Spiritual Materialism
The idea of spiritual materialism was first introduced by Ren Pache in his book CuttingThrough Spiritual Materialism, who was a Tibetan Buddhistmonk who brought teachings to the west.
When we choose to open up to this perception of life, knowing that everything that we do is bigger than us, tapping into the collective, the integrated energy network around us, within our planet, within the galaxy, within our community, we start to have these awarenesses. Even though we're doing all the things and practicing things, we're meditating, we're doing yoga, we're journaling, we're praying, we're eating healthy, we're doing all the things, the ego still comes in, creates attachment, and we become totally caught up in things outside of us externally, believing that that is what's going to save us. And that is where spiritual materialism, the idea that starts to manifest within us and it becomes unhealthy, then we can feel unfulfilled. We're doing all the things we think we're supposed to do, but we feel unfulfilled inside.
Examples of spiritual materialism look like seeking and believing that if we do all the right things, we are a spiritually aligned person. But we still find ourselves being judgmental. We still feel unfulfilled, we still have lack of trust. We're still really disconnected and how it can show up through the ego in thinking that people need us. We start to make it about us. We start to use words or claim a certain sort of like status because of our work. We might claim that we're enlightened or awakened and the people who aren't where we are are not. Which then again reinforces our sense of self or ego.
Anytime we find ourselves reinforcing and self actualizing the ego, the attachment to our part in it, and we all do this, I still do it, then we know that we are in ego. We start to give our resources away outside of us to enhance our lives. That's another way that spiritual materialism can show up. It can show up in really imbalanced meditative practice where we either think it has to look a certain way or we're doing meditation, but we're not being in it. Anytime we find ourselves doing the thing, it's still outside of us. When we embody it, when we are being in it, it no longer looks like work. That is really where we're moving to, is the yoga, the meditation, the eating healthy, the spiritual alignment, the praying,the compassion, the peace, the love, enjoy. They aren't outside of us. We become them. We live them in the moment. We practice meditation and presence throughout the day. We don't have to be attached to whether or not we had our 20 minutes of silence this morning or whether or not we had that yoga practice. Those things are great and they help and they are the practice, they are the way.
When it becomes fully integrated into your being where you don't even really have to tell people about it anymore, you don't have to prove anything. You don't change whether or not your practice is consistent and looks the same every day. But you allow yourself to be in the flow of practicing those beliefs in the moment, then it's no longer outside of you. It's no longer materialized outside of you.
Another one, a big one, is this idea of Law of Attraction, the belief of people manifesting, attracting or desiring, again, outside of you. If I manifest or attract this, then I will feel this. Rather than being totally in the moment of gratitude for where you are and how you do feel, but thinking that the thing that you're wanting to manifest, whether it's the love of your life, more money, health, thinking that that is outside of you. As long as you believe that there's something outside of you and you're attached to that, bringing you your happiness. The perception that it's separate from us is where the suffering is. It's where we become uncomfortable.
The quote, “Spiritual materialism is an attachment to the spiritual path as a solid accomplishment or possession.It is said that spiritual materialism is the hardest to overcome. The imagery that is used is that of the golden chains, you're not just in chains, you're in golden chains and that you love your chains because they're beautiful and shiny. But you're not free. You're just trapped in a bigger and better trap. The point of spiritual practice is to become free, not to build a trap that may have the appearance of a mansion but is still in a prison.” by M. Kaplan. And what that means is that idea that we begin to wake up and we realize we're still trapped. And then we start to fake it till we make it but we start to think that if we do all the right things, then we'll be happy. If we do the right things, then we'll attract this. But the truth is that you already are everything that you're seeking.
So spiritual materialism is still the idea that we have to seek something outside of ourselves. Yes, we need support. Yes, it's a way that we receive. Yes, we are worthy, and we also have everything that we need inside of us. The question is, how do we find it and are we willing to receive it?
Anytime we find ourselves talking about spirituality in a way that sounds like we think we're better than somebody or when we feel the need to be validated or make somebody else wrong, this is a really big thing, religion versus spirituality.
P.S.
Ready to take your life to the next level? Welcome more joy, ease and flow through a feminine approach to thriving in both your personal and professional life?
Expand into 5 Element Wellth and Prosperity
Jen Mons is an author, speaker, mentor and coach for high achieving purpose driven ready to shift the paradigm of feminine leadership and redefine excellence and wealth through 5 Element Wellth, Prosperity, Daily Devotion Journaling and Soul Wisdom Imprinting.
