Higher Attainments are Accompanied by Greater Blessings
It's more or less the same with our spiritual development. When we reach a superior level, we have access to finer things. Anything we want will be superior. In fact, anything we get will be top-quality; even if we get it effortlessly, it'll be something excellent. Before we reach a higher level in spiritual practice, however, even if we carefully and painstakingly strive to get something good, we can't get it. Instead, we often get awful things.For example, there're destitute people and rich people in this world. No matter how hard a poor person tries, he can't save much money. No matter how he craves to wear beautiful, elegant clothes, he can't get any. Or perhaps he wants to eat tasty food and use exquisite cutlery, but he has none. However, a king or wealthy person only needs to open his cupboard and reach inside with his eyes closed, and he'll get some very fine cups or cutlery. Everything in his home is nice; he can't possibly lay his hands on anything that isn't nice. On the other hand, no matter how painstakingly and deliberately a poor man wants to get something nice in his house, he can't because there's nothing nice in his house in the first place.
Thus, people who don't practice spiritually always desire a lot of things. The less they practice, the more difficult life becomes, and the more they crave to get good things. All day long they pray for all kinds of things, wanting this or that, but getting none of them. It's because they live in a "poor family"; how can they possibly find anything good or elegant? Perhaps you may respond, "Although he's very poor, there could be one precious object in his home, or an antique left by his ancestors. Good! But even if this is true, there can only be one or two such objects. It's impossible that his home is full of precious objects. If all the things in his home are treasures, then his is not a poor family.
In the same sense, people who don't practice spiritually may sometimes get a good thing after they pray, but this won't happen often. Conversely, even without praying, spiritual practitioners live a comfortable life that's good in every respect, and they often get nice things. The higher their spiritual level, the more precious and excellent the things they will get will be.
