Q. Some people say that charging money for spiritual guidance lacks integrity. What do you say?
A. Well, let me first say that it depends on who is asking for money and how they do it. As with any form of business exchange, there are always crooks and charlatans, and the spiritual marketplace is certainly no exception. Barring that fact, however, there is an underlying assumption in this question that is important to look at because it implies that as soon as commerce is involved, the value of spiritual guidance is somehow diminished.
This is simply not true. The fact of the matter is that most spiritual teachers either ask for donations or charge money for classes and/or private sessions. In some rare cases, the teacher is either independently wealthy or draws income from some other form of work, and so the need for money in exchange for guidance is not required. But to suggest that the only integrous way to be a spiritual teacher is to do it for free is illogical. I mean, if businessmen, athletes, or doctors get paid for their work, why shouldn’t spiritual teachers?
For me personally, I used to offer spiritual guidance strictly by donation. But over time I noticed that some people weren’t offering anything in exchange for my counsel even though I knew they were in a financial position to do so. And interestingly, the people who didn’t offer any donations often didn’t make much progress, whereas those who did usually progressed along the path.
I’ve also found that because we live in a highly materialistic and commercialized society, there’s another underlying cultural assumption that if you don’t charge for something, it’s not worth anything. So I’ve tried to find a happy medium, charging enough to increase the perceived value of what I have to offer, while also keeping my rates affordable.
There is an unspoken code among teachers that if a person really can’t afford to pay, then you don’t charge him or her for guidance. I do a lot of pro bono work and always will. But if it were not for the financial generosity of those people who are capable and willing to pay for my services, it would not be possible for me to offer as much as I do for those who can’t.
At the end of the day, the reality is we all need to get paid in order to survive. Spiritual teachers are no exception. If the teacher happens to be a monk or priest, their housing and financial needs are generally taken care of by the institution they work for, and still, they may have a hard time of it. If a teacher is not affiliated with any spiritual tradition or lineage, they should still be financially compensated for sharing their knowledge with others.
Here’s something Buddha had to say about this topic:
“And what is the accomplishment of generosity? Here, a noble disciple dwells at home with a mind free from stinginess, freely generous, open-handed, delighting in relinquishment, one devoted to charity, delighting in giving and sharing.”
I’ll end on a Utopian note:
In my wildest dreams and my most hopeful schemes, I envision a world where money is no longer needed as the medium of exchange, but is replaced by something akin to a “karmic credit” system. Think of a video game where you get points for playing the game, only in this case your efforts are compensated by what you contribute in the real world by helping others. This may even be one of the future uses of implantable microchips once the potential health risks are resolved and the cultural and religious prohibitions relaxed.
