What would you suggest I do? Give everything away and walk the streets? The Buddhist says, 'Get rid of the possessions of the mind.' Walking away from all the money would not accomplish that. It's like the Beatles. I couldn't walk away from the Beatles. That's one possession that's still tagging along, right?
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- The speaker debates how to achieve spiritual freedom, noting that giving up material wealth does not remove internal attachments like fame.
- In plain terms
- Leaving money behind doesn't mean you've let go of your past success.
- What can you take from it?
- True detachment requires letting go of identity, not just things.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- What are your mental possessions?
- Can you be free while successful?
Another view
It conflates financial wealth with spiritual possessions.
More from John Lennon
In England, there are only two things to be, basically: You are either for the labor movement or for the capitalist movement. Either you become a right-wing Ar…
Permalink to quote #28 It takes time to get rid of all this garbage that I've been carrying around that was influencing the way I thought and the way I lived. It had a lot to do with…
Permalink to quote #30 I've had cocaine, but I don't like it. The Beatles had lots of it in their day, but it's a dumb drug, because you have to have another one 20 minutes later. Yo…
Permalink to quote #27
Related quotes
Fame is but a fruit tree- so very unsound. It can never flourish 'till its stock is in the ground.
Nick DrakeNick Drake quote #2 In order to achieve anything, you must be brave enough to fail.
Kirk DouglasKirk Douglas quote #1 The greatest works of admiration, And all the fair examples of renown. Out of distress and misery are grown.
Samuel DanielSamuel Daniel quote #1