Could we start a list of retreats and workshops?

[DreamBliss]

Good point. I´d venture that for many the spiritual journey passes through a voluntary-poverty-teach-for-nothing cul de sac before hitting the I-charge-cause-I´m-bloody-well-worth-it highway. Teachers who have worked through their money issues don´t struggle with finances precisely because they charge what they need to for their time and people pay it.

 

Liminal

 

(I feel the need to soften this a little. For the record, I wish things were cheaper too. And if someone wants to offer something for free or at low cost I think that´s as valid a choice as any other. So I´ll leave my original post as it stands but imagine it taken down a notch or two. Basically I just want to say that I don´t buy the oft-expressed sentiment that spiritual teachings shouldn´t cost money.)

 

To my mind it is very simple. If you are a truly spiritually developed person, you never need to worry about money, because it always comes to you. Money, resources, whatever you need. It is precisely because you are spiritually minded and have no blocks in your mind about finances that this is so.

 

I often read Wayne Dyer saying how this is precisely how things work in his life. Same for Louis Hay. Maybe they are not telling the truth. But I do not think this is the case. They are successful and have no financial issues because they have developed enough spiritually where such things are not a problem.

 

Same for Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev. He travels all over the world, has built a few special structures, and has no job that I am aware of. How does he pay for all of this?

 

To my mind a truly spiritually developed person does not worry about getting paid properly for their work, because their mind is beyond that kind of thinking. They have some knowing that whatever they call God will take care of them.

 

I don't know how to describe this state, because I am not in it. I admit I still have limiting thoughts, especially when it comes to money. This was how I was raised. I have to completely reprogram myself and change my way of thinking. But I still live with the people who programmed me this way in the first place. I am still inundated with worries about money. But I can clearly see a place, a state, where I am doing what I love to do, doing what I enjoy, doing what interests me, and there is no need to worry about money. I can freely help others. I know that I am provided for. Read about Jesus in the Bible. Did he charge people money to raise them from the dead, cast demons out, or heal their bodies?

 

It is a societal issue, especially here in America. Nothing is offered freely because of pervasive beliefs like, "There is no such thing as a free lunch."Everyone is out to get theirs. Everyone feels entitled if they have anything to offer that anyone may be interested in.

 

I predict that as long as people in America and elsewhere in the world keep thinking that way humanity as a whole will never grow and evolve spiritually, and we will be stuck in dual-minded, materialistic ways of thinking. This way of thinking is excluding. In essence, anyone who does not have money can not get away, receive quality teaching, recharge their spiritual batteries, , and grow spiritually. They can not receive quality direction and guidance. Not only can they not receive these things, they can't pass on the benefit of these things to others.

 

Imagine if everyone, no matter their financial situation, could go off somewhere, receive quality teaching, recharge, grow spiritually, and come back, exuding the energy of all their positive experiences to their family, friends, and loved ones! But this is not what we see. Everyone is in their own little bubble. People are left to whatever faith they grew up with, having not even an inkling of anything that may be better. So our society as a whole suffers, our race suffers. All because so-called spiritually minded people simply can't see beyond the limitations of what they feel they deserve, or are owed, or what's theirs, etc.

 

I just wish someone understood this. This thread has left me heart-broken and feeling like I am not being taken seriously. That I am not supported. Why only $200.00? Because that was the most I knew, for sure, I had any chance at all of raising, in some way or other, in a month or two. As I have said before, elsewhere. I get paid little-nothing for my work. I have no employment. I have practiced what I preach, offered my teachings and services for free, but my limitation mindset constantly bites me in the ass. Nobody has donated a cent to my work. But I still refuse to charge. I still am acting on faith, and will continue to do so. That is how much I believe in this.

 

For now I am giving up on this. I guess I am left alone, as usual, to my own devices. I guess I am not going to get any time away to heal and recover. So be it.

 

BaguaKicksAss

Thank you for the links and continuing help. I do understand where you are coming from with your earlier post.

Edited May 16, 2014 by DreamBliss

[liminal_luke]

DreamBliss,

 

I may have, admittedly, come off as a bit of a hard-ass with my last posting, but it seems to me you got quite a few good suggestions from others. You don´t think so? So why so heart-broken? Please don´t let my rant stop you from getting the spiritual nourishment you´re looking for.

 

Perhaps the Beatles are apropo here: "You can´t always get what you want, but if you try sometime you just might find...you get what you need."

 

Liminal

[C T]

Perhaps there are some hang-ups in the West regarding offering donations, hence the rife belief around having to pay one's way, regardless. It can be quite a cold scenario. Also, the suspicious, doubting minds that tend to remain stiff in the belief that free things are, without exception, to be suspect, and usually turn out to be rubbish. Im not saying its a bad thing... in the final analysis, its neither good nor bad, just part of the fabric of the Western pysche. In some ways, there are some advantages to this... for one, its less messy, karmically speaking, and two, it discourages dependency, and thirdly, it offers regenerative/regulatory bodies the right to impose some kind of control, albeit not as tight as wished, over ethical considerations and best practice standards. Plus, there is always the matter of income tax, aha!! Uncle Sam's fingers have to be in every pie, after all.

 

In the East, its taboo to charge for religious or spiritual guidance. Without exception, these are to be sought in temples, mosques, churches and monasteries, most of which are quite well endowed and grand in structure. Besides receiving punitive governmental grants, most of these places of worship thrive on public generosity, often with the backing of wealthy benefactors who regularly donate large sums as a kind of 'spiritual bribery' to seek the favours of the gods that they continuously bestow blessings of good health, family unity, prosperity, assurance of the perpetuity of the family line, in other words, that sons are born to ensure that the family name goes on and on, and finally, either a safe passage to heaven, or a good rebirth. To Asians, generally speaking, this is as far as spiritual duties go.

