Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism Options

[url=http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spiritual_materialism?wasRedirected=true]
Bumped into it at my yoga class today, only had the chance to skim through it but it seems worth a purchase going by its pretext, working to feed the ego rather than to do away with it. A flaw suffered by magicians and others who enjoy the snobbery to being knowledgeable in the occult putting down other schools and people while towering tall with status and "attainment" not so properly dispersed throughout themselves perhaps.

Also appreciate its referance to the new age, money making through spiritual concepts, lectures, books and so on.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spiritual_m...Redirected=true

[url=http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spiritual_materialism?wasRedirected=true]
Bumped into it at my yoga class today, only had the chance to skim through it but it seems worth a purchase going by its pretext, working to feed the ego rather than to do away with it. A flaw suffered by magicians and others who enjoy the snobbery to being knowledgeable in the occult putting down other schools and people while towering tall with status and "attainment" not so properly dispersed throughout themselves perhaps.

Also appreciate its referance to the new age, money making through spiritual concepts, lectures, books and so on.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spiritual_m...Redirected=true

Thanks for the link Mchawi!
It looks like it's going to be an interesting read!
I surfed over the Wikipedia blurb and have some thoughts about his idea of what Narcissism means and
how it would pretain to Spiritual Materialism. I'm not sure (yet) that I can interswap the two terms easily
without conflict. Not all Materialists are narcisistic asnd vice versa...but it will be interesting to hear the spin
he puts on it! *grin*

Deleted. I did have a point here, but it genuinely was still somewhat irrelevant. My apologies to bym.

This post has been edited by Petrus: Feb 28 2010, 05:14 PM

Really looks, sounds, reads like an intresting book... poses a difficult question one that I've felt to put to a few people, how does an aestetic (sp) come to realise his or her purpose on earth? They say that the transendental nature to indian philosophy is what has the country in a mess... how can such a spiritually involved people living in a nation of practicioners with an adage culture of enlightenment be so far past impoverished? Because their culture sees the material world as an illusion and places emphasis on 'spiritual materialism' to compensate...? Free oneself, to hell with the rest?

Book seems relevant across board, would like to know what solution he suggests.

Had this bump into me today,

"To be absorbed in the world around and never turn a thought within, as is the blind condition of some who are carried away by what is plesant and tangiable, is one extreme as opposed to simplicity. And to be self absrobed in all matters, where it be duty to God or man, is the other extreme, which makes a person wise in his own conciet - reserved, self consious, uneasy at the least thing which disturbs his inward self-complacency. Such faulse wisdom, in spite of its solemnity, is hardly less vain and foolish than the folly of those who plunge headlong into worldly pleasures.

The one is intoxicated by his outward surroundings, the other by what he belives himself to be doing inwardly; but both are in a state of intoxication, and the last is the worst state than the first because it seems to be wise, though it is not really, and so people do not try to be cured.

Real simplicity lies in a juste milieu equally free from thoughtlessness and affectation, in which the sould is not overwhelmed by externals, so as to be unable to reflect nor yet given up to the endless refinements which self consiousness induces. That sould which looks where it is going without loosing time arguing over every step or looking back perpetually, posseses true simplicity"

The perennial philosophy on Mortification, non attachment - Fenelon
P131

Sums it up quite well me thinks.

Haunted by relevant text today... applies both here and to the question, "what makes a ritual sucessful" perhaps....

"But if mystical awareness is so close then what prevents ius from experiencing it every other day? This question goes to the very heart of the problem. The answer, in a single sentance, is that consiousness tends to focus upon what we lack rather than what we posess. From the moment we are born we struggle to achive the things we lack, or think we lack; food and drink, possesions, the esteem of other people, security, personal fulfilment. It is only when we are faced with some threat or crisis that we grasp how lucky we are, how much we already posess. Then suddenly consiousness ceases to focus upon what we still want and focuses upon what we already have - This is the fundamental essence of Buddahism: to cease to be driven by desire.

Beyond the occult - Colin wilson
P322