“We think the soul is for nature, we identify ourselves with nature, that spirit is for flesh and man ‘lives to eat’ rather than ‘“‘eats to live.’ We are continually making this mistake; we are regarding nature as ourselves as nature and becoming attached to it. This attachment creates a deep impression on the soul, making us work like slaves.” — Swami Vivekananda
When we buy a new car, get promoted, or fall in love, we’re delighted. But the effect wears off and we return to our baseline level of happiness. This is the hedonic treadmill, meaning that we return to our base level of happiness despite major positive or negative events in life.
The pursuit of comfort makes life a cycle of working hard to own more things for that momentary delight while complaining that we have no peace.
Happiness doesn’t increase from owning more. It increases from self-realization, which comes from engaging with our surrounding consciously. When instead of letting possessions control us, we control them, use them as means to discover our meaningful pursuits, and to devote ourselves to them. Like making art, fulfilling our duties, and pursuing knowledge.
Such svādhyāya (study of oneself) leads to growth, which, in turn, frees you from the addiction to possessions.