Dealing with Spiritual Materialism
Spiritual materialism is a term that was coined for the first time by the Tibetan spiritual teacher Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche. In his book “Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism,” the Tibetan Master Chogyam Trungpa talks about his theories of how the ego uses the spiritual path for its own priorities. He also talks about the consequent mistakes people make in their search for enlightenment. His observations make us question ourselves on how the theory of spiritual materialism applies to our personal spiritual journey.
Dealing with Spiritual BS: Spiritual Materialism and the Traps of the Ego
The main point of any spiritual practice is to step out of the bureaucracy of Ego. This means stepping out of ego’s constant desire for a higher, more spiritual, more transcendental version of knowledge, religion, virtue, judgment, comfort, or whatever it is that the particular ego is seeking. One must step out of spiritual materialism.
~Chogyam Trungpa
The Spiritual Path
In Western culture, from an early age, we are socially conditioned to individualism and material attainment.
That behavior leads us to impose our ingrained structures of understanding onto our spirituality. Thus, we collect courses, retreats, and practices like medals, feeding our egos always hungry. In the East, we started to think about our spiritual evolution as self-improvement, which is very good. But, we also turn to the Self of our Ego.
We come to believe that the search for a spiritual path somehow makes us better than the person next door, who doesn’t understand about meditating every day, practicing an hour of asana, or consulting with a guru. But, the spiritual path is ongoing in all of us. Whether we are aware of it or not, our soul is growing and looking after its evolution. When the ego appropriates this search and uses it to feed itself, we run the risk of falling into one of the many traps of spiritual materialism.
The Lords of Spiritual Materialism
The problem is that ego can convert anything to its own use, even spirituality.
~ Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche
The author Chogyam Trungpa talks about how our “spiritual mistakes” fall into three misunderstandings, resulting from materialism linked to Western culture. He named them as the “Three Lords of Materialism.”
The first lord is known as the “physical materialism,” where there is a belief that acquiring and accumulating more and more will bring happiness. However, even when we achieve what we want, we always want more. Thus, dissatisfaction accompanies all purchases and the desire that must be addressed.
The second Lord refers to “psychological materialism” when we believe that faith or belief systems will be the cure for all our ills.
We are enchanted by Buddhism, for example, and we think that if we dedicate ourselves vigorously to practices, we will heal ourselves from suffering. However, we still suffer. Suffering is somewhat inherent to the human condition. We can attack an idea or a cause in a moment to ease our tensions. But, that relief is momentary. We still live in a physical world, and religion or idea does not prevent challenges from arising.
The Third Lord is known as the “spiritual materialism,” the belief that a mental state or spiritual practice will free us from the problems of routine. We can isolate ourselves from the world through the excessive use of meditation and breathing techniques, or live in a heady fog, running away from everything. However, at some point, we need to stop meditating, and the world will emerge. The suffering we avoided will come again, more challenging than ever. Life does not stop, however much we may try to freeze it or prevent it.
Ego as a Projection of the Mind
Ego is constantly attempting to acquire and apply the teachings of spirituality for its own benefit.
~Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche
In his book, Tibetan Master Chogyam Trungpa teaches that the three Lords are based on the idea that the ego is a real entity. And that somehow, the Ego is something that must be tamed and trained.
However, it is continually changing and does not exist in itself, but only as a projection of the mind. When we feed it and build our sense of identity from spiritual practices, we are fostering something that does not exist. Anything that feeds on this false Ego will end up causing us even more suffering.
So, what are the warning signs, and how can we find our joy and ease our anxieties without falling into the trap of spiritual materialism?
Perhaps it is time to stop looking inward and turn our attention to the world, establishing an intention to serve the good and others. Although this can also feed the ego, leading you to believe that you are a great person because you help those in need, being aware of your sincere motivations is sufficient.
If we find ourselves continually changing religion, teacher, book, or idea, waiting for enlightenment or instant healing, we are falling into another trap. Unfortunately, there is no easy way out. We can find ways of being that help us to embrace things more, without judgment, but there is no cure for life, except death. Even fully enlightened beings suffer when they lose someone they love. We all feel pain.
In Pursuit of a World filled with Competitive Edge
There is another ego trap laid on the spiritual path. It is the Trap of thinking that my suffering is worse than yours, or that my happiness is more significant than yours.
Comparison and competitiveness are of no use in the spiritual world. We need to seek to live more peacefully, even developing a more cooperative way of living.
We are all on the eternal pursuit of happiness, we all suffer, and sometimes we find joy. Comparison is an ego move in search of fuel to continue to influence your life.
If you find yourself talking fervently about a teacher, book, or spiritual practice, you may be trying to “sell” it. When we sell something, we probably fall into spiritual materialism.
This does not mean that you cannot write a book on the pursuit of happiness or provide spiritual services for a fee. It is just a concern to ensure that the heart of your practice is centered on providing service (SEVA) and not on serving yourself.
Also, be aware that buying quick solutions that promise instant lighting or healing will not solve your problems. Each of us has our own dharmic path unfolding within us throughout our lives.
In the West, it is prevalent to appropriate the spirituality of other cultures, performing rituals or practices, mixing and matching, without thinking about the culture or history that built this belief.
We chose a little of this and a little of that to build our faith, without getting better informed about everything, just accumulating. It is essential to treat the practices of other cultures with care and respect. Spirituality, integrity, and respect are energies that always vibrate together.
The Value of Our Words
The words we use when referring to our spiritual paths give us clues about when we are falling into the trap of spiritual materialism, or not. When using words like buying and selling, reach, lose, win, or terms of judgment, we should probably be on the lookout for possible Ego traps.
What is a reliable Spiritual Path?
How is it possible to follow our spiritual path without falling into these traps, you may ask?
Consciousness would be the right answer. When we are aware, focusing not only on ourselves and our own healing, but somehow serving the greater good, we are on the right track
Tibetan Master Chogyam Trungpa’s ideas about spiritual materialism serve to awaken us to the mistake we all make in feeding the ego through self-improvement. It shows us a much more incredible reality, pure joy, which involves letting go of the ego and just being here in the moment, surfing the waves of life as they rise and fall, in a transcendent reality of just Being.
You will also enjoy Pema Chodron: Cultivating Fearlessness and Compassion and How to Overcome a Dark Night of the Soul
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About the Author
Cathedral of the Soul intends to undertake the challenge of creating a multidimensional healing space that is dedicated to those who seek to enrich, enlighten, and heal themselves while serving and assisting in the healing of others. Cathedral of the Soul is one of the many spiritual outreaches of Humanity Healing International, a registered 501C3 nonprofit with Church status. https://cathedralofthesoul.org
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