Materialism vs. Spirituality

Over the last fifty years, society became highly materialistic as it valued the satisfaction of desires over inner growth. The acquisition of objects – both physical and intangible – won bragging rights over the pursuit of meaning and inner contentment. Today, a lavish culture of consumption has permeated every aspect of the lives of individuals who are regarded as middle class and above. To cite an example, thirty years ago, air conditioners were discretionary items. Nowadays, they are necessities. The same goes for TVs, cars and mobile phones. Household ownership of multiple television sets and ACs and individual possession of multiple cars and phones have become the norm. With each generation, luxury has turned into necessity. This transformation of demand patterns has further embedded the culture of materialism into our consciousness…much to our detriment.

The purpose of acquiring material goods is to fulfil basic needs; such as food, security, mobility etc. However, due to social changes i.e., nuclearization; then unitarisation of families; hollowing of communities – isolation has become the norm. Consequently, many emotional needs like belonging, appreciation and intimacy – that used to be fulfilled at the collective level – are unmet. Perversely, the agents of materialism (corporations, governments, allied institutions) have capitalised on this emotional void by producing goods and services. In the process, hapless people have been ensnared into an eternal web of materialism. A tangled skein that has prevented them from pursuing the development of the soul.

When the purpose of consumer goods broadens to encompass psychological needs such as fame, social recognition, belonging – we get trapped in an eternal cycle of desire, expectations, actions and negative thoughts/emotions. Thereafter, we turn into hungry wolves – constantly sniffing out sources of self-gratification. Locked in this perpetual state of desire, we are unable to focus on spirituality – our journey in conscious development.

The Road to Oneness necessitates the practice of attachment with detachment. This is the only state of being that’s completely lust-free – even more than pure detachment. To filter oneself of lust, it’s necessary to turn the negative energy of expectation into love. We can do so by witnessing every moment with passion; thereby connecting to the ultimate. There are numerous methods of doing the same…Patanjali’s 8-fold Ashtanga Yog being the gold standard. Irrespective of the path being pursued, it’s difficult to attain a blissful state of pure connection if our mind is constantly buffeted by the noisy honks of expectation. Thus, it’s imperative for a person to detach from materialism and its concomitant ego before pursuing conscious growth. This is why spiritually begins when materialism ends.