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BLOGS
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Thursday, January 26, 2012
The Value of Spirituality
M. Chidi Asika-Enahoro
Everything is energy. Spirituality is energy. Money has its own energy. Our relationships to things carry their own
energies. How does one receive spiritual awakening? What monetary value is appropriate for the experience? Where
do we draw the line between giving in gratitude because we can afford to and giving in gratitude when we cannot afford
it? What is wrong with availing oneself of early bird specials or discounts and not choosing to pay the higher price?
Why offer the option if it creates bad vibration? Isn’t that entrapment?
What are the ethics of volunteerism? Is it better to volunteer in anticipation of
heavenly rewards, or is it better to volunteer for work experience than to volunteer for discounts? To me it’s a personal
choice and depends on what one is looking for in life. Neither choice is wrong because there is still a gain albeit the first
two choices pay more because no amount of discount can compensate for the cost, efforts and time necessary to volunteer effectively.
Work experience is very valuable because it can be utilized abundantly while heavenly rewards have no rival.
I’ve been asked these questions at one time or other and
have rustled with what is truly a valid answer. Some say that if you have questions about paying for spiritual things, you
have issues with money. We all have our priorities and cannot judge what others spend their time and money
on, whether they appear frivolous or frugal. Things are not always, what they seem. Some spend what they
cannot afford to conform to the ideology that they have no attachment to money, in anticipation of future heavenly abundance.Whatever works for anyone is okay, even in an extreme situation.
Some people are givers while others are takers. Neither one is better than the other
is. I am a giver and used to give to a fault. When I was younger and working for the State of Florida,
I was the consummate volunteer. I volunteered for everything, spending my own money to travel and do free
presentations. I gave to the communities, friends and family to the detriment of my nuclear family. As a Mental Health Counselor, I would counsel family and friends free for hours
on end. Some of them would tell me that I ought to charge them but I would wave it off and not charge for
my services. When we opened our own business, I would often not charge clients and even give money to clients with financial
problems.
My husband, Victor is a business man with an MBA in Marketing and International
Business. He indulged me a lot but would sometimes tell me, “you have to be rich to be a Philanthropist, we have bills
to pay.” As an Author, I’ve given away more books and services (such as free lectures), than
I have sold.So, what is my problem as such
a giver? Do I have low self worth? Not in the least. Do I feel that my time and efforts are worthless? No, in fact I value
myself very highly, I just enjoy giving. One day, after offering residence to a distraught friend, her happiness and relief
were palpable and I was smiling as Ritchie, (my 20 year old son) walked into my room. He asked what was
up and I told him: It gives me joy to see others happy. He rolled his eyes as if to say, here she goes again. After explaining
what I did, without consulting my family first, he said, “Mommy, who does that, Really? You can’t just go around
giving our things away and inviting people to move in with us all Willy Nelly.”
I am currently working on opening yet another business and I was toying with the
idea of not charging a fixed fee. I was going to make it a “pay what you want” style. Victor
already told me “we are not running a free business, we have bills to pay.” Recently, I read about the Nun Karma
and figured out that I must have taken a vow of poverty some lifetime away and must be keeping to that vow by giving and not
taking. I realize that I have to take in to be able to give out, otherwise, I am not doing myself, (not
to mention my family) a service.
Being
a giver is as much a problem as being a taker. Just taking is what landed man where he is today, according
to Kabala. In life, there has to be an equitable exchange of energy or one is corrupted. We can start measuring with a simple
breathing process; one must breathe in, to be able to release. If I continue sucking in air and not breathing
out, I’ll blow my lungs out. If I continue to release air and not breathe in, I will be out of breathe.
Either result can be catastrophic. I
have also realized that as much as I may want to be nice and give without asking for anything in return, I am actually doing
harm to the receiver by denying them their right to reciprocate according to the universal law of give and take.
Tithe is a form of gratitude donation
or contribution. I feel that it should not be tasked and levied with specific amounts. Because, that makes
those who do not have enough money feel inferior and less deserving of heavenly abundance. The Catholic
Church takes gratitude donations but never set a price and those who cannot afford to give, do not feel ridiculed. The Catholic
Church is the richest ministry on record and has more members than other denominations put together. Yes, I am aware they
have their problems in other areas; in fact as do other religions.
The ascended Masters and Teachers like Jesus Christ, St, Germaine,
Guan Yin, Buddha, Mother Theresa and many more provided their services to humanity free of charge. It could not be the sign
of the times because they still had need for incomes for bills. One thing is for sure, they did not live in a lap of luxury.
In fact some of them gave away their wealth and worldly goods. Another common denominator is that they were all single without
encumbrances and family responsibility. They practiced the ultimate oneness and took everyone as their family without
exception.
So, does that mean
that one needs to be single and unencumbered to serve the Lord effectively? I guess that’s the idea of the priesthood,
nunnery and monasteries. There is no one clear-cut answer on spirituality and life except for the fact that there is one Divine
Source. What we each make of it and how we serve that notion is our individual cross to bear.
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