Trump, Liberals, and the Spiritual Divide

Last week, Donald Trump assumed the presidency, marking a sharp divide between conservatives and liberals. This political struggle mirrors deeper ideological tensions, but my focus isn’t politics. As a spiritual practitioner, I’m interested in the underlying essence of these conflicts.

How Possessions Bind Us

Liberal ideals often emphasize liberation—freedom from constraints and outdated identities. This resonates with a deeper spiritual truth: possessions and attachments can bind us in ways we often overlook.

Consider real estate. Owning property may feel empowering, but it comes with obligations—taxes, maintenance, and immobility. If you want to move, selling and buying elsewhere depends on market forces, leaving you tethered to circumstances beyond your control. Similarly, ideas and beliefs, once “owned,” can weigh us down. We protect them like physical assets, becoming their advocates and defenders, even when they no longer serve us.

Over time, the things we thought would make us happy—possessions, ideas, identities—become burdens. They restrain us, creating a false sense of self that distracts us from our true spiritual nature.

The Liberal Pursuit of Liberation

Recognizing these burdens, liberalism seeks to dismantle false identities and attachments, which is commendable. The Vedas echo this principle, teaching that material possessions and temporary designations cannot bring lasting happiness because they are disconnected from the soul’s eternal nature.

However, this pursuit of liberation is incomplete. Krishna, in the Bhagavad Gita (18.66), says:
Sarva dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja—
Abandon all temporary designations, but surrender to Me.

True liberation isn’t just about letting go of attachments. It’s about anchoring ourselves in a higher purpose, in surrender to the Divine. Without this surrender, liberation risks becoming shallow—a freedom without fulfillment.

Why Conservatives Push Back

This omission explains why many conservatives, especially those with faith-based values, resist modern liberalism. They sense that its vision of liberation lacks something essential: the call to surrender to God. To them, this omission challenges the heart of their spiritual beliefs.

While Krishna also advises discarding false religious identities (upādhis), He emphasizes embracing true religion—our eternal connection to Him. Without this grounding, liberation alone can feel empty. Conservatives instinctively push back because they feel that their core spiritual calling is being ignored or undermined.

The Path Forward

The real path to liberation lies in transcending false identities while embracing our eternal connection with the Divine. It’s not about rejecting all attachments, nor about clinging to them—it’s about discerning what aligns with our true spiritual nature.

The soul, being part of God, can only find lasting happiness in that connection. True liberation comes not from abandoning everything, but from surrendering to Krishna, the ultimate source of fulfillment.