Ask Lewis: What Is Spiritual Materialism

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Abstract

</b>A belief that a specific point of view, religious practice, or philosophy will bring release from suffering.</i></p><p id="6814"><b><i>3. Spiritual materialism:</i></b><i> On the Path, this is the most important of the three forms of materialism. This is the belief that a certain artificial sense of spirituality or a temporary state of mind or emotions is a refuge from suffering. Common examples might include the intense pursuit of romantic love, or meditating to experience a sense of peace and harmony. The mental and emotional states these practices produce are temporary and superficial and will only heighten suffering when they cease.</i></p><figure id="22bb"><img src="https://cdn-images-1.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:800/0*sxPWbDmqZqrshkxL"><figcaption>Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@ca_creative?utm_source=medium&utm_medium=referral">CA Creative</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com?utm_source=medium&utm_medium=referral">Unsplash</a></figcaption></figure><p id="4b1e">It is easy to maintain the misguided notion that your ego is real and that the point of view you hold about something — anything — is inherently valid. You may then create a life based on this misguided notion. Ultimately from</p><h2 id="459e">Trungpa’s perspective, materialistic approaches to happiness or the spiritual life are invalid to begin with.</h2><h2 id="c9ea">The Takeaway</h2><p id="13df">Trungpa’s point of view addresses the issue of one’s attachment to things perceived to be spiritual. The core message here is that it is folly to try to reinforce your ego through belief systems. The very point of authentic spiritual practice is not to demonstrate that you’re focusing on your ego or trying to dissolve or transcend your ego. For some, ego is something one creates and then expands to convince oneself that one exists. For a person of wisdom, ego is the minimum requirement for existing in the world.</p><p id="87c6">©Lewis Harrison, all rights reserved.</p><p id="b9e4"><b>Other of my stories in a similar vein @LewisCoaches:</b></p><div id="4fc7" class="link-block"> <a href="https://thetaoist.online/ask-lewis-why-no-one-understands-zen-31255e4bbb59"> <div> <div> <h2>Ask Lewis: Why No One Understands Zen</h2> <div><h3>It’s simpler and more complex than you can imagine</h3></div> <div><p>thetaoist.online</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/1*S8uWCGICi_jrAq8o2xfhPw.jpeg)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div><div id="f84f" class="link-block"> <a href="https://thetaoist.online/ask-lewis-how-to-meditate-b8af2a933e57"> <div> <div> <h2>Ask Lewis: How to Meditate</h2> <div><h3>A simple explanation</h3></div> <div><p>thetaoist.online</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/1*S8uWCGICi_jrAq8o2xfhPw.jpeg)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div><h2 id="8e33">Before you go…</h2><p id="0cbc">I am Lewis Harrison, an award-winning author of over twenty books on personal growth and strategic thinking. For over a decade I was the p

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roducer and host of the show <i>“What’s Up”</i> on NPR-affiliated WIOX FM in New York.</p><p id="ee53">Now, aside from writing on Medium, and connecting personally with my readers, I teach seminars and speak on personal development, and life strategies throughout the world.</p><h2 id="0f4b">To learn more about my thread — Ask Lewis — please read this short piece below…</h2><div id="043b" class="link-block"> <a href="https://lewiscoaches.medium.com/about-ask-lewis-0080d181e677"> <div> <div> <h2>About “Ask Lewis”…</h2> <div><h3>My information portal in some of the best Medium publications</h3></div> <div><p>lewiscoaches.medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/1*S8uWCGICi_jrAq8o2xfhPw.jpeg)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div><h2 id="044f">As a subscriber to my newsletter, ensure you download my free eBook with action-packed tips to help you in your personal growth.</h2><p id="2131">“<a href="https://exciting-mover-2586.ck.page/6a672cc4bf">Join my group of 18,000 influencers</a>”.</p><p id="40d9">All the best</p><p id="e1b5"><i>Lewis Harrison</i></p><p id="dc51">P.S. I am also on Substack at AskLewis.Substack.com. Check out my weekly newsletters there. Filled with many course options to give you insights into crafting a life of happiness, meaning, well-being, and abundance.</p><h2 id="b3b2">I write full-time for Medium, Ask Lewis, RealUGuru, and The International Association of Healing Professionals. If you enjoy my stories and would like to support my work please donate at</h2><div id="6e43" class="link-block"> <a href="https://asklewisharrison.com/"> <div> <div> <h2>Ask Lewis Harrison - Problem Solving through Efficiency, Effectiveness, Precision, Self-Awareness…</h2> <div><h3>Lewis Harrison-The RealUGuru-is an international best-selling author.He is recognized as a leading expert on…</h3></div> <div><p>asklewisharrison.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/0*twHmCO0-zV8O5JlS)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div><p id="85ef">Just click on the “Support the Project Button” there…</p><h2 id="b878">If you would like to connect and follow all of my entries on Social media just click below…</h2><div id="715e" class="link-block"> <a href="https://asklewis.substack.com/p/7-best-social-media-platforms-for?utm_source=substack&utm_campaign=post_embed&utm_medium=web"> <div> <div> <h2>Connect With Me Throughout Social Media</h2> <div><h3>All the tips, tools, techniques, hacks, and shortcuts you will ever need to live your best life.</h3></div> <div><p>asklewis.substack.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/0*mC5p6mkuxDw_BpJ_)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div><h2 id="0e98">I’d love to work with you. Contact me at [email protected]</h2></article></body>

