I found the following excerpt on X, posted by Swami Krishnadev Satyarthi. It’s really apt for many of us who wonder if materialistic pursuits and spirituality can co-exist. There is no one better than Osho to answer that question, well, any question for that matter.
To read the full transcription of the discourse please click here – Godless Yet So Godly.
Material Progress Without Spiritual Awareness Is an Empty Journey — #Osho
Questioner:
Osho, can a spiritual quest go along with material advancement?
Osho:
There is no contradiction. Spiritual growth can go with material advancement. Just one thing has to be remembered: material advancement should function as a servant, and spiritual growth should remain the master.
At no point should spiritual growth be sacrificed for material advancement. At any time, whenever it is needed, material advancement can be sacrificed for spiritual growth. If this is clear, then there is no problem.
The problem arises only because material advancement remains the master and still you want to grow spiritually. Spirituality cannot grow as a servant. Your spirit cannot be a servant to your body. Your spirituality has to be a master, then everything can function as a servant and can help it.
There is no need to divide life. For those who can manage it this way – putting spiritual growth as a priority, and material advancement only as helpful to it, never against it, always with it and for it – there is no problem.
This has to be made clear to all the religions of the world. The East has chosen half – spiritual growth – and become afraid of material growth. Who knows? – it may become the master, it may take the priority. Hence the East is poor, sick.
The West went to the other extreme – they devoted their whole energy to material advancement, forgetting completely that material advancement in itself is meaningless. It leads you nowhere; it leads you only into deep frustration, finally, into a meaningless life where you can see clearly that you wasted your whole life collecting rubbish, junk.
And it does not give you peace, it does not give you silence. It has not been able to make you aware of truth. And now death is approaching and your hands are empty. Your whole life has been just a desert.
The West is spiritually poor, materially rich. The East is materially poor, spiritually rich. But both are half, and both are suffering. My effort is that there should be a synthesis – and a synthesis is possible. Just remember who is the master and who is the servant.
— Osho
The Sword and the Lotus, Chap #11 – Godless and Yet So Godly
For Krishnan and I, after the bankruptcy, it was important to be financially secure because it’s impossible to think of anything on an empty stomach. We were very clear that once we had enough to live well, both of us would give up our regular jobs and focus on our spiritual growth, plus use our skills to help others. So setting up ShikshaDaan was the first thing Krishnan did as soon as he turned 50 and quit full time work. I joined ShikshaDaan full time in 2015 when I quit full time work.
The last 14 years of ShikshaDaan have been fulfilling and a very rewarding experience. As far as our spiritual growth is concerned, we had been listening to Osho’s discourses and reading his books since 1991. We didnt meditate, except during the few meditation camps that we attended after taking Sannyas in 2018. With Krishnan leaving his body suddenly in Jan this year, the one thing that has helped me the most is meditation. I wish we had made it a priority earlier …. but some lessons are learnt the hard way. This is the hardest way for me :(.
Will share my experiences of meditating daily soon.
Thank You Master … 🙏🏿
Disclaimer – I post excerpts from Osho’s books and discourses and sometimes share his quotes. In most of the posts, the link to the full audio or full transcript is given. Osho is the Master, and to understand him, please listen to him or read his books. These excerpts are my limited interpretations with my limited understanding. Nothing original and I could be totally off the mark. The highlights and italics/bold font is also done by me.