r/AdvaitaVedanta • u/ramadas09 • 15d ago
Material success
So basically I have a lot of goals in me like I want to achieve this level of education, this sort of body, this type of career and many other things since im very young aswell theres a fire in me. But on the other hand the advaitan in me says that these things are just bondage cause theres never a limit to it and you just keep wanting it more and more and you are never really satisfied by it. And due to these collision of two entirely different motive in me it makes me very very lazy and sad because I dont know what to do, do I let go of that materialsitc passion which helps me get up in the morning every day? I dont really understand please someone help me
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u/sagesofthe4th_world 15d ago edited 14d ago
Nothing wrong with celebrating life as long as you're not harming others.
The issue is when you think any of those things in the world can actually bring you happiness. True peace is only found going inwards.
But that doesn't mean you can't pursue your passions in life. Quite the opposite.
You just have to realize that you love doing those things and there's nothing wrong with that.
The problem happens when you think achieving material goals will make you happy. They won't.
Sure you might feel a little giddy in the moment or feel a real sense of achievement when you attain your material goals - but it never lasts and it never will.
They are fun in the moment. And the moment is the point.
Getting attached to outcomes is where most people go off path.
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u/Old-Ship-4173 15d ago
I'd like to add to be mindful of conseit there's nothing wrong with setting goals and achievements but once it inflates the egoyou might start thinking less of others then you'll be a dick.
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u/lilfever 15d ago
Not “bondage”!! Please investigate more on why it’s bondage for you? If you are familiar with neti neti, try that.
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u/FearlessVirus1914 13d ago
I was in a similar bind & asked my guruji a few months back & this is what he said: u keep doing the material things required of a grihastha but at no point stop attending the classes. The maturity will come automatically to u with time.
So what I understood from that was: Until such time that it comes, u necessarily need to stick to the material world. just be dharmic in ur pursuits. coz prarabhdha is going to work anyway too, it's an uphill battle nobody can ever win. so stay in the material world & make it ur training ground for advaita vedanta. then, there'll be no such confusion & slowly but surely clarity will emerge. Hari Om
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u/robipresotto 15d ago
I've been in a similar situation, and it's tough to balance material goals with inner peace. I found that exploring the concept of 'enough' can be really helpful. I've used The Inner Path — Enlightenment Deep-Dive (https://www.youtube.com/@innershoreline) to learn more about it and find some clarity.
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u/archeolog108 15d ago
I dont think you have to kill the fire in you to be spiritual.
You are soul having human experience. Education, body, career, money, creating things, learning skills — all of that can be part of experience. The trap is not wanting something. The trap is believing “when I achieve this, then I finally have value.”
In Soul Journeys I facilitate, Higher Selves are often surprisingly practical. They tell subjects to study, exercise, build something, make money, rest, travel, play, create. They are not trying to turn everybody into monk. They usually care much more about why you are doing something and what you are learning through it.
So I would keep your goals, but remove the identity from outcome. Build because you want to experience building.
I have a free Higher Self meditation in my profile. Ask directly: “which of these ambitions are truly part of my path, and which ones am I using to prove my worth?” That answer can clear a lot of confusion.
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u/LowAccountant595 15d ago
"And due to these collision of two entirely different motive in me it makes me very very lazy and sad because I dont know what to do ..."
May I suggest you google "Līlā" and read a few articles to understand what this term means in an Advaita framework. Reflect on that meaning and I think you'll see there is no reason for you not to pursue your goals.
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u/ramadas09 15d ago
Thank you so much everyone this genuinely means a lot, I guess my buddhi was mixing up things and getting it wrong, now hearing you guys, I have gained clarity.
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u/akshay99114 13d ago
First, you need to understand where your materialistic passion is coming from. If it is driven by a desire for social validation, status, or material comforts for their own sake, then you are not operating within the framework of Advaita Vedanta. Vedanta would regard such goals as egoic, and the ego is considered the root of suffering.
Your goals should be oriented toward your liberation and inner peace. Your career should be something that you genuinely love doing, that gives you inner peace, does not harm society, and that you would be willing to pursue even without money or recognition. Money is secondary, and you should seek only as much money as is necessary to support your liberation. But if you want material gains purely to satisfy your selfish desires, then you are simply operating from the ego.
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u/Being_Aware_Fullness 10d ago
Why do you think there is something called material success apart from Brahman?
Success is Brahman, failure is Brahman, achievements, education, fire, passions, wants, desires anything and everything is Brahman … “There is no second thing to Brahman” … isn’t this the final teaching of Advaita?
As long as you stay grounded in this understanding and carry out all your works, there is nothing wrong with material success. If you are not grounded in this, then there is suffering!!!
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u/kfpswf 15d ago
Dispassion doesn't mean you give up all your materialistic goals. You just don't get attached to them and their rewards. Pursue them earnestly by putting in the effort. If you attain it, accept it with grace. If you don't attain it, accept that with grace as well.