Materialism: The Root Cause of Crime

Question: Crime seems to be getting more and more out of control. Can you explain why?

Jagad Guru: A kid steals a candy bar because he wants to enjoy the taste; a dope addict sticks up a grocery store, shooting the owner, in order to get the money he needs to get “high”; a bank executive embezzles a million dollars so he can run off with his girlfriend to enjoy life in the Bahamas. What is the common motive behind these crimes? The desire for sense gratification.

“Violence in modern societies is ... increasingly associated with the commission of property crimes as individuals are willing to resort to whatever means necessary to secure desired goods.”
Louise I. Shelley "Crime and Modernization"

Discover a Deep, Lasting Happiness that Money Can’t Buy

Question: I grew up in a relatively poor family and I always envied the movie stars I watched on TV and read about who got whatever they wanted, traveled anywhere in the world, and ate at the best restaurants. I was certain living that lifestyle would make me happy. I worked day and night and saved every penny I got, eventually establishing a lucrative business that went public. For years I was caught up in the excitement of enjoying the “high life” I’d always dreamed of. But deep down inside, I still had this nagging feeling that something was missing. Then I started noticing that many of the rich and famous stars seemed just as empty as I felt, some even killing themselves. Why are people who seem to have it all still miserable?

Cultivating Wisdom and Spiritual Love

“The wise have explained that one result is derived from the culture [cultivation] of [transcendental] knowledge, and that a different result is obtained from the culture [cultivation] of nescience [ignorance].”
—Sri Ishopanishad, Mantra Ten

For one who lives a hedonistic life, a life of exploitation of others, the results are envy, anger, greed, impatience, disrespect for others, anxiety, depression, hatred, ever-increasing lust, forgetfulness, frustration, dissatisfaction, duplicity, fear of death and so on.

Becoming Free from Envy and Frustration

Question: I’m embarrassed to admit this, but sometimes I don’t even want to be around my best friend anymore because she is so attractive, smart, funny, and successful in her career, whenever we go out together I feel almost invisible compared to her. Not only do I feel like I’m losing my friend, but it’s burning me up inside. How can I become free from this envy?

Jagad Guru: People envy others because they are covered by ignorance and don’t know their true identity. Although we are atmas, eternal spirit souls, we mistakenly identify ourselves as the temporary material body or ever-changing mind. So in the darkness of ignorance, we try to find satisfaction and happiness in endless sense enjoyment. We then envy those people who have more facilities for sense gratification than we have.

In your case, rather than being happy for your friend’s good fortune, you feel envious.