Interesting thing about this modern day Sadhu is, that he is being doing it since 2000, for past 9 years. He literally lives in a cave, near small town Moab, in Utah. He shares his small cave with insects and other small animals, as he says, it is their place too. They mostly do not harm him and he does not disturb them.
Here is what article has to say about him;
“HE WASN’T ALWAYS THIS WAY. SUELO graduated from the University of Colorado with a degree in anthropology, he thought about becoming a doctor, he held jobs, he had cash and a bank account. In 1987, after several years as an assistant lab technician in Colorado hospitals, he joined the Peace Corps and was posted to an Ecuadoran village high in the Andes. He was charged with monitoring the health of tribes people in the area, teaching first aid and nutrition, and handing out medicine where needed; his proudest achievement was delivering three babies. The tribe had been getting richer for a decade, and during the two years he was there he watched as the villagers began to adopt the economics of modernity. They sold the food from their fields—quinoa, potatoes, corn, lentils—for cash, which they used to purchase things they didn’t need, as Suelo describes it. They bought soda and white flour and refined sugar and noodles and big bags of MSG to flavor the starchy meals. They bought TVs. The more they spent, says Suelo, the more their health declined. He could measure the deterioration on his charts. “It looked,” he says, “like money was impoverishing them.”
Daniel has also lived with Buddhists in Thailand and with Sadhus in India. He could have lived in India among Sadhus and not be so different, but he wanted to try out living here in America, as he claims most materialistic place and see if he can do it.
“I wanted to be a sadhu,” Suelo says. “But 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 and be a sadhu there. To be a vagabond in America, a bum, and make an art of it—the idea enchanted me.”
From the look of way things are going for him this past nine years, I think he can and doing it for so long. He claims he has never gone to bed hungry or any wild animals have troubled him. His cave barely fits one, and will not hold another person or more things. However, he is happy and content. He goes down to Moeb, town walking and uses Library and meets with people.
Daniel has interesting thing in about Gold too;
As he prepares a cooking fire, Suelo tells me that years ago he had a neighbor in the canyon, an alcoholic who lived in a cave bigger than his. The old man would pan for gold in the stream and net enough cash each month to buy the beer that kept him drunk. Suelo considers the riches of our own forage. “What if we saw gold for what it is?” he says meditatively. “Gold is pretty but virtually useless. Somebody decided it has worth, and everybody accepted this decision. The natives in the Americas thought Europeans were insane because of their lust for such a useless yellow substance.”
He is 48, and does not care about 401k or retirement, health issues and dying. Here is what he has to say:
“I’ll do what creatures have been doing for millions of years for retirement,” he says. “Why is it sad that I die in the canyon and not in the geriatric ward well-insured? I have great faith in the power of natural selection. And one day, I will be selected out.”
I admire his guts and lifestyle. It is not for us right now with small kids, but he inspires me to reduce my materialistic ways while still living in house, car, TV and other things that comes with debt. It sure would minimize our impact in environment and world.
Aparently, he blogs, about once a month from nearest library on free blog site.
Check out his following websites;
Zero Currency
Suelo’s Primary website
Did you like the story? Do you think you can live like that or reduce your consumption and maybe debt with it too?
Zengirl
Image source: Denver Post.com
This was a very interesting post, Zengirl. I love reading about these people that live life in their own way without worrying about what other people think. Can’t say I thought much of his website, though. Very cluttered looking, not what I would expect from the mind of such an extreme minimalist!
.-= Betsy Bargain´s last blog ..Home Green Home =-.
To answer your question, yes. People can live without money. The Buddhist monks, solitary nuns, hermits and other secluded monasteries do it all the time. And though life is interesting to experience through their eyes, it’s not for everyone. Though, it would be a great escape from reality to live like a hermit even for just a week.
Betsy,
To voluntarily live without money and live on his own way is amazing. Don’t dismissed his cluttered look on his primary website, it has load of information and articles on everything related to what he is doing and why. I am not sure if he is minimalist or just does not care about money!
Megan,
Thanks for stopping by and commenting here. You are right, many Buddhist Monks, Indian Sadhus, Hermits are doing it in other countries and I am sure it is bit harder to do it in America, symbolism of consumerism. Closest to I came living without it, ditched my credit card 🙂 I do admire the gut and live life on his way, with nature and without money.
.-= ZenGirl´s last blog ..Surviving without money possible? =-.
Zengirl,
Wow, I did not know such people existed. I would not like to surely live in a cave. But Good for him, if he wants to do it. Interesting story, for sure. Thanks for sharing.
.-= Mgirl´s last blog ..How to make money ideas =-.
Mgirl,
There are many types of people in our world, while we may not have to live like them, we all should have choice to do what we like. Living in a cave is not for most people but that does not mean we should look frown on people who are different from us. I am sure that was not your intent.
Zengirl,
I am sorry, if I comment came off bit awkward. It surely was not my intent at all. I can not imagine this lifestyle hence the response.
.-= Mgirl´s last blog ..How to make money ideas =-.
Mgirl,
No problem, and do not worry, I did not think your intent was bad at all. We are all different people and have our own ways of doing things. Certain things may not be for everyone, living in cave is not possible for most of us, but early humans have done it, as it was the only way then.
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