Money and Spirituality

You may relate the term "vision quest" to a Native American ceremony. You may have noticed that there are a lot of workshops, seminars and new age gurus selling a vision quest retreat or experience or including a vision quest as part of their program. You may have noticed that some of these programs cost a lot of money. But did you know that authentic Native American practitioners do not charge money for their ceremonies and teaching?

That being the case, what is the difference between a high priced workshop and the "real thing"? If you bought one of these experiences, here is what you should know for certain:

The promoter was successful in persuading you to part with your money.

There was competition for your money, you likely shopped and compared at some point and the promoter won the competition.

You had some expectation as to what you would get for your money.

The promoter convinced you that your expectations would be met.

The money was very important to the promoter. Otherwise, the program would have cost less or been provided free or supported by donations or other means.

The more the promoter charges, the more importance he or she places on money.

So, what does this say about your experience? Nothing! Money is neither evil or the root of evil. Compromise, however, is. When money is highly important, there is a great temptation to make compromises for the sake of money. One such temptation is copying or imitating Spiritual practices of Native Americans without understanding either the form or function of the practice. The Native Americans conduct their ceremonies and practices the way they do for a reason, and they have been performing and refining their practices for a very long time.

But wait, weren't Native American medicine men compensated for their work through barter for food, skins, tools, horses, etc.? Now we live in an economic society where money is the medium of exchange, rather than food, skins and horses. So, is it not appropriate for the teacher to receive money as an "energy exchange". This is a reasonable sounding argument, perhaps a valid one.

However, in those tribal societies, the elderly and injured were cared for by the collective, the accumulation of wealth was limited and the exploiting of individuals by the more powerful was highly restricted. In our modern economic society, the sick and elderly are not cared for unless they can pay, the hungry are not fed unless they can pay, wealth is hoarded by the few and the vulnerable are generally exploited. Our economic society is seriously flawed in its lack of compassion, its lack of a sense of "connectedness" and its emphasis on acquiring and hoarding wealth and resources.

It is the disconnection from Spirit that creates this situation that is at issue here. The Native Americans who do not charge money for their sacred ceremonies simply do not choose to allow the Spiritual corruption of the economic society into their sacred space.

There is also the issue of "being real". A friend, a Native American elder, when to her medical doctor. He introduced himself and proceeded to compare himself to a medicine man. His intent was to try to establish a rapport through the association, but he came off as a bit patronizing. She looked him straight in the eyes and said quite emphatically: "You ain't no medicine man. Our medicine men heal people, and if they don't we kill them!" One wonders how many new age guru promoters would be still standing if that standard was applied. A man who does not talk to God cannot introduce you to him, but he may be charismatic and shrewd enough to convince you that he can.

Spirituality and religion are often thought of as intangibles. But they are only intangible to those who have not personally experienced a connection with the Infinite. Many dogmas and religions restrict individuals from seeking this direct connection. Others, like Gnosticism and the Native American paths encourage making this connection.

Another perspective can be found in some of the programs that operate with an economic model. Michael Harner is an anthropologist who has studied and practiced shamanic philosophies and methods. His organization, The Foundation for Shamanic Studies trains individuals and professionals in shamanic practices. The participants are charged a fee and they, in turn, charge their clients a fee. While this practice is not in keeping with Native American traditions, the economic aspect of the operation provides resources that enable the organization to conduct research and support and preserve shamanic knowledge and practice that would otherwise be lost. There are other organizations and individuals that operate and contribute in a similar manner.

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