During our worldly pursuits, we develop a strong desire to acquire and posses certain things and attempt to fulfill those desires by performing certain actions. The desire of such objects or actions is called Raga. When the desire is not fulfilled we get agitated or angry and start developing a strong dislike towards the people responsible, sometimes even ourselves. Sometimes when we finally acquire the possession, we fear someone may steal it from us. This feeling of anxiety is called Dwesha. For example, Ravana developed a Raga in Sita and hence brought her to Lanka. When Rama wanted him to return her, he developed a Dwesha with him and fought a war. Yet another Example, Duryodhana desired to become the king and when he felt the Pandavas are a threat he developed Dwesha and fought a war. In both the cases the Raga and Dwesha ultimately ruined them. We must rid ourselves of Raga and Dwesha.The world is a stage that we dance on, a stage where we are mere puppets and our strings are in the hands of our creator – God.
But somehow, we find a way out, loosening the flexible humble strings and exchange them with rigid gold strings moving like the spokes of a wheel of fortune; which often works like a lucky draw. We are only running in circles like a hamster on a wheel; acquiring the latest technology, only to crave for the gadget’s upgrade after a year while selling the older model. It is sad how this loop is growing thicker and tighter, closing in around our necks in a way to strangle us; a world where mobile phones cost a fortune and the cost of healthy living is compromised. We are trapped in this vicious circle to which we are so well adjusted to, that we call it ‘life’. Our purpose in life was intended to be in remembrance of our creator, but we run after material creations. The human mind is quite astounding and amazing, it goes beyond one’s imagination, yet all we spend our thoughts on is winning a mere rat race, whose winner is only a rat.

The attachment to material things demeans the value of our precious life that has been gifted and granted to us. The world of God’s creation is a gift to us wrapped in nature’s beauty but the greed for mundane things makes the human hungry for more. The world of wondrous creations is nothing but a mirage, a mirage seeming so real that we lose sight of what truly is real. Our reality changes so drastically that we lose sight of our purpose. In the bargain, we sell our body, mind and soul into corporate slavery, completely forgetting that our soul is the only thing that is real and is in fact beyond this physical existence.The strings that attach us to the Almighty are pure but with the greed for material things the pure strings get a gold tarnish, diminishing but not eradicating their connection to God. Our ignorance only strengthens the tarnish, which becomes a noose around our necks but with some introspection and peace one can reconnect to God and rise above the greed for materialism. The mirage can all be gone in a moment, if one only looks through it and connects back to one’s humble strings. Detach yourself from the golden strings of the mirage and attach your humble strings once again to God by being passive, developing an attitude of acceptance, and eventually finding peace in the words “yeh sab moh maya hai”.