Enslavement to Earthly Desires

…results to exploitation of others

By Apolinario Villalobos

We become what we choose in life. We can be nice if we want to, yet, we choose oftentimes, what are the easiest things to do which are the opposite. The earthly desires are all centered on the “self” of our person – our ego. On the other hand, the nice things entail sacrifice, “outward” acts that we do. Earthly desires result to selfish satisfaction while the sacrifice tends to satisfy others which some of us cannot even afford to imagine.

Enslavement to earthly desires may develop as a result from what we observe around us. We learn from the acts of our parents, siblings, neighbors, and other people. Practically, everybody learns from everyone else – a malevolent process. If a child belongs to a family with weak spiritual foundation, hence, the acts of the members are ruled by malice, then, what he sees…he will practice, too, expectedly, as he grows to become a member of the society.

Citing the government cannot be avoided in this regard, as it is supposed to provide us with all the needed corporal security. In a corrupt government such as that of the Philippines, the adage, “if he can do it, I can do it, too” becomes the rule. In other words, if an official can have the courage to rob the coffer or the treasury, then some of his colleagues may develop the same courage to do the same act. That is how the learned evil and selfish desire work. On the other hand, investigations on the crime may also be tainted still with self-serving intent on the part of the conducting parties… another earthly desire!

Meanwhile, the poor and exploited constituents are left gaping in wonder if justice can be had…that is the sorry state of the Philippines.