1. What is materialism?

    You have rightly pointed out that people are becoming more materialistic in this age on account of their forgetfulness of Krsna consciousness. Actually, there is nothing like materialism. Materialism means forgetfulness of Krsna or God. We are preaching therefore Krsna consciousness. In the Srimad-Bhagavatam it is said that the first-class religion is that which teaches love of Godhead. At the present moment, one professes a type of religion, but does not develop the real purpose of religion, namely love of Godhead–that is materialism. Materialism does not mean that one has to possess so many things, the actual fact is that one may be a perfect
    transcendentalist or spiritual man by possessing the whole world and one may be a gross materialist without possessing a farthing. So this distinction can be made on the basis of consciousness. When one is Krsna conscious, possessing everything in the world, he is the perfect spiritualist, and one may have renounced everything in the world, but lacking in Krsna consciousness he is a gross materialist.

    Srila Prabhupada; letter to Birlaji, 23rd April, 1970