Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami consistently regarded modern society as a mixed field of challenge and possibility for spiritual life. He observed that the dominant ethos of materialism, consumerism, and secularism diverts human attention toward wealth, status, and sensory gratification, and away from inner development and dharma. In his analysis, outer advancement in comfort and technology often coincides with inner impoverishment, expressed as confusion, alienation, and lack of character. This imbalance, he felt, weakens the very capacities—clarity, discipline, and devotion—required for sustained spiritual practice.

A central concern for him was the impact of media and entertainment on the mind. He spoke of the “mental pollution” created when television and similar influences constantly impress the subconscious with fear, desire, and restlessness, especially in the young. Such impressions, in his view, cloud spiritual awareness, disturb the subtle energies, and make concentration and meditation far more difficult. He therefore urged careful regulation of media exposure, recommending that it be used sparingly and consciously, and primarily in ways that support education and dharmic living rather than idle distraction.

He also reflected deeply on the social structures that either support or undermine spiritual growth. The weakening of family bonds, loss of respect for elders, and erosion of traditional values were, for him, not merely social issues but spiritual ones, because the family is the first environment in which dharma, culture, and moral clarity are transmitted. He criticized purely secular education for neglecting moral and spiritual formation, producing individuals who may be technically skilled yet inwardly unanchored. In contrast, he advocated a form of education that integrates scriptural wisdom, temple worship, and character-building with ordinary studies, thereby restoring a sense of duty and community responsibility.

Despite these critiques, his stance was not one of rejection but of disciplined engagement. He encouraged the creation of spiritually centered homes, communities, and āśrams that preserve Hindu traditions, festivals, and the guru-disciple relationship as living realities within contemporary life. Modern tools and institutions, he maintained, can be harnessed for dharmic purposes when guided by clear principles and self-restraint. The essential task, as he framed it, is to live amid modern conditions without being inwardly dominated by them, allowing timeless spiritual disciplines—devotion, ethical living, and regular practice—to transform the very forces that might otherwise obscure the soul’s innate light.