Having & not having are the same

Sakyamuni Buddha taught that “having and not-having are the same”: in either state, our inability to escape from suffering is unchanged. Whatever possessions and power we may obtain—even if we rocket off to outer space—unless we face the root cause of suffering, and unless this cause is eradicated, we can never set down life’s burdens. (from the book, You Were Born For A Reason by Kentetsu Takamori)