Simple living and high thinking

                          Simple living and high thinking

       Man's real joy contains in simple living, and high thinking. In fact, the world with its variegated attractions is a test ground for his charcter.

Man has been created in such a way that it is the general tendency of the sense organs is to draw the man towards outside things, and not inwards. It is only the self-controlled one can shut his eyes to outward things, and behold the ever effulgent Self within. Such a self-controlled person is called ' Dhirah ' , the courageous one. The famous Sanskrit poet Kalidasa defines that those persons whose minds are not disturbed even in the presence of causes for such agitation,excitement or distraction, only they are called Dhiraah. In his great epic poem Kumarasambhavam, the context is Shiva was doing penance. Parvat, the daughter of the Himalayas, the lord of the mountains, in order to get Shiva as her husband, gave up all her royal comforts, and came to serving him. Lord Shiva, the great ascetic  he was, was not disturbed at all.
According to the Bhagavadgita that man is really courageous ' Dhira' who regards happiness, suffering alike, gold, mud, and stone equanimously, to whom the praise and blame, honorand insult are equal things.
But the natural tendency of common man is to get attracted towards things outside. In the present age of technological advancement and consumerism, there is no limit to attractive things. Working day, and night to earn money at the cost of health, and family, greed, and pride of possessing things, and enjoying them have become the traits of modern man.

The more we consume, the more waste we produce, and spoil the equilibrium , and atmosphere of Nature leading to the ruin of all species including ourselves.

It does not mean one should be always poor, and not enjoy things. But man should earn, enjoy things within limits, and if he has more wealth, it should be donated for the welfare of the society.

Regardless of man's material progress in life, his happiness is determined chiefly by his control over the senses and ability to remain contented with detachment towards the world of objects, realizing their impermanent nature , and running after them like a mirage will lead him nowhere except into the dark pit of unrighteus acts, and endless suffering.

There is a beautiful wise saying in Sanskrit,
" He is poor who is unhappy, not one who does not possess wealth. Likewise, he who has not conquered his senses is pitable, not the poor. He is free who is unattached to objects, but one attached to things is always in bondage."

The great philosopher Socrates was unique , and a model-role for everyone. He believed that a wise person instinctively leads a frugal life. He himself would not even wear shoes. Yet he constantly would go to market place quite often to look at all things on display. One of his friends, observing this was surprised, and asked him the reason for his strange behavior. Socrates said, " I have to go there, and discover how many things I am perfectly happy without."

The famous mystic poet Kabirdas always used to pray- " O Lord, Give me that in which my family is satiated. Neither I remain hungry nor any visitor goes unfed."