Money, Money, Money

by Michael Mamas | Thursday, October 17, 2013 | Spirituality | 20 comments

I was asked the following question:

I have been reading your discourses for almost a year now as my wife follows your group, somewhat. Some of your writings are very good. I have been to India and became an initiate of Maharaj Charan Singh Ji (Surat shabd yoga). In their teachings they say that a perfect saint sat guru will not charge money for spiritual teaching.
This has made it difficult for me to put much faith in your teachings. Could you comment on this for me? I like you and enjoy most of what you say.

To which I respond:

In a perfect world, a perfect Saint would walk into a perfect grocery store and take what food his family needed and not be charged. That is not the way of this world.

However, I do give away a great deal. The website is free as are educational videos, articles, free lectures, online meditation instruction. The list goes on. A number of people with little or no money who live at the ashram at Mount Soma do so for free. But the ashram does require money to run. Those who have money give money. It is simple pragmatics… common sense really. As far as I am concerned, all my teachings are free. Of course, someone needs to pay for the room, food, water, heat, etc.

In closing, please consider that there may be opportunity for exploration in the things I say that you don’t like… perhaps even more than in what you do like.

Atheists

by Michael Mamas | Wednesday, October 16, 2013 | Spirituality | 5 comments

Last night, a television news program was discussing the rise of atheism.  They were unsuccessful in their attempts to determine why it was happening.  To me it is very simple:  The spiritual understandings of modern day religions make no sense.  The rationale is that you must ‘have faith.’  Such ‘faith’ is a rationalization for oblivion.

On the other hand, true spirituality makes perfect sense.  However, mainstream religion has compelled the rational to throw out the baby with the bathwater, turning their backs on spirituality and becoming atheists.  The leading theologians of our time need to step up to the plate, admit that they do not understand spirituality, and revamp their dark ages throwback perspective.

We can thank the atheists for standing up and saying, “The emperor has no clothes!” May they inspire a much-needed renaissance in spiritual understanding.

I am sending to following to the news program in hopes that they read it on the air:

The reason for the rise in atheism is very simple:  Modern day religions make no sense.  Being a very spiritual man with a scientific background, this deeply saddens me.  The essential teachings of the world’s religions have been twisted beyond recognition.  We can at least thank the atheists for standing up and saying, “The emperor has no clothes!”