Most of us are familiar with the term “spiritual materialism.” Chögyam Trungpa coined this term in his book Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism. There is more to it, however, than meets the eye. Foremost, it is not analogous with going into some ‘new age’ store with all kinds of incense, scented candles, crystals, and so on. Nor is it analogous with seeking enlightenment, bliss or spiritual states.
Using Chögyam Trungpa’s words, Spiritual materialism is to “deceive ourselves into thinking we are developing spiritually when instead we are strengthening our egocentricity through spiritual techniques.” Perhaps more basic, as far as deceiving ourselves, we are strengthening our ties with the Five Aggregates, the fundamental basis of egocentricity, through various spiritual techniques such as zazen, an over reliance on a teacher, dependence on a Dharma center, the need for devotional practices, etc. In so doing, we are unaware of the most pivotal part of Buddhism. Nirvana does not have to be made or fashioned. We only have to remove that which makes it seem absent. This is why Chögyam Trungpa uses in the title the term, “cutting through” which implies superseding the Five Aggregates, the aggregates being the whole kingdom of Mara the Evil One who, according to the Mahavastu, represents unskilled states of mind among other things.
Making this a bit simpler, worthwhile spiritual practices must always act to cut through any and all tendencies to aid and serve the Five Aggregates of form, sensation, perception, predispositions, and consciousness which make up the person or individual (satkaya) beginning at inception. Zazen, for example, aids and serves the Five Aggregates when the aggregate of form is made necessary. True, zazen, on the other hand, has nothing to do with sitting or form, which is the first aggregate. This is why Zen master Mat-su said, “No cultivation and no sitting are the Tathagata’s pure meditation” and Zen master Shido Munan cryptically said, “Not doing zazen is no other than zazen itself.” Their words are essentially attacking form or the same, the belief that zazen is a physical technique. (Sometimes during meditation Trungpa with a toy water pistol would sneak up on unsuspecting meditators and squirt them.)
Important, too, is the unwholesome reliance on teachers to do our spiritual house cleaning for us, or worse, expect them to paddle our raft across the waters of samsara to yonder shore of nirvana. Such an attitude can only strengthen our connection with the Five Aggregates. Not only must a good teacher help us to cut through our errant tendencies to strengthen the Five Aggregates, he or she must make sure those looking for the perfect teacher must be corrected. Incidentally, Chögyam Trungpa it seems was a master at revealing to is students their unconscious idealization of the true teacher who, ironically, acted a lot like Mara the Evil One! (Sometimes Trungpa would break off car antennas or have his students carry him around naked at a party. He drank alcohol, took drugs and enjoyed many pleasures. He was a true hedonist. He rode around in a chauffeured Mercedes; he had servants; he lived like a corporate CEO in other words.)
Using spiritual practices to strengthen our ties with the Five Aggregates is at the heart of spiritual materialism. Very few practitioners are aware that they are engaged is strengthening the aggregates—not cutting through their powerful veil. Just as important, they are trying to fashion an enlightened state instead of removing all (sarvam) reaching the unremovableness of pure Mind, i.e., the highest emptiness.
Chögyam Trugpa, I am guessing, when he came to the United States was not unaware that Americans were extremely deceived; who were thirsting for a living Buddha or some great Dharma teacher. For anyone who truly grasps even a small portion of Buddhism they can see that Trungpa’s behavior brought to the surface of his students their own bizarre expectations and understandings of what a true a spiritual teacher is, all of which needed to be eliminated. This reminds me of the words from the Mahayanasamgraha that go:
“How is it that a Bodhisattva acts perversely and lewdly? In that he elicits thoughts about perversity of the sensual desire of [sentient beings].”
Those who suffer most from spiritual materialism unconsciously crave the Five Aggregates; who deny the invisible spirit, prakritivisuddhicitta (nature of pure Mind); deny the immortal (amrita); who, in fact, deny the teachings of the Buddha! Rather than remove that which makes ultimate reality seem absent, they do zazen or chant so as to strengthen the Five Aggregates of Mara the Evil One.
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