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Conscious Investing appears to be a paradoxical term to many people on a spiritual path, as if anything having to do with money was not spiritual. Many people look at Spirituality and Material Existence as if they were two separate worlds, and that is precisely why there appears to be so much duality in the world. I am a spiritual teacher, I have taught yoga and meditation for over twenty years. I am also an investment banker; I work in the heart of the financial world…with money. Walking with a foot in each world is my path, and I am more conscious for it.

Many of my students ask me: How do you reconcile being a Yogi and investment banker? The idea of raising capital or investing money seems to be as far afield as doing head stands is to my colleagues in the investment banking community. But that is changing. I am finding that more of my partners and associates are being drawn to meditation, both to reduce stress and to find greater meaning to their existence. I am also finding that more “spiritual people” (whatever that means) are beginning to realize that their work is a part of their sadhana, or spiritual practice. This integration is where the real growth occurs.

When I came back from a year of sadhana with my guru in India all I wanted to do was teach and write. For five years I initiated and taught meditation, wrote a series of books, appeared at book signing and media events. I surrounded myself with spiritual people, spiritual talk, and spiritual practices. The thought of ever having to do “real work” again seemed so distasteful. I wanted nothing to do with money or finances. I was always in my cocoon of bliss, always at peace, always loving and happy. It was really kind of obnoxious to other people who had to contend with more worldly matters.

Then a strange thing happened. Something unanticipated. I had to go back to work! My mind resisted, but life experiences didn’t give me a choice and I could tell, in the core of my being, that there was something more to learn from this world. In fact, I could remember my guru telling me that I would be getting back to work––but denying the reality of what that really meant, until it hit me in the face and I had to deal with it. Escaping is not evolving. There are times we need to retreat, to go within, to get clear, and then there is a time we need to integrate and apply what we gain into our daily living. This is where the rubber meets the road. This is where we are stretched to a greater capacity, where we learn more challenging lessons, and where we are provided opportunities to bring the light into the world where it is most needed.

Money is only energy, and it is a part of our spiritual practice to learn how to direct this energy consciously. It is where we get tested in the lessons of greed and need; where we are tested as to our integrity, values and questioned as to what we really want and need in life. Money is the teacher of our intentions. Money is an expression of our intention, and we are an expression of the Divine intention. When we learn the value of money, then we can do greater works. In my case, I am tested as to what to invest in. I manage the money of funds, institutions and high net worth individuals. I see opportunities to invest in things that could do harm or lower the consciousness (by my perception) and see opportunities to do good works too. A good project will be supported by the cash flow it generates. Capitalism actually supports natural laws, but as in all constructs of the human mind is susceptible to corruption and abuse. The scandals in the paper are the clearest sign. This is exactly why we need to draw conscious awareness into business and into finance.

In an interview recently, I was asked what projects I had invested money in and the interviewer was aghast to discover it was gas drilling! My God, digging holes in Mother Earth! Exploiting resources! Polluting the environment! What she didn’t realize was that natural gas is one of the cleanest forms of energy around. Solar, wind, thermal, cell and other forms of energy may be good to invest in as well, and I have, but they cannot presently provide enough power to support the world’s needs. Gas can replace oil in generating electricity which actually improves air quality and enables us to be less dependent on oil from unstable countries. It is also does very little to harm the environment when the facts are known. When an investor puts his money into a exploratory well, a producing well, or into the stock of a company that does the exploration and development of the gas, they not only make a handsome profit (far exceeding the stock market), but they are helping the world.

I may not feel real good about drilling in general, but I do feel good about providing a cleaner source of energy. I will feel even better if/when we can invest in more green energy projects. But think about it, would you want windmills like you see on the way to Palm Springs popping up all around your city? The good news is, as we become more conscious we can put tighter controls on how corporations develop our resources, how they handle their affairs and how they deal with our money. Pointing a finger and piously condemning all business isn’t the answer either. The answers lie in individuals expressing their higher awareness wherever they go, especially at work. It is through the collective acts of individuals at all strata’s of society invoking the light of their own indwelling spirit and bringing that light into the darkest places of humanity that the world will really shift. It is incumbent upon us all to take responsibility to become a vehicle of this higher consciousness and to share this higher awareness with everyone we see; everywhere we go, all the time, every day. If we all make the effort, the world will awaken.

Steven S. Sadleir is founder of the Self Awareness Institute (w) and conducts regular Initiations and retreats; author of numerous books including Looking for God; and is an Investment Banker at C.K. Cooper & Co. 949-477-9300.
www.selfawareness.com, sadleir1@cox.net, or 949-497-9954 for the Self Awareness Institute.