It seems one of the ear marks of the human race is to exploit anything which can be exploited, including those things which seem locked away in our inner most souls.

Within the last year, a gathering of Native American tribes gathered together, and one of the main topics included a call for the Native American community to boycott those businesses involved in the exploitation of Native American spirituality. Specificly mentioned were Meta-physical oriented stores, who sold dream catchers and books concerning Native American traditions, among other related items. The concern of the elders and community in general was the exploitation of their spiritual traditions.

Spirituality has always seemed to be a booming business. The selling of charms, religious emblems or statues, the building of cathedrals. Martin Luther once stated, "When the coin in the coffer rings, A soul from purgatory springs." This of course was in response to the Catholic church at the time who was engaging in a practice known as "Selling Indulgences" in an effort to finance the building of cathedrals and actually line the papal pockets.

In the Roman, and other empires we see much of the same, an exploitation of spirituality for the sole purpose of making money. Today there are numerous religious bookstores and Metaphysical sections in most bookstores are fairly well stocked with books ranging from "How to Books" from developing your Psychic powers to what Carl Jung termed "Those dirty little dream dictionaries" which tell us things like when we dream of a house, it means our chakara systems are not aligned. Unfortunately even among Meta physical books stores there are very few who do not engage in cut throat tactics which leave a wake of hard feelings and distrust.

There is a delightful book out(for some time) called "101 Ways to Avoid Reincarnation or Getting it Right The First Time" which humorously illustrates the modern day efforts to exploit various aspects of ancient spirituality. Tele-evangilisim has transformed spiritual pursuit into a booming spiritual business. From one throwing temper tantrums because his congregation was too astute to pay the mortgage for his church, to one ounce packets of Holy Anointing oil sold to those willing to pay the outrageous price while a third bursts into tears as he relates to his church how his weakness of the flesh resulted in unwelcome media attention. All the while "a sucker is born every minute" and coins endlessly ring in the sacred coffers.

In some non-Christian traditions, there are ethical concerns about charging students for teachings which were once freely given to a community to any who asked. One simply has to search the Internet to discover these groups whose intentions may be benign, but who end up creating an economic problem where one did not exist before. Unfortunately this problem has not limited itself to the internet and as a result, a segment of people are left in "the outer darkness" not because of any moral failings, but because of an economic one.

Counter-measures to these problems have been some which are well thought out. A donation is requested but not required, with no pressure or offering call to create the sales atmosphere. If one has not the money, one is not turned away. How many congregations could get away with this without being berated by clergy which stands before them at the pulpit?

Another alternative is termed as an "energy exchange". One service is traded for another with no financial transactions. An example of this would be in exchange for learning, I may contribute an equal amount of my time to doing some yard work, either for the teacher or someone in the community who needs it. Another method would be to work in a store, and instead of actual money exchanging hands, I would be paid with purchases from the store. At the end of my shift, I go to the shelves and pick something equal to a set wage. Don't be fooled by this tax-wise though, for the IRS will still tax you on such endeavors. To some, Money is Money no matter how you slice it.

What are the ethics involved in making money off of a spiritual tradition or source? Is it ethical or appropriate to charge someone in their search for truth? Is it ethical for a congregation to have to put up with a sales pitch as part of sacred services, in the holy of holies? Is it ethical for a store to obtain access to cultural tradition and mass produce it and turn around and sell it, when that culture provides the same information for free? How different is this from the crusades who plundered temples and sold it as the spoils of war?

Spirituality has become the YUPPIE playground economicly. I can recall vividly a mother and her young daughter coming into a store and asking what spiritual traditions were fashionable. Hurray for the owner who politely informed them spirituality is never fashionable. Spiritual searching is, by nature, not an easy quest and it is not made easier when one has to pay for a quest which would in the past never under any circumstances be denied to them.

Interestingly enough, sometimes the response is such a nature community is transformed forever. The history of the Masons is a good example, for this particular segment was in essence, one of the first trade unions who broke away from the yoke of their religious management of the time and came to not only operate without the yoke of the clergy, but achieved far reaching inroads of a much more positive nature than could have been imagined at the time.

Since many Western and Eastern nations and communities are dependent upon an economic system based in currency, the question of an economic aspect to spirituality is understandable. Many spiritual traditions echo the following question I will end with below.

"What profit a man if he gains the world but looses his soul?"