Why Materialism Traps Us in a Disharmonious Cycle & How Chetasyog Offers Freedom 🌌
In today’s fast-paced world, it feels like we’re always chasing something—whether it’s the latest phone, a bigger house, a fancy car, or more recognition at work. But have you ever paused to wonder… why are we running this race? 🤔
Let me break it down step by step in a way that’s easy to understand, using simple analogies and emojis. Let’s explore how materialism creates a vicious cycle and leads to a disharmonious life, and more importantly, how the ancient wisdom of Chetasyog helps us step out of this trap. 🌟
1️⃣ Materialism Creates Comparison 🏆
Imagine life as a garden 🌳. Each person has their own plant to nurture. But when materialism enters the picture, we stop caring for our own plant and start looking at others’ gardens.
📱 “Why does their phone look better than mine?”
🚗 “Why does their car shine more than mine?”
👗 “Why does their house look bigger than mine?”
This constant comparison makes us believe that our own life is somehow “less than” others. It’s like comparing your humble plant to your neighbor’s rose garden and feeling inferior. 🌹
👉 But comparison is deceptive. It makes us blind to our own journey and happiness.
2️⃣ Comparison Breeds Competition ⚔️
Once comparison takes root, competition naturally follows.
❓ “If they have it, I must also have it. I should work harder, earn more, get ahead.”
🏃♂️ The race begins.
This competition is not healthy or constructive. It pushes people to do more, consume more, and achieve more, not because they truly desire it, but because they don’t want to feel left behind.
👉 Analogy: Think of it like running on a treadmill set by society. No matter how fast you run, the finish line keeps moving farther away.
💡 The sad truth is that this competition doesn’t bring real joy. It only fuels stress, anxiety, and a sense of emptiness.
3️⃣ Competition Fuels Aspirations 🚀
As competition grows, our aspirations skyrocket.
🌟 “I want a bigger car…
🏢 I want a higher salary…
🎓 I want to climb the corporate ladder…”
These aspirations feel like stars in the sky—distant, bright, but unreachable. The more we desire, the more we feel incomplete.
👉 Analogy: Imagine trying to catch stars with your bare hands. The harder you reach, the more they seem to drift away.
But why do we keep chasing them? Because we believe that having more will make us happier. This is where the illusion of materialism blinds us. 💭
4️⃣ Aspirations Drive Consumption 💸
Once our aspirations are fueled by comparison and competition, the next step is consumption.
📱 People buy the latest gadgets,
🛍️ purchase branded clothes,
🚗 upgrade to luxury cars,
🏡 move into bigger homes.
👉 It’s like trying to fill a bucket with a hole at the bottom. No matter how much water (or material goods) you pour in, the emptiness doesn’t go away.
We buy to feel fulfilled, but the satisfaction lasts only a short time. Then the desire for the next “better thing” emerges.
🔄 It becomes a never-ending cycle.
5️⃣ Consumption Leads to Debt Trap 💳
Most people don’t have unlimited resources 💰, so to maintain this lifestyle, they turn to loans, credit cards, and other forms of debt.
⚠️ “I can’t afford it right now, but I’ll pay later.”
💳 “I’ll use EMI (Equated Monthly Installments) to get that car now.”
👉 Analogy: It’s like borrowing soil to grow your plant, hoping it will keep growing forever. But borrowed soil eventually runs out, and you are left with an unstable plant.
Debt is like a chain that keeps people bound, making them work harder and longer just to pay off what they owe. Instead of enjoying life, they are trapped in a constant struggle for survival.
🌌 The Bigger Picture: Disharmonious Synergy Between Self-Me & Life-Is.
All this—materialism, comparison, competition, aspirations, consumption, and debt—reflects a fundamental disharmony between Being-Self Individual Existence (Self-Me) and Being-Life Cosmic Consciousness (Life-Is).
👉 Analogy:
Imagine a river flowing smoothly (Life-Is), and a small boat (Self-Me) trying to navigate it.
In harmony, the boat flows effortlessly with the river’s current.
🌊
In disharmony, the boat struggles against the current, gets stuck in whirlpools, or even capsizes.
When Self-Me is caught in materialistic desires, it reacts based on mindset perceptions. This creates resistance against the natural rhythm of life. Instead of flowing with Life-Is, the individual becomes entangled in artificial struggles.
💡 In Chetasyog, this is seen as a state of disharmonious synergy, where Self-Me loses connection with Life-Is and feels fragmented, stressed, and incomplete.
🌱 How Chetasyog Offers a Way Out 🌟
Chetasyog teaches us not to run after external desires, but to develop mindful awareness of the natural synergy between Life-Is and Self-Me.
🧘♂️ Instead of reacting based on comparison and competition, Chetasyog invites us to respond with mindful attention.
👉 Analogy:
Imagine learning to sail your boat skillfully, not by fighting the river, but by understanding its flow.
🌊
By observing the river’s currents, knowing when to paddle and when to steer, the journey becomes effortless.
💡 The core insight is this:
- Causes and consequences are Life-Is’s natural rhythm.
- Self-Me does not control them but can choose to respond mindfully.
Instead of chasing material things to feel “better than others,” we learn to observe our own inner state and the outer flow of life, acting from awareness, not compulsive need. 🌼
🌟 The Real Freedom 🌈
True freedom comes not from accumulating more but from understanding the natural harmony of life.
🌱 By letting go of comparison, we stop competing.
🌱 By dropping the illusion of unending aspirations, we reduce consumption.
🌱 By realizing we don’t need debt to feel complete, we regain peace.
💖 Analogy:
Think of life as a dance where Life-Is leads and Self-Me follows in harmony.
🎶 Instead of forcing our own steps, we move gracefully in sync with the cosmic rhythm.
✅ Call to Action
Today, take a small step.
🌸 Instead of comparing yourself to others, ask:
👉 “What makes me truly happy?”
👉 “Am I chasing things because I need them, or because I want to fit in?”
🧘 Pause, observe, and choose mindful awareness.
📚 Read, reflect, and explore practices like Chetasyog that help you understand the natural flow of life.
🌟 Free yourself from the trap of materialism, competition, and debt.
🌿 Your harmonious synergy with Life-Is is already within you. You just need to become aware of it.
🌌 Embrace the flow. Let go of comparison. Live in mindful harmony. 🌈