Why do we desire to accumulate material possessions?

A Buddhist-inspired response: "Why" isn't really a helpful way to think about it. We'll never know. The fact is, that's the way life is--for people and animals and insects--all beings are in the same boat. We all cling and desire and so we suffer. We'll never know why life is like that, so working on that question will be fruitless. A more fruitful question, according to the Buddha: what should we do about it?

I'd say because of that fact. We're alone when we're born and when we die. Therefore while we live we try to be close to something else.

Kneck yes i completely agree with you and my next question was probably going to be that....looks like you red my mind. So maybe the right question then is what should we do about it. There are many a times i feel i shud be doing what i feel is gud and what i enjoy but sometimes that things is so out of the normal and impractical that i get confused if one shud be practical and emotional abt what one needs to do.?

Perchik, your answer makes sense but then again the question is how much shud you cling to what? I mean this whole cycle of life makes you so materialistic, where is it that one draws the line?

I'd say people are the "line" .

I think that since we're born alone and die alone, we should in our lifetimes try to have relationships with other people. In my mind, the materialism is another issue entirely.

I think that materialism manifests from the world around us. We see others who are "happy" with a lot of stuff. Therefore we begin to associate happiness with having stuff . Of course this brings up the issue of "What is happiness?" and that my friend, is another question entirely.

Because everyone is looking for something that'll bring meaning to their life. People look for it in all sorts of things: toys and games early on in life, more expensive and complicated toys and games as adults, relationships, sex, family, etc. But these things only bring a temporal satisfaction, before we want something new, something better.
Only when we enter into a relationship with God, the giver of all good gifts, including the things mentioned above, and through Jesus Christ, who offers forgiveness of sins, can we ever find contentment and a peace which transcends understanding.

Power