rsbob 

You nailed it! Its about “attachment” to anything and anyone, including Buddhism itself. It especially includes desires.

baj32161

Well, you could have asked.

tomato coupe

I think he just did.

Koyote

Umm, I did ask.

I'm genuinely interested in your answer.

xroadcharlie

Actually I have known some very rich people, and still do that are far more grounded then some of my acquaintances that are average or are barely getting by.

One owned a large local Marine, a local Bar and more. He is also one of the most grounded and hard working people I know. My old neighbor who owned a Garage Door business was absolutely the best.

And an old friend from school operated a very successful auto Garage, retired now and is at his winter home in Florida. One of the most respectable people I know. Who just happens to be an avid cyclist. And yes, he has a very expensive bicycle.

SoSmellyAir

I had not thought of these two possibilities, but I venture that OP was referring neither to an inability / restriction to take flight, nor to an ability to absorb an electric discharge / surge.

Now reading scholarly debate about the translation from the Chinese text, which itself may be derived from Sanskrit.

Fredo76

People in my town are very down-to-earth, which is the expression I sometimes use for grounded. About 25 miles away are two towns inhabited by more than their share of ego-maniacs. I feel more comfortable in Espańola. Poor can be relative, to others here or there, to past experience, to expectations of oneself or others. My wife and I are aware of how blessed we are, and how things are harder than they used to be. One can also be rich or poor with respect to things other than money.

rsbob 

The most generous, welcoming and friendly people I have met were in rural Mexico and S Africa. It seems the less people have, the more willing they are to share and care. Friendship and good will are their riches. One would think it would be the exact opposite. I won’t comment on some, not all, the wealthy people I have met here.

Troul 

the sad truth of those that dpnt have much money but are willing to share/help is that they often get used & ruin a good soul.

choddo

This is not my experience. Not all cultures are as individualistic as certain areas of the US

Trakhak

Them that's got shall get/Them that's not shall lose
So the Bible said/And it still is news.

Koyote

I've been thinking a bit about this thread while logging base miles. My wife and I are relatively affluent, and I think that has helped us to be "grounded" in the sense that matters to us. Having money makes it easier to live out our values: to help (financially) our young adult child and other family members as we feel is appropriate, to donate >$10,000 per year to 501(c)(3) non-profits that reflect our values, and for me to retire young and spend a significant amount of my time engaging with my community -- mostly through volunteer work for a few organizations that serve less-advantaged populations.

Having money allows our ethics (or call them morals, whatever you like) to be at the forefront. At least a few times, in our work settings, we've each essentially told a superior, "If you want me to do that, I'm done." Granted, it's easier to say that in our line of work, when giving up a higher-paying administrative position merely means going back to a well-paid faculty position. But the money allows us to be guided by our values -- not by others' demands.

My bikes -- their cost, newness, fanciness, etc -- don't even enter my mind when I think about the meaning of "grounded."

Troul 

it's on an individualistic level that this happens, not within a cultural community.

tomato coupe

I'm guessing you're referring to Santa Fe and Taos?

ScottCommutes

To paraphrase Spider-man - "With great wealth comes great responsibility".

indyfabz

I caught "When We Were Kings" again on TCM yesterday evening. At one point, Ali talks about how, unlike in America, the people of Zaire generally showed dignity, in their poverty.

Great film, if you have never seen it. You don't have to be a boxing fan to enjoy it.

Koyote

I am not a fan of boxing… More of an anti-fan, really. But that is a great film. For those who haven't seen it, it's useful to know that, while there is boxing in the film, it's not really about boxing.

Fredo76

I was referring to Santa Fe and Los Alamos.

tomato coupe

Santa Fe is one of our favorite cities -- we visit it several times a year.

RChung

Getting back to cycling, I'm an academic so I'm not poor but I'm poorish -- so I've had to figure out ways to become a faster rider not by buying stuff but by figuring stuff out. That said, when I broke a tooth last year, I was able to pay for the dentist, and that wasn't true when I was in my 20's and 30's, when I wasn't just poorish, I was poor. Being poor sucks.

Jughed

Academics are the reason for my “poor” state at this moment!!

2 kids in college - 130k per year++, and one more on his way in a few years.

Thats a bunch of “fast” bike parts and teeth fixin’.

RChung

Yeah, our youngest is a HS senior and waiting to find out where she'll be next fall. I'd just like to emphasize that those high tuition fees ain't going to us.

choddo

Christ almighty your education system is expensive (albeit I was blown away by the Stanford campus when I had a walk around it a couple of years back). That would be about 50-60k USD for 2 students in the UK even at Oxford or Cambridge and depending on family income, 10k-20k per student is a deferred loan with repayments based on future income level. In Scotland, higher education is still free. Apart from accommodation/living costs of course.

What you are spending there is about 3x the median household income here.

Jughed

Yep, its costly. And no - I'm not footing the majority of those bills, but they are still keeping me "poor!!".

Daughter A - 85k per year all in - room, board, food, tuition... small private "art" school. 5 year masters program. 40k per year scholarship takes a big chunk, family money takes a chunk, then we pay a chunk.
Daughter B - 55k per year for a state school, in a different state so the prices are inflated. Same as above, scholarship, family money...

Daughter B declined to apply for Ivy League schools. She is qualified but didn't want the stress. She may go on to Whorton @ U-Penn (Ivy league) for her MBA - $122k++ per year. She did apply to St Andrews in Scotland as a long shot school - that would have cost us plenty!!!! 80k++ per year plus all the travel costs.

PeteHski

Overseas students are hit hard with the full fees. It’s much cheaper for the locals.