10/17/2025
When individuals use their belief in God as a badge of honor, a public display meant to elevate themselves above others, they distort the essence of spirituality. This phenomenon, often called spiritual materialism (a term popularized by Chögyam Trungpa), occurs when the ego co-opts spiritual practice for self-aggrandizement. Instead of dissolving the ego, faith becomes a tool to reinforce it.
Authentic devotion is inherently private and transformative. It is not a performance for social validation but a profound inner alignment with the divine. To parade one’s faith as proof of superiority contradicts the very purpose of spiritual practice, which is liberation from ego-driven identity.
Indian philosophy underscores this principle. The Bhagavad Gītā (Chapter 12, Verse 13-14) describes the true devotee as one who is humble, free from pride, and equal toward all beings:
“Adveṣṭā sarva-bhūtānāṁ maitraḥ karuṇa eva ca… sama-duḥkha-sukhaḥ kṣamī”
(One who is free from malice toward any being, friendly and compassionate, and who remains balanced in pleasure and pain.)
Similarly, the Upanishads emphasize śānti (inner peace) and tyāga (renunciation), not of possessions alone but of the ego itself. The Katha Upanishad states:
“When all desires that dwell in the heart are cast away, then the mortal becomes immortal.”
This immortality is not achieved through external displays but through inward surrender.
To wield faith as a weapon or a status symbol is a contradiction. It transforms devotion into an instrument of division rather than unity. Spiritual maturity demands reverence and quiet humility, qualities incompatible with ego-driven exhibitionism. The moment faith becomes a flag waved for recognition, it ceases to be faith and becomes ideology.
In short, the relationship with God is sacred because it is intimate. Its authenticity lies in silence, not spectacle. The ego seeks validation; the spirit seeks dissolution. True devotion is measured not by proclamation but by the absence of self-importance.
