Matthew Engelhart - Sacred Commerce: Business as a Path of Awakening

Copyright 2008 by Matthew and Terces Engelhart. All rights reserved. No portion of this book, except for brief review, may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwisewithout the written permission of the publisher. For information contact North Atlantic Books.

Published by
North Atlantic Books
P.O. Box 12327
Berkeley, California 94712

Cover art Frank Riccio and Julia Stege
Cover design Ayelet Maida, A/M Studios
Photograph, , Mark Tucker

Sacred Commerce: Business as a Path of Awakening is sponsored by the Society for the Study of Native Arts and Sciences, a nonprofit educational corporation whose goals are to develop an educational and cross-cultural perspective linking various scientific, social, and artistic fields; to nurture a holistic view of arts, sciences, humanities, and healing; and to publish and distribute literature on the relationship of mind, body, and nature.

North Atlantic Books publications are available through most bookstores. For further information, visit our website at www.northatlanticbooks.com or call 800-733-3000.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Engelhart, Matthew.
Sacred commerce : business as a path of awakening / Matthew and Terces Engelhart.
p. cm.
Summary: Introduces the idea of business as a spiritual community and shows how to create a business culture that makes a long-lasting difference in the world and has people inspired to be at and go to work, regardless of their positionProvided by publisher.
eISBN: 978-1-58394-480-6
1. BusinessReligious aspectsBuddhism. 2. Organizational behaviorReligious aspectsBuddhism. 3. Spiritual life. 4. Consciousness.
I. Engelhart, Terces, 1950- II. Title. HF5388.E54 2008
294.336658dc22
2008003631

v3.1_r1

Acknowledgments

We thank you.

S o many of you have contributed to this book with your encouragement, your belief in our big foolish project called Caf Gratitude, your continued loyalty as customers, your participation in our workshops, your partnering with us in business, your preparing and serving of food, your taking on your life in a whole new way, your stepping up into management, your trusting our guidance, your contribution to your families and communities, your healing of yourselves and support of one another, your willingness to share, your courage to create something new, your faith to lean into the discomfort, your strength as an activist, your love openly expressing: you know who you are, so do we. We thank you for that.

Its been said that it takes a village to raise a child, and similarly, when we step forward for any sort of presentation or acknowledgment, a whole community is expressing through us. We are thousands of people strong. Sacred Commerce lives in the hearts of the multiple expressions of the One Being. Here we want to acknowledge all the hearts that have opened up to practicing being one, to sharing, to communing, to workability for the whole, to giving up self-importance for making a difference for all. You are extraordinary and we are grateful.

Love,
Matthew and Terces

Contents

Foreword

M y adventures in Sacred Commerce began waiting tables at Caf Gratitude three years ago. Work was what I needed to do, not what I wanted to do. I had to work to make money and survive in the world. I walked into the doors of the caf at a point in my life where I was sick and tiredliterally. I had just been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, a severe chronic illness, and I saw no light at the end of the tunnel. There wasnt even a tunnel. Id show up to work, put on my best face, and survive the day. Historically I didnt care about the companies that employed me, or the work that we produced. I came and went as I was scheduled and did my best. Work was what kept me busy. My biggest fear was that Id be tirelessly and pointlessly working forever.

Beyond what I was doing three years ago, Id like to mention who I was being. I habitually doubted and judged myself, I constantly regretted things I did and said, and I was scared. I foresaw a future of being in and out of hospitals, paying for expensive treatments, and fighting illness. I felt stuck. I felt alienated and alone, experiencing arguments, break-ups, and disappointment over and over again. I was caught in my own suffering. That was just the way it was, the way it had to be. There was no other way. I felt out of control. Money, health, love, happiness either happened to me or it didnt. It wasnt up to me. I was a victim of circumstance. That is, until I wandered into the world of plenty on 20th Street and Harrison in San Francisco one day.

Caf Gratitude swept me off my feet. My training in the art of Sacred Commerce provided the opportunity to transform myself into who I had always wanted to be. Now I get to interact with the world in a way that I feel proud of. Through my participation in this business, I love who I am and the work that I do. I can authentically declare that I am completely healed. In these three years I have gained a sense of self and purpose in the world. I have the life of my dreams. I reclaimed my wellness. I am in love. I live a life of meaningful service. I make a difference. I am beautiful. I get to say who I am: I am the creator of my experience. And my secret to success is simple: my life reflects what I believe, how I act, and what I say. I am proof that we create our own experience. My proof is in my body, and all over my life. In three years not only have I healed myself, but also I have met people who have healed from all kinds of chronic or fatal diseases. I know people who experience and trust the benevolence of the universe. Miracles are happening all around me.

Not to say that all this happened magically one day, without effort. In the beginning, Sacred Commerce was uncomfortable for me. Frankly, it still is. I judged the affirmations at Caf Gratitude, the New Age-speak, the whole bit. I was a typical urban, college-educated twenty-year-old who found the world of possibility notion pretty cheesy. Stepping into Caf Gratitude was a complete shock to my whole value system. I went through resistance, which resulted in meltdowns, and my bosses, co-workers, customers, and friends watched me go through it all. As time passed, the separation between my work and my life became almost invisible. Every barrier I had put up was cracked open, and I was exposed. I had to face the fear being known, afraid of what people might find. I began to let go of anger and wounds that no longer served me. I grew and blossomed. Being humble enough to be vulnerable opened me up to a new version of me. Ive learned to share my fears and challenges, and to discern when I am in judgment of myself or someone else. I can say, I am creating a story about you, I am judging you, and I am not committed to it! I can come to the realization that I am judging myself, and I am giving it up! I now have tools for shifting my attention and am able to notice the perfection of the awakening, and to praise all that there is to be grateful for. I have the freedom to choose what I want and how I feel. I am no longer stuck in anything. I am human and I can choose to be free.