#245 False Prophets False Promises

In our last couple of talks we explored how we are all seeking “permanence” in an impermanent world (LINK https://acharyadas.com/seeking-permanence-in-the-temporary/)and that we are encouraged to cultivate and pursue what are often unrealistic expectations (LINK https://acharyadas.com/unrealistic-expectations/) . This leads to great unhappiness. And then if we are unhappy, this may be categorized as a mental illness or a mental health issue. In a recent article in the Wall Street Journal “Need Help for Stress and Anxiety? Maybe You Shouldn’t Talk to a Therapist - A psychiatrist explains why therapy isn’t always the answer.” Written by Dr. Samantha Boardman, a clinical instructor in psychiatry and assistant attending psychiatrist at Weill-Cornell Medical College in New York City she even stated that “there might be times when therapy actually does more harm than good?” The full article is available here - https://www.wsj.com/articles/stress-anxiety-help-therapy-f4f6537b A significant underlying problem is the philosophy of materialism, which ignores or denies the existence of the spirit soul or “self” as being who you really are and instead insists on the material body as being who you really are. Social media is drowning in such ideas and is producing so much unhappiness because of this. One new “toy” is TikTok’s new “Bold Glamour” filter which radically transforms how your body/face looks and is having a disturbing effect on young women and girls. https://www.cosmopolitan.com/entertainment/celebs/a43203022/tiktok-bold-glamour-filter/?utm_source=join1440&utm_medium=email&utm_placement=newsletter A 2021 study in the American Journal of Cosmetic Surgery found that “the use of face-altering software on social media has a significant association with the subsequent desire to undergo facial cosmetic procedures.” This becomes a doorway to unhappiness because the body does not last, it naturally declines and dies. But our SM feeds are filled with False Prophets offering False Promises that, in reality, lead to unhappiness. Just like the “religious extremists” these materialists often decry, they preach salvation (from pain, suffering and insecurities), attainment of heaven (unimaginable happiness, bliss/euphoria), and a promise land of material perfection (heaven) – all through “followers”, consumerism, varieties of intoxication, porn, beauty, and the hyper-stimulation of your taste buds. This is a massive problem, founded on the denial or blind ignorance of the reality of my actual spiritual existence.