Why trinkets, altars, and incense will not bring you enlightenment

Steve Weinberg

One of the greatest obstacles you may create in your spiritual journey is engaging in what is commonly called “Spiritual Materialism.” Spiritual Materialism is the belief that a certain temporary state of mind, a particular emotional state, or some specific rite, ritual, ceremony, or “sacred” physical object can protect you or relieve your suffering or unnecessary struggle. An example of this would be choosing to live a monastic life when you are not prepared to do so.

It is the spiritual materialist who feels that they must retreat from life and everyone in general to become “spiritual.” Becoming a monk, hermit, or hiding from the world is not spiritual. Rather the monastic lifestyle can be repressive and put you in conflict with who you really are. On the ZenPath, it is wiser to become active in the world and create a sense of meaning by working and playing with, as well as serving others, and doing so with clarity and intention.

It is useless to struggle against who you really are. That is the point of your wisdom practice, to get in touch with what your natural way of being is. A life guided by spiritual materialism is generally strewn with poor choices, self-aggrandizement acted out to appear as humility, and a deep attachment to material possessions.

Many of these material possessions are accumulated through commercial enterprises related to the marketing and selling of books, video products, and various other educational materials and so-called “sacred trinkets” related to spiritual practice. It is not unusual to find a spiritual materialist building up a list of credentials or accumulating teachings to present him/herself as a person who deserves more love and respect than another or is more realized, wiser, highly evolved, or holier than others. The spiritual materialist is more concerned with the accumulation of spiritual ideas and concepts than putting these ideas and concepts into practice. All this is not spiritual at all. It is just a new hype and type of mental prison.

Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism

The term Spiritual Materialism is most commonly associated with a book written by an important Tibetan Buddhist teacher named Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche. In Trungpa’s book, Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism, he presents the idea that life, for the most part, consists of one form of suffering or another and that most of us seek refuge from this suffering through one of the three forms of materialism: physical, psychological and spiritual. Let’s explore Trungpa Rinpoche’s three categories of materialism:

1. Physical materialism: The belief that possessions can free us from suffering. This is tied to control. The need to control things can also lead us to believe that the things we do have are a direct result of something we have done, i.e. I am smart because I have a college degree. I am rich; thus, people are fearful of me.

2. Psychological materialism: A belief that a specific point of view, religious practice, or philosophy will bring release from suffering.

3. Spiritual materialism: On the Path, this is the most important of the three forms of materialism. This is the belief that a certain artificial sense of spirituality or a temporary state of mind or emotions is a refuge from suffering. Common examples might include the intense pursuit of romantic love, or meditating to experience a sense of peace and harmony. The mental and emotional states these practices produce are temporary and superficial and will only heighten suffering when they cease.

It is easy to maintain the misguided notion that your ego is real and that the point of view you hold about something — anything — is inherently valid. You may then create a life based on this misguided notion. Ultimately from

The Takeaway

Trungpa’s point of view addresses the issue of one’s attachment to things perceived to be spiritual. The core message here is that it is folly to try to reinforce your ego through belief systems. The very point of authentic spiritual practice is not to demonstrate that you’re focusing on your ego or trying to dissolve or transcend your ego. For some, ego is something one creates and then expands to convince oneself that one exists. For a person of wisdom, ego is the minimum requirement for existing in the world.

Other of my stories in a similar vein @LewisCoaches:

Before you go…

I am Lewis Harrison, an award-winning author of over twenty books on personal growth and strategic thinking. For over a decade I was the producer and host of the show “What’s Up” on NPR-affiliated WIOX FM in New York.

Now, aside from writing on Medium, and connecting personally with my readers, I teach seminars and speak on personal development, and life strategies throughout the world.