Slavery by Subscription

Do you think slavery is history? Yes, it may be so in some cases, but do you know most of us in the modern world are really slaves?

To understand this better, consider what slavery is – the enslaved person has absolutely no freedom to make major decisions, or maybe they have some minor choices.

Consider this now, there was a time when people used to own something… they used to own their land, they used to own their own homes, they owned their vehicles and conveyances… however grand or however humble.

But in a subscription-based world we have begun to rent everything. We rent our homes, we rent our vehicles, we rent absolutely everything. We pay every month. When someone wants to get something, they say “Can I afford the payment?”

This slavery… Every month, $1900 here, $450 there, $29.99 somewhere, $9.95 somewhere… $2.99 to store pictures of your child safely? Not to forget you paid a hefty tax on your paycheque to start with.

In effect, you are working for someone else, the only freedom you have is to decide what you can rent with your $125 left over this month.

In other words, you are a slave.

In fact, through subscriptions to this, that, and the other, you have lost even that which was yours outside of your financial situation, your attention, that most precious possession is gone too – think TV, Facebook, Youtube, LinkedIn, WeChat, WhatsApp, Mundane Newspapers, Mundane Magazines, Materialistic Clubs, and much worse.

You spend all your time working to pay others. You spend all your energy falling into the funnels and plans of others. You don’t even own your own attention anymore!

Instead of accepting status quo – ask yourself, do I really need this? Cut the cord, Then pay off some of that debt, earn a bit more choice, pay off more debt, and don’t ever make choices where someone is renting something to you. Even if a subscription to something materialistic sneaks in, as soon as you realize it, unsubsribe!

Ultimately though, while it may be easy enough to rant against those who enslave others, please pause to reflect that even though no one wants to be a slave, everyone is actually a slave.

To what or to who, one may ask.

Everyone is a slave to the desire to be a master – this is the key reason for our enslavement here in the material realm.

ममैवांशो जीवलोके जीवभूत: सनातन: ।
मन:षष्ठानीन्द्रियाणि प्रकृतिस्थानि कर्षति ॥ ७ ॥

mamaivāṁśo jīva-loke
jīva-bhūtaḥ sanātanaḥ
manaḥ-ṣaṣṭhānīndriyāṇi
prakṛti-sthāni karṣati

The living entities in this conditioned world are My eternal fragmental parts. Due to conditioned life, they are struggling very hard with the six senses, which include the mind.

…As fragmental parts and parcels of the Supreme Lord, the living entities also have fragmental portions of His qualities, of which independence is one. Every living entity, as an individual soul, has his personal individuality and a minute form of independence. By misuse of that independence one becomes a conditioned soul, and by proper use of independence he is always liberated….

https://vedabase.io/en/library/bg/15/7/

Where attention goes, energy flows, dear spirit soul.

What are you paying attention to?

Flex those choice muscles, go on, and be free of slavery. If I may assist you in your emancipation, please let me know. Subscribe to yourself, dear soul and to the Eternal Source of you.