There's this ad that I see on TV frequently, which I think is symptomatic of our society today. It depicts a young woman shopping like crazy...she picks up shoes, clothes, accessories, visits a spa etc. Laden with bags from designer stores in both hands, she comes to her apartment door and stares in shock. The bags fall from her hands - there's an eviction notice on her door.
The ad is for 'debt management'. I find this scenario to be very common in the consumerist society we live in. More so in North America, arguably the birthplace of much of the Material. We try to keep up with the Joneses no matter what. We are unable to understand and keep to our limits.
It is however a misconception that this phenomenon is prevalent only in this hemisphere. All over the world, rampant consumerism has contributed to a culture of knowing the cost of everything and the value of nothing, to paraphrase a noted writer.
Once we are able to still the dictates of our good sense and thriftiness, the values of our parents and grandparents, who lived in a far simpler world, to pursue the latest in gadgetry, we are only digging ourselves in deeper.
The sages of old were clear on the kernel of truth - they deemed desire to be the root of all evil. Our desire to want more, whether it is material things or intangibles like happiness (what a misunderstood term that is!), we will continually fall into the trap.
As Krishna said in the Bhagwad Gita, renounce your desires, do your work without the hope for results and rewards - that is the path of a karma yogi. For us householders who inhabit multiple identities of child, spouse, parent and employee, no better credo than this can be inculcated within our selves. It's the most practical path to follow.
No comments:
Post a Comment