 

Asians are more pragmatic in some sense, for example, among the Chinese folks, as long as one's customary (religious/spiritual) duties are observed and done accordingly, there is no need to fret over anything in particular, its a given that blessings will come. With this ongoing, annual religious festivals are then seen as opportune moments to 'repay' the gods for another year of being watched over with great kindness. Its a very simple exchange, most of the time.

 

Any guidance that fall outside of these institutions are not really seen as 'religio-spiritual' in nature, and those that offer such, away from said institutions, can and do charge for their services, for example, all forms of martial arts, astrology, palmistry, seances, exorcisms, healing, feng shui etc. Naturally, there are some in these categories who also offer their services for free, usually the really good, reputable ones, as they too, like their 'religious' cousins, enjoy their fair share of benefactors as well.

 

Asian people expect that their religious and spiritual elders are well looked after. There is a lot of mutual generosity happening there, and why not, the more abundant one's blessings, the more generous one becomes. Westerners, not so much, i think. The mutual relationship is not so obvious, due to differing beliefs, i guess.

[BaguaKicksAss]

Wayne Dyer workshop in a venue which seats a few thousand people; $300 per person. I see why he has no money issues http://www.hayhouse.com/i-can-do-it-2014-vancouver-full-conference-pass

[DreamBliss]

Yeah, I have to admit that I am a little disappointed in the guy. Why not throw out Hay House after any contract he may have has been satisfied, and go independent, helping people freely? I mean if things are as he says, and his needs are always met, because his mindset is right, well why not prove it?

 

So I am a little suspect of Mr. Dyer and Louise Hay as well as the rest of the Hay House bunch. But I still see the man as a sort fo spiritual role model.

 

C T

That was a very insightful post, thank you!

 

liminal_luke

Its OK. You have a right to be as you are, and feel what you feel. It is up to me to choose my perception of what you say, and my response to it.

 

Yes some good suggestions have been provided, but nothing that speaks to me right now or seems feasible. Trying to keep it local and inexpensive. Not too sure about communing with faeries, although I have always thought elves with their pointy ears were kind of hot...

 

... and don't get me started about girls with tails. What is it about tails anyway?

 

Edited May 16, 2014 by DreamBliss

[GrandmasterP]

 

To my mind it is very simple. If you are a truly spiritually developed person, you never need to worry about money, because it always comes to you. Money, resources, whatever you need. It is precisely because you are spiritually minded and have no blocks in your mind about finances that this is so.

 

I often read Wayne Dyer saying how this is precisely how things work in his life. Same for Louis Hay. Maybe they are not telling the truth. But I do not think this is the case. They are successful and have no financial issues because they have developed enough spiritually where such things are not a problem.

 

Same for Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev. He travels all over the world, has built a few special structures, and has no job that I am aware of. How does he pay for all of this?

 

To my mind a truly spiritually developed person does not worry about getting paid properly for their work, because their mind is beyond that kind of thinking. They have some knowing that whatever they call God will take care of them.

 

I don't know how to describe this state, because I am not in it. I admit I still have limiting thoughts, especially when it comes to money. This was how I was raised. I have to completely reprogram myself and change my way of thinking. But I still live with the people who programmed me this way in the first place. I am still inundated with worries about money. But I can clearly see a place, a state, where I am doing what I love to do, doing what I enjoy, doing what interests me, and there is no need to worry about money. I can freely help others. I know that I am provided for. Read about Jesus in the Bible. Did he charge people money to raise them from the dead, cast demons out, or heal their bodies?

 

It is a societal issue, especially here in America. Nothing is offered freely because of pervasive beliefs like, "There is no such thing as a free lunch."Everyone is out to get theirs. Everyone feels entitled if they have anything to offer that anyone may be interested in.

 

I predict that as long as people in America and elsewhere in the world keep thinking that way humanity as a whole will never grow and evolve spiritually, and we will be stuck in dual-minded, materialistic ways of thinking. This way of thinking is excluding. In essence, anyone who does not have money can not get away, receive quality teaching, recharge their spiritual batteries, , and grow spiritually. They can not receive quality direction and guidance. Not only can they not receive these things, they can't pass on the benefit of these things to others.

 

Imagine if everyone, no matter their financial situation, could go off somewhere, receive quality teaching, recharge, grow spiritually, and come back, exuding the energy of all their positive experiences to their family, friends, and loved ones! But this is not what we see. Everyone is in their own little bubble. People are left to whatever faith they grew up with, having not even an inkling of anything that may be better. So our society as a whole suffers, our race suffers. All because so-called spiritually minded people simply can't see beyond the limitations of what they feel they deserve, or are owed, or what's theirs, etc.

 

I just wish someone understood this. This thread has left me heart-broken and feeling like I am not being taken seriously. That I am not supported. Why only $200.00? Because that was the most I knew, for sure, I had any chance at all of raising, in some way or other, in a month or two. As I have said before, elsewhere. I get paid little-nothing for my work. I have no employment. I have practiced what I preach, offered my teachings and services for free, but my limitation mindset constantly bites me in the ass. Nobody has donated a cent to my work. But I still refuse to charge. I still am acting on faith, and will continue to do so. That is how much I believe in this.

 

For now I am giving up on this. I guess I am left alone, as usual, to my own devices. I guess I am not going to get any time away to heal and recover. So be it.

 

http://thetaobums.com/user/99572-baguakicksass/]BaguaKicksAss[/url]

Thank you for the links and continuing help. I do understand where you are coming from with your earlier post.

Spot on.

The old time mediums had a saying that..

" If spirit wants you to work for spirit then spirit will keep you fed."

I don't begrudge anybody getting an honest living but there are some right greedy feckers out there fleecing the gullible.

Edited May 16, 2014 by GrandmasterP