Spiritual Capitalism

[What is capitalism? It is not about corporations or about stocks and bonds. While these are certainly outgrowths of it, the essence of it is this: the ability to freely associate for mutual benefit. It is about freedom, self-direction, and personal responsibility. It is not about Enron’s and the Tyco’s. Fraud does not figure into the model. That is why we have civil courts. Fraud fits nicely into them eventually, while (hopefully) integrity sits in the jury box…]

For centuries (millennia really) there have been two endlessly warring factions in society; the Spiritualists and the Materialists. On one side, we have the Spiritualists (whether they claimed God was their higher power, or the State), who have in their various forms and systems, proclaimed material wealth to be “evil” and basically detrimental to the soul.

Opposing them (or trying to ignore them), we have materialists (who may be entrepreneurs, small business owners, independent contractors, or corporate executives) attempting to assert their right to prosperity and a rise in the standard of living for all. Never before had their armor clanged more loudly than in the 1980’s and early 1990’s in the West. Quite frequently, this has shown up as the community vs. the individual; the We against the I. There is no need for this. The We must include the I, otherwise it is a We with significant pathology and illness. A We that cannot last and will be self-defeating unless it embraces and encourages the I.

The problem with this conflict is globally and stunningly evident. People ascribing themselves to most (if not all) spiritual belief systems have to generally ignore the natural human desire to excel in the material world; to evolve to the next highest material level; to achieve. This created, and is continuing to create, an internal conflict within these individuals, robbing them of internal harmony and peace. This is an obvious problem with repercussions ranging violent internal and personal (as well as external and eventually military) conflict.

Individuals exercising rights afforded them in a free-market economy, and their inherent desires, find themselves having to ignore the culturally taught evil-branding of what they are achieving. Or worse, operating at a level which is spiritually dead. The latter is a behavior that has produced such results as the dis-integration of Man and Nature, costing the world its environmental harmony and creating concerns over the stability of the eco-system for future generations. This should be of grave concern for both sides.

*The Integrative Consciousness*

Who is right? Both. And, neither. An integration is necessary to avoid further polarization, societal tensions, and environmental destruction. [more on this in a forthcoming piece on the topic of power and responsibility].

Where this breaks down (and can be integrated in a more whole-sum way) is by taking in the historical contexts that most of the spiritual texts were written in. Most of the spiritual texts we read today were written by people in slavery/bondage/or the inescapable class [or caste] systems. If not written by them, then for them to liberate their minds and spirits when little else could. There is nothing wrong with this. It served a beautiful and clear purpose and was in fact perhaps necessary at the time. 2000 years ago and more it was not possible to generate wealth the way it is today. You could not as easily generate wealth nor with integrity in most areas. You generated wealth by robbing the people or the land, not by innovation or offering services. You made money by levy, taxation, graft, by using slave labor, and by being born onto the right family. While some of these dynamics have not been completely evolved beyond, what is clear is that something new has emerged in the last 200 to 300 years: free enterprise.

While I am certainly not going to echo the “greed is good” speech of Michael Douglas’ character in Wall Street, I will say that the basic human desire to achieve, to better one’s self, and to live comfortably is certainly good. The desire to be compensated with value for value given is not greed: it is justice and balance, which are both “good”. I say they are good because the results they produce are “good”. In my world, anything that uplifts, increases the value of or in, assist or helps is “good”. Anything that infringes on the rights of others, damages property, life, inhibits freedoms, is “bad”. It is a delicate balance to walk, as anytime you limit the freedoms of others, is could be to defend the rights of still others, but there I go digressing again…

It is now possible for anyone of competence and vision to create wealth with integrity–at least in this Country. This…is good. You can live entirely within your own sense of spirituality AND generate wealth and prosperity for yourself and those around you.

The fact is, people possessing enlightened self-interest (which is where you realize that not only do you need to act in your own best interest, but immediately following that, the best interests of those around you–including your community at large) can embrace capitalism and be even more spiritually rich that they possibly could be otherwise. We can acquire wealth by simultaneously being a channel for spirit, or living Christ-like, or possessing the Buddha mind (whichever metaphor you prefer), thereby avoiding the internal and external conflicts I spoke to before.

How does one do this? There are four aspects that are necessary for this to occur.

First, live your life by choice. What this means it to live your life consciously and to choose. Question everything. Why do I want this car? Why do I want to buy this house? Is this necessary? Does it bring me joy? Why? Why do I want that suit of clothes, that man/woman? That job? Why do I eat the foods I do? Do they bring me what they are supposed to? What do I value and why? Am I living consciously, or out of habit and cult-ural training? Often in this first phase, the clearing of negatively charged emotions that block your intuition and color or skew your perceptions is often necessary.

Second, discover your mission or purpose. Why are you here? What can you contribute? What can you offer of value that is unique and uniquely you? Perhaps you have been called by spirit. Perhaps your inherent gift are clear and obvious and you feel no “spirit” is necessary but you have a vision of a better way/life/world/community. You want that vision to come to life–and it can.

Third, access your creativity. Your intuition. Your inspiration. Let your larger Self come out and play—freely and intentionally.

And last, access or acquire an entrepreneurial spirit. That is to say, using the previous 3 stages, and adding to it the possibilities of a free market, how can what you have to offer be of value to others? And hence, find those who would value it and market your services to them with integrity.

It is time for the dawn of a new era. A new epoch. It is time for those with access to spirit to realize the freedom they have, the necessity of their contributions, and to act with integrity and in accordance with that. I pray that new day has already dawned. Let’s awaken to it together.

Comments

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