to be used for a positive purpose. So when a person has a lot of money and is miserly or wasteful it can actually cause the person to accumulate much negative karma. So for the people that are ill prepared or lack the will to use the money in a positive way, the arrival of great wealth is in fact a curse.
Although money itself is not contrary to the ideals of Buddhism and does not carry with it many negative qualities like drugs or weapons, there are several reasons why the pursuit of money can create negative karma even if the person is not inherently a bad person. First, there are many professions that are law abiding yet foster negative karma, such as a butcher, a fisherman, farmer of animals, selling liquor, developing or selling weapons. Second, there are many businesses and business owners that have to skate the boundary of ethics in order to maximize profit, again such activity may not be illegal but carries with it negative karma. Third, those with much wealth are more likely to "waste" just by the lifestyles they are living. Rare is the example of Warren Buffett, who even after gaining extraordinary wealth still lived in his native Nebraska and drove his old car. And fourth, those who acquire great wealth even if they do not waste it, and even if they earned it in an ethical manner, the mere fact of keeping such wealth produces negative karma because it is an example of greed to hold so much resources when much of the world is suffering. Again for the rare few like Buffett who has pledged to give away 99% of his wealth, he will negate much bad karma at his death, sadly, Buffett is unique in his views as most wealthy people go to great lengths to keep their money even after death.
With all that said, money is a necessary element of modern life so it would be irrational to say not to acquire money. However, one must remember that money in its most basic form is a tool. Primarily it is a tool for trade, but it can also be a tool for great good or evil. So to pursue great wealth without a beneficial goal for society would serve to burden the person with bad karma.
The Buddha himself relinquished great riches when he left his princely life in search of truth, as is the way for all who would one day become Buddha. Because it is impossible to attain true wisdom burdened with the karmic weight of wealth. And upon his death, the Buddha told his son that he cannot leave him any material wealth or possessions as he had none, as all he can leave him is the gift of wisdom.
To die with vast wealth is an unforgivable crime. First, you are unable to take it with you in death so it is meaningless to hold on to it. Second, by leaving vast wealth to your heirs you are burdening them with the negative karma and also the obstacle that wealth is to the acquisition of wisdom. Finally, in doing so you are ignoring all the suffering that is happening in the world. Even if one didn't cause the suffering one still has an moral a responsibility to help. It's as if seeing a crime in progress, and choosing not to call 911.
Therefore, when you see someone blessed with great wealth do not envy them, for even as they experience material pleasures, they are actually getting further from wisdom. For all material things are illusions, and one whose whole existence is a mirage will never see the truth.
Although money itself is not contrary to the ideals of Buddhism and does not carry with it many negative qualities like drugs or weapons, there are several reasons why the pursuit of money can create negative karma even if the person is not inherently a bad person. First, there are many professions that are law abiding yet foster negative karma, such as a butcher, a fisherman, farmer of animals, selling liquor, developing or selling weapons. Second, there are many businesses and business owners that have to skate the boundary of ethics in order to maximize profit, again such activity may not be illegal but carries with it negative karma. Third, those with much wealth are more likely to "waste" just by the lifestyles they are living. Rare is the example of Warren Buffett, who even after gaining extraordinary wealth still lived in his native Nebraska and drove his old car. And fourth, those who acquire great wealth even if they do not waste it, and even if they earned it in an ethical manner, the mere fact of keeping such wealth produces negative karma because it is an example of greed to hold so much resources when much of the world is suffering. Again for the rare few like Buffett who has pledged to give away 99% of his wealth, he will negate much bad karma at his death, sadly, Buffett is unique in his views as most wealthy people go to great lengths to keep their money even after death.
With all that said, money is a necessary element of modern life so it would be irrational to say not to acquire money. However, one must remember that money in its most basic form is a tool. Primarily it is a tool for trade, but it can also be a tool for great good or evil. So to pursue great wealth without a beneficial goal for society would serve to burden the person with bad karma.
The Buddha himself relinquished great riches when he left his princely life in search of truth, as is the way for all who would one day become Buddha. Because it is impossible to attain true wisdom burdened with the karmic weight of wealth. And upon his death, the Buddha told his son that he cannot leave him any material wealth or possessions as he had none, as all he can leave him is the gift of wisdom.
To die with vast wealth is an unforgivable crime. First, you are unable to take it with you in death so it is meaningless to hold on to it. Second, by leaving vast wealth to your heirs you are burdening them with the negative karma and also the obstacle that wealth is to the acquisition of wisdom. Finally, in doing so you are ignoring all the suffering that is happening in the world. Even if one didn't cause the suffering one still has an moral a responsibility to help. It's as if seeing a crime in progress, and choosing not to call 911.
Therefore, when you see someone blessed with great wealth do not envy them, for even as they experience material pleasures, they are actually getting further from wisdom. For all material things are illusions, and one whose whole existence is a mirage will never see the truth.