Monday, September 1, 2014

Giving and Receiving or Profiteering


I have a problem for which I need your and guidance?
As you know from my teachings, I do not agree with the concept of money and everything it stands for and represents. The idea of putting monetary value on living processes, like trees, animal furs and human beings labor, makes me sick to my stomach.

And yet I have a gift a vision that I have developed my whole life and a great need to share with humanity. My dilemma is if I continue to teach in this monetary based western world I have to use money.

I could just drop out of this society and go and live off the land as my heart desires and join the rest of the voiceless ones or I could stay here to make a difference where it really matters.

As you can imagine I am constantly torn between being true to myself and helping others to awaken to what is happening in our world and teaching them how to change it.

Up until now I have done whatever work I can to further my teachings - teaching, printing, working on boats to make money to be able to give my teachings to others for free. 

When I wrote my first book I gave it away for free. I then put it on Amazon for those who might not have got it for free but might want access to it with a nominal charge. I have not spent any time promoting it because of the money thing; although it is in my signature on most posts. I have spent my life freely teaching others, one on one, on my face-book page and blogging. And I honestly think that is the way it should be. We need to live in a giving and receiving world but we don’t.
We are trained by the system, to only take. This ownership society has stolen our access to land, food, water, knowledge and wisdom and sells it to us at a price; it is keeping us hostage so we perpetuate the system. The mechanism is called “business” so it is justified: “It is only business!”

It is the transition from a taking to a giving and receiving world that is in question here.

I am not saying you must not read my posts and take from them whatever you can, that is their purpose and my gift to you, and you honor me by receiving it. These are the gifts of wisdom, told in the stories by the elders, to the tribal children. The elders are the givers of the wisdom, the children the receivers; who live their lives by that wisdom only to become the elders who hand on the gifts.

If I am to live in this western world and pay the rent and buy the food and use technology and use paid venues to teach I cannot do it without money. This is the dilemma of the voiceless ones. They do not have access to money and the technology to be heard.

From what I can see; I have a few choices here.
1. I can continue to do as I am working for a period of time in the capitalistic system to make money so I can teach others for free in my time off.
2. Ask people to make donations for a world altering cause.
3. Get people to donate money to go through courses I teach and make that my full time way of life and be more productive at it. Letting them decide what others are charging and what they can afford to give to this incredibly important world altering cause.
4. Or seek out those who are willing to donate so others might learn for free.

It is interesting though. I have watched people who charge donations being given a lot less than those who charge set fees although their needs are no different. There seems to be a culture of devaluing people who do things for others for free and valuing those who charge a lot. The disease is so ingrained we do not even question it.

My question to you is do I compromise myself and my teachings, for the short term situation I find myself having to teach in, by charging or do I continue to do what I am doing? I suppose either way I am compromising my authentic self. Or do I just go back to the land and become the unheard, a voiceless one who is abused by the capitalistic/imperialistic ownership system; which is based on money and is killing our world?

What would you do? Remembering I do not take this lightly.

Please comment below and share this so I can get as much feedback as I can.

Have a great day!
Denis Moore