Why Westerners Struggle to Fully Assimilate Eastern Spirituality
Not feelin' it? It might be how you're wired...
Disclaimer:
This is, of course, a broad generalization. What I’m exploring here is a personal observation of why the Western mind often struggles to fully absorb and integrate Eastern spiritual systems—and, to some extent, why the reverse might also be true. However, as a Westerner, I don’t feel qualified to deeply assess how Eastern minds engage with Western ideas. That said, I recognize that not everyone will agree with the overarching conclusions here, and that’s fine.
This piece is particularly relevant for those who have left—or are trying to retain aspects of—Gaudiya Vaishnavism after stepping away from ISKCON or other structured Gaudiya sects. Many ex-devotees find themselves questioning whether they “failed” at the tradition or simply didn’t surrender deeply enough. What I’m suggesting here is that it’s not necessarily an issue of personal failure at all. Rather, it may be that Western and Eastern ways of thinking, perceiving, and internalizing spiritual ideas are fundamentally different, shaped by distinct histories, cultures, and psychological frameworks. Understanding that difference can bring clarity, closure, and a renewed sense of agency in shaping one’s own spiritual path.
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Westerners have been fascinated with Eastern spirituality for a long time, drawn by its philosophical depth, vast mythologies, and intricate psychological frameworks. Unlike the more simplistic, salvation-driven structures of Christianity and Islam, Eastern traditions offer something sprawling—an ecosystem of gods, reincarnations, karmic consequences, mystical states, and seemingly endless wisdom traditions.
To many, this feels more like a profound system for understanding existence rather than a rigid set of rules about sin and redemption. Hinduism and Buddhism, in particular, explore states of consciousness, the illusory nature of self, and how one’s actions ripple across lifetimes in ways that are conceptually richer than the binary heaven/hell model of Western religion.
So it’s no surprise that many Western seekers, disillusioned with their own traditions, gravitate toward these systems with enthusiasm.
But something strange happens. Many of them, after years of study, devotion, or practice, quietly step away. Some repackage what they learned into something more personally tailored. Others reject it entirely, feeling as if they were chasing a promise that never fully delivered.
This raises an important question: Why does Eastern spirituality often fail to fully take root in the Western mind?Why does the initial attraction so often lead to either disillusionment or a modified, Westernized version of the practice?
The Myth of the Wise Sage: How Westerners Romanticized the East
A big part of the Western fascination with Eastern spirituality comes from how it has been mythologized and reinterpreted through Western eyes. There’s a romantic vision of the enlightened mystic, the reclusive sage meditating in a Himalayan cave, detached from worldly concerns, offering cryptic yet profound wisdom.
This is a deeply Western way of imagining spirituality—one that fits neatly into the hero’s journey narrative. The Western seeker sees themselves as the wanderer who must leave behind their old world, venture into unknown territory, and receive sacred wisdom from a master before returning transformed.
But this is not actually how Eastern spirituality functions in practice.
• Gurus are not hermits waiting to be discovered—they run organizations, collect followers, and operate hierarchical systems that require devotion and surrender.
• Spirituality in the East is deeply communal and ritualistic, rather than a quiet, personal search for inner truth.
• The teacher-student dynamic is not about mentorship—it’s about submission. The guru is often seen as a necessary intermediary between the student and enlightenment.
This is where many Western seekers start to feel friction. They come in expecting a wise, independent guide, but instead find a strict, structured hierarchy with expectations of obedience and total acceptance of the tradition.
The problem isn’t just that Westerners are unwilling to submit—it’s that submission is not how they instinctively approach wisdom.
In the West, even in religious contexts, teachers are meant to be questioned, systems are meant to be challenged, and personal interpretation is seen as a strength. The idea that one must abandon all intellectual independence and surrender to a guru for enlightenment quickly becomes intolerable for many.
How the 1960s Counterculture Paved the Way for Eastern Thought in the West
The mass adoption of Eastern spirituality in the West didn’t happen in a vacuum—it was directly tied to the psychedelic revolution of the 1960s.
By the time Eastern gurus arrived in the West, LSD and other hallucinogens had already cracked open people’s perceptions of reality. The psychedelic experience had shown a generation that the mind could be expanded, identity could dissolve, and reality was not as fixed as it seemed.
So when teachers like Prabhupada (Hare Krishnas), Maharishi Mahesh Yogi (Transcendental Meditation), and various Zen and Tibetan Buddhist figures came to America, they found a generation already primed for mystical ideas.
• Drugs had created the experience—but it was chaotic, unpredictable, and sometimes terrifying.
• Eastern traditions seemed to offer a structured way to achieve the same results—without drugs.
• Many seekers wanted the “ego death” of LSD but through meditation, chanting, or devotion instead.
This created a huge wave of adoption—but one built more on personal experiences than deep cultural understanding. Many early adopters were still Western-minded at their core—seeking transcendence, self-mastery, or altered states of awareness rather than the traditional Eastern goal of surrendering the self entirely.
For a while, this mismatch wasn’t obvious. The excitement, the novelty, and the promise of enlightenment kept people invested. But over time, the differences between East and West started to emerge in unavoidable ways.
Why Eastern Thought Developed Differently Than Western Thought
A big part of why Westerners struggle to fully assimilate Eastern spirituality comes down to why these traditions evolved the way they did.
Eastern religious traditions grew out of specific environmental, social, and historical conditions that were very different from those in the West.
1. Climate and Geography Played a Role
• In India, year-round warm climates allowed for renunciatory lifestyles. A wandering ascetic could survive without possessions—try doing that in medieval Europe.
• Vegetarianism worked because food was abundant year-round. In colder regions, meat was often a survival necessity, shaping different cultural attitudes.
• Sacred river bathing became a ritual—partly for spiritual reasons, partly for hygiene.
2. Eastern Societies Were More Collectivist, While Western Societies Were More Individualist
• Eastern traditions emphasize social harmony, submission to the teacher, and collective rituals.
• Western traditions emphasize personal salvation, internal reflection, and individual interpretation of wisdom.
This fundamental difference means that the “right way” to practice spirituality in one culture feels unnatural in another. Westerners, who instinctively seek personal autonomy, struggle with systems that demand rigid adherence to tradition.
Why Westerners Eventually Modify or Abandon Eastern Spirituality
So what happens when Western seekers reach the point where full submission doesn’t feel right, but they still value parts of what they’ve learned?
They modify it.
• Many Westerners shift from temple life to private practice.
• They create personal altars that mix traditions—Krishna next to Jesus, a Zen scroll beside Norse runes.
• They keep chanting but drop the theological baggage.
• They continue meditating but remove guru worship.
Essentially, they extract the parts that resonate and discard the rest.
This is why Western adaptations of Eastern traditions often look nothing like their original forms. It’s why yoga in the West is a fitness practice rather than a spiritual discipline, and why Buddhist mindfulness has been stripped of karma and rebirth.
At its core, this is because Western seekers aren’t wrong to reject submission, guru worship, or rigid dogma—it just doesn’t align with the way they process and engage with spirituality.
Final Thought: The Journey Was Never Meant to Be One-Size-Fits-All
If you’ve found yourself disillusioned with Eastern traditions, you’re not alone.
Instead of seeing it as a failure, recognize that what you were searching for was never meant to be confined to one system.
Spirituality isn’t about submitting to something prepackaged—it’s about finding something that makes you more fully engaged with life. If that means keeping parts of Eastern thought and discarding the rest, so be it. The real journey isn’t about finding a path—it’s about making your own.