Spiritual materialism or spiritual narcissism are terms used to describe mistakes spiritual seekers commit which turn the pursuit of spirituality into an ego building and confusion creating endeavor. This is based on the idea that ego development is counter to spiritual progress. Chögyam Trungpa coined the term spiritual materialism with his book Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism from talks explaining Buddhism given while opening the Karma Dzong meditation center in Boulder, Colorado. He expands on the concept in later seminars that became books such as Work, Sex, Money.
Conventionally, it is also used to describe capitalist or commercial efforts such as "new age" bookstores and wealthy lecturers on spirituality. Also it might mean the attempt to build up a list of credentials or accumulate teachings in order to present oneself as a more realized or holy person. Author Jorge Ferrer equates the terms, though others draw a distinction that spiritual narcissism is believing that one deserves love and respect or is better than another because one has accumulated spiritual training instead of the belief that accumulating training will bring an end to suffering.
Read more about Spiritual Materialism: Lords of Materialism, Ego
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