Charging for Spiritual Work

There are historical spiritual figures on this planet that modern people refer to frequently. There may have been a Jesus Christ; born in Nazereth, a Siddhartha Buddha; born in India, Mohammad; husband of Khadija; Seal Of the Prophets, born somewhere in the Middle East. The list goes on and on. People refer to angels and other beings of “light”. There are many references to the Ascended Masters. When it comes to the average human, there is a great struggle inside our hearts. We wrestle with illusions and inflated egos and selfish pursuits, jealousy and other realms of thought and feeling that are inherent in our human experience. Much of modern society creates a climate wherein we are living like we are part of the “hungry ghost” realm, a realm of addiction and suffering. The Ascended masters, as far as myth and research tell us, did not charge money for the spiritual work they did during their time, manifesting on Earth. One well known story recounts Jesus flying into a rage and turning over the tables of the money lenders in temples of ancient times. Buddha had disciples as well, and chose poverty at first, in reaction to the materialism that keeps people from their own awakening. How can a teacher be in alignment with the integrity of deep spiritual teachings and then create an elitist situation, wherein only people with the right financial resources can get access to the purported wisdom that is being taught? Is this not fundamentally hypocritical? Should the wisdom not be accessible to all people? How does spiritual hierarchy work?