Ask: (#1) Why do you and other teachers charge money?

(This article is the first of four in a dialogue with the same questioner that will be published here today and through the next 3 weeks).
“I would really like to know why all spiritual teachers I've come across including yourself ask for money in return for teaching people about God. No one has ever answered me this question, so please answer me. Why are you making the Truth corporate? Jesus didn't ask for money or anything in return to teach people about God.” – KR

I cannot speak for others, but I offer a service that no one needs but that some may want. Obviously God (True Being) is in every mind so no one needs me to bring God to them. But some want to grow their awareness of God and I offer assistance with that. And just as everyone brings to their work, I offer my time, energy, attention, education, and experience. I ask for money in exchange for all of this because money is required to exchange for things that facilitate living in the world. So my business is just a business like any other. It is not somehow “special” just because the services I offer are of a spiritual nature. My services are intended to point people inward toward Truth if they are open to It. But like all form it is not Truth itself.
I do not claim to be Jesus or even like Jesus. I cannot speak to His motivations because of course there are as many Jesus’s as there are people who think about Him! What someone tells you they see in Jesus tells you about them and nothing about Jesus.
            Please look to see if you are giving absolute-moral meaning to money or the earning of money. Like all form, money and the earning of money has no meaning in itself. Any meaning that you see you give to it. And giving absolute-moral meaning to things in the world comes from the belief that guilt is real and that you will be punished. Behind this is a belief that there is a god outside of you who decrees an absolute morality that you must follow in the world or be punished. Of course, this god does not exist. It is a construct of the ego meant to hold guilt and the ego in your mind. But believing in this god is the source of guilt and fear. This belief is what you must undo with the Holy Spirit to be at peace.

 >>>>>
Learn about the books The ACIM Mentor Articles, The Plain Language A Course in Miracles, 4 Habits for Inner Peace, and Releasing Guilt for Inner Peace at www.acimmentor.com.
If you have a question the answer to which you think will help others send it to Liz@acimmentor.com and indicate that you want it answered in the ACIM Mentor Newsletter/Blog.

Comments

Jeremy Finkeldey said…
I lead three Course groups. We don't 'charge money' but we do have a basket out for cash so that the groups can be self-supporting, pay rent, buy coffee, books, etc. I think teachers who charge money are doing it for the same reason anyone gets paid for what they do - for survival basics - shelter, water, energy, and food. How could they keep teaching if they die of exposure, thirst, extreme weather, and starvation.
12:39 PM
Jeremy Finkeldey said…
And, let's not forget the whole section in the back of the book on "The Question of Payment" which says, "Even an advanced therapist has some earthly needs while he is here. Should he need money it will be given him, not in payment, but to help him better serve the plan. Money is not evil. It is nothing." (ACIM, Psychotherapy-3.III.1:3-6)
2:22 PM
www.traveltabloid.co.uk said…
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
12:23 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Committed to the Spiritual Process

If you’ve been reading my blog/newsletter for the past few weeks then you know significant things have occurred in the life of this mind. Four years ago the ego (personal thought system) fell away. I didn’t realize it fully and I spent three and a half years personally in a rather barren place in this mind, though there was peace in the rest of my mind. I did feel done with the world, but I didn’t know what that meant. I just stayed with the feeling, wondering what would come next. The next thing arrived in this mind last summer with a subtle shift from emptiness to a delicious Spaciousness. This was followed by beautiful Golden Light, Love, and Joy filling the Space. Bewilderingly, an effect of this was a romance novel! From there, the Light and the shifts continued. During this time a client in Australia whom I have called Zelda in these articles, but whose real name is Hannah, became a friend as well. We grew closer over several months and began to experience a lot of sync...
Read more

Ask: What is meant by "extend Love"?

I wonder exactly what is meant by "extend love" or how one extends love. Is it a loving intention toward the person, or a wish for them, or what? Can you give an example? – JO “Extending love” means replacing unloving thoughts in your mind with the awareness of Love in your mind. For example, your peace of mind is disturbed while watching something on television. Your peace is gone because you believe that what you see is reality. You extend Love in this situation by turning inward to Truth (God), feeling Love’s Presence within you, and remembering that It, not the images appearing, is What is Real. It may take you a while to accept that only your own thoughts cause you pain. So at first you may feel that you need to extend Love “out there” to the images that seem to be causing you pain. Or you may extend Love to another who is sharing their painful story with you. You can do this by imagining the situation or the person in a Loving Light. Or you may use some other image to ...
Read more

Evolving Practice with ACIM

           The Course was dictated to two who had a sense of Spirit working in their lives. After all, they were taking down the Course itself! The Universal Christ Mind sought to develop and grow their awareness of Spirit through the lessons in the Workbook as well as simply in discussion with them, privately and through the Course . And for those who find the Course and already have an awareness of Spirit, even if only dimly, the Course functions in the same way. Through the practice suggested, they develop their trust in Spirit. But for many who come to the Course , the discernment of Spirit within has not yet occurred. For them, practice is the means of opening to the awareness and experience of Spirit. Those who do not understand this often feel frustrated and even angry with the Course for suggesting that they should be having experiences that they do not yet have. They feel that they fall short when they read the instructions and descriptions ...
Read more