Sacred Commerce

Sacred Commerce

While I was recuperating in a rehab facility a few weeks ago from an injury, a friend Johnanne Winchester suggested that I read a book titled “Sacred Commerce” by Ayman Sawaf and Rowan Gabrielle. Johnanne’s mission is to create a global awareness that health, prosperity and the pursuit of happiness are gifts that should not be limited to just a few in the world, but can be realized by greater numbers in the world populations.

I expressed my application for the work that Johnanne does with the United Nations and other groups that focus on world issues, I also explained that I had a greater concern with similar issues faced by children and families who live in Harlem and other urban communities in America. Johnanne suggested the understanding and practice of sacred commerce can be used to address both local and global issues.

“Sacred commerce is the “party-cipation” of the community in exchange of information, goods, and services that contributes to the revealing of the divine (beauty, goodness, and truth) in all and where spirituality is the bottom line”; according to the research of Sawaf and Gabrielle. Profit is the only bottom line in commerce as we know it today. There are four bottom lines in sacred commerce, they are: people, planet, profit and spirituality.

Sacred commerce is not a new age concept its practice can be traced back to ancient Egypt around 1500BC where a Merchant Priesthood was developed under the reign of Queen Hatshepsut to practice and teach it. Similar to the wisdom in the 7 principles of the Kybalion (see www.theartofwarogers.info) the sacred commerce concept has been keep from the masses. Moving out of Egypt and carried to the East by the prophet Mohammad into Europe by the Knights Templar and preserved by the Freemasons for centuries.

As we continue our journey of human development many of the secrets and concepts of our past have started to reappear to guide us into the future. The ancient concept of reintroducing spirituality into commerce, creating goods and services  not only for self-profit, but to the benefit of people and the planet will again be taught to the masses by a new cadre of merchant priest. I believe the positive reinforcement of this new way of doing business will allow a greater number of people to experience the gift of abundance.

The ability to lift people out of poverty and the needs of survival is the goal of sacred commerce. The gift of abundance is having access to resources you need; at the time you need them. It has nothing to do with stockpiling money or assets. Abundance can then open other avenues of expression such as positive relationships, creativity, and the pursuit of happiness and spirituality; as stated in the Sawaf/Gabrielle book.

The sacred commerce concept my seem unrealistic in today’s market place but keep in mind it was the concept that built the foundation of commerce as we know it today, it has taken a back seat to greed, power and material passion. Times are changing, if you are reading this perhaps you have been selected to become a merchant priest, that will learn to use and teach others the ancient concept of bring spirituality back into commerce for the betterment of humankind.