Editing Poverty (section)

===Spirituality===
{{See also|Simple living|Mendicant|Evangelical counsels}}
[[File:50番繁多寺前で托鉢する遍路P1010122.jpg|thumb|right|A Japanese Buddhist pilgrim on [[Takuhatsu|alms round]] (during [[Shikoku Pilgrimage]] in Shikoku, Japan)]]

Among some individuals, poverty is considered a necessary or desirable condition, which must be embraced to reach certain spiritual, moral, or intellectual states. Poverty is often understood to be an essential element of [[nekkhamma|renunciation]] in religions such as [[Buddhism]], [[Hinduism]] (only for monks, not for lay persons) and [[Jainism]], whilst in [[Christian views on poverty and wealth|Christianity]], in particular Roman Catholicism, it is one of the [[evangelical counsels]]. Some Christian communities, such as the [[The Simple Way|Simple Way]], the [[Bruderhof Communities|Bruderhof]], and the [[Amish]] value voluntary poverty;<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.premierchristianity.com/Past-Issues/2019/August-2019/Meet-the-Bruderhof-Our-exclusive-peek-inside-a-modern-Christian-utopia|title=Meet the Bruderhof: Our exclusive peek inside a modern Christian utopia|last=Premier|date=18 July 2019|website=Premier Christianity|language=en-GB|access-date=26 October 2019|archive-date=27 September 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190927121322/https://www.premierchristianity.com/Past-Issues/2019/August-2019/Meet-the-Bruderhof-Our-exclusive-peek-inside-a-modern-Christian-utopia}}</ref> some even take a vow of poverty, similar to that of the traditional Catholic orders, in order to live a more complete life of discipleship.<ref name="Oved 2017">{{cite book | last=Oved | first=Iaácov | title=The witness of the brothers: a history of the Bruderhof | publisher=Routledge | publication-place=London | year=2017 | isbn=978-1-351-47253-1 | oclc=994005958 }}</ref> Another example is [[mendicancy]], where one chooses to rely chiefly or exclusively on [[alms]] to survive. The main aim of giving up things of the materialistic world is to withdraw oneself from sensual pleasures (as they are considered illusionary and only temporary in some religions—such as the concept of [[dunya]] in [[Islam]]).

[[Pope Paul VI]] referred to "the spirit of poverty" as a fundamental characteristic of a Christian life,<ref>Pope Paul VI (1964), [https://www.vatican.va/content/paul-vi/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_p-vi_enc_06081964_ecclesiam.html Ecclesiam Suam], paragraph 54, accessed on 28 August 2024</ref> while Pope [[Benedict XVI]] distinguished between "poverty ''chosen''" (the poverty of spirit proposed by Jesus), and "poverty ''to be fought''" (unjust and imposed poverty).<ref name=Benedict>{{cite news|url=https://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/homilies/2009/documents/hf_ben-xvi_hom_20090101_world-day-peace_en.html|title=World Peace Day Address 2009|publisher=The Vatican|date=1 January 2009|access-date=21 June 2011|archive-date=28 June 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110628185005/http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/homilies/2009/documents/hf_ben-xvi_hom_20090101_world-day-peace_en.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

Voluntary poverty can also be the result of [[solidarity]] with the poor.<ref>{{Cite journal |url=http://wydawnictwoumk.pl/czasopisma/index.php/CJFA/article/view/CJFA.2014.001/3213 |title=Catholic social teaching and social solidarity in the context of social security|journal=Copernican Journal of Finance & Accounting |date=7 April 2014 |volume=3 |issue=1 |pages=9–18 |doi=10.12775/CJFA.2014.001 |access-date=19 December 2014 |archive-date=16 April 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140416181657/http://wydawnictwoumk.pl/czasopisma/index.php/CJFA/article/view/CJFA.2014.001/3213 |url-status=live |last1=Adamiak |first1=Stanisław |last2=Walczak |first2=Damian |doi-access=free }}</ref> Benedict XVI considered that such solidarity is a necessary condition to fight effectively to eradicate the non-voluntary poverty.<ref name=Benedict/>