Question
Why materialism is bad in Hinduism?
Answer
Why materialism is bad in Hinduism? Why materialism and materialistic people are bad.
Sanathan dharma does not forbid materialistic enjoyment for everyone. Discouraging pleasures depend on several factors such as the goal, occupation, knowedge, virtue of human under consideration. Pleasures from materials are encouraged by scriptures
For example, you can read the statements by Bhimasena on the importance of pleasures. Many scriptures do explain the importance of materials and pleasures. It should be noted that pleasure (material enjoyments) is a purushartha in sanathan dharma.
So, it is wrong to generalize that Hinduism is against pleasures. It is clear that Hinduism is against the pleasures that are against the virtue (dharma) of that particular human only.
One can be materialistic by enjoying all kinds of legal thinks like alcohol, cigarette, meat and party and girls(i.e., sex).
Sanathan dharma does not forbid the enjoyments you listed, if they falls in to the virtue of that person. It allows parties, sex with married partner, eating meat etc., You can understand it from the words of Vamana
O King, controller of the entire universe, although you are very munificent and are able to give Me as much land as I want, I do not want anything from you that is unnecessary. If a learned brāhmaṇa takes charity from others only according to his needs, he does not become entangled in sinful activities.
Thus sanathan dharma regulates enjoyments based on the human under consideration only.
As Long as you are not harming or abusing someone, it is okay to do the things you like.
It is also important to understand that harming or abusing self, due to insufficient knowledge is always discouraged. A person who believes only in materialism and becomes slave for pleasures with out any wish for permanent happiness (moksha) is obviously discouraged in sanathan dharma. All the pleasures are temporary and everyone should ultimately realise it.
Legality deals more with harming or abusing others and less with harming or abusing oneself. Sanathan dharma deals with both of them. Sanathan dharma does care about the permanent happiness and further lives of an individual also. So, the restrictions are only for gaining permanent happiness and not to fall in the trap of temporary pleasures.
But according to hindusim, materialistic people will be born in evil wombs.
Why is it like that, just because you are enjoying your life without harming anyone and doing thinks that are legal you will be born as a dog or other animal?
It is because of the reason that they want materials and pleasures and not the permanent happiness. They will take birth in this material world only.
In proportion to the extent of one’s religious or irreligious actions in this life, one must enjoy or suffer the corresponding reactions of his karma in the next. O best of the gods, we can see three different varieties of life, which are due to the contamination of the three modes of nature. The living entities are thus known as peaceful, restless and foolish; as happy, unhappy or in-between; or as religious, irreligious and semireligious. We can deduce that in the next life these three kinds of material nature will similarly act. Just as springtime in the present indicates the nature of springtimes in the past and future, so this life of happiness, distress or a mixture of both gives evidence concerning the religious and irreligious activities of one’s past and future lives.
If someone realises that material world is temporary, then there is a chance to get rid of the cycle of birth and death. If someone does not realise the true nature of pleasures then obviously the Jiva takes birth again and again solely due to the seek for pleasures and ignorance.
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