Essence of Simplicity
© Sabari Ganesh; “All
Rights Reserved”
authorsabariganesh@gmail.com
https://sarahah.top/u/authorsabariganesh
Ever since our
childhood, we have always been fluctuating among various emotions. However, we
would be able to achieve consensus on the fact that upon ageing; though we have
learnt subtle ways of expressing our other emotions; happiness is the one
emotion that has always been depreciating. The prime reason is our inclination
to become more cynical in our attitude and approach.
Infancy and
childhood are those stages in our lifetime, when we were untouched and
unaffected by peer pressure and collective opinion. Our acts then were
instinctive and genuine, with complete disregard to our surroundings. Even so,
since we were free from thought pollution, the negative impact was negligible.
Growing up has conditioned us to undertake conscious efforts to refrain
ourselves from being instinctive in our actions. The result witnessed is our
inability to be true to ourselves; due to our fear of disapproval by the
society.
We learn to tailor our actions to be acceptable to the
society at large, even though our ideas and thoughts are opposing. Hypocrisy
becomes our resting place that we have earned by trading off our freedom to
express ourselves in the most factual manner. The material comfort and trivial
pleasures are the binding ropes, fuelled by our selfishness that limits our
ability to open and truthful expression. Our state of hypocrisy triggers off an
internal battle of thoughts in us that eventually dethrones our peace of mind
and destroys our happiness.
No amount of
material prosperity achieved out of our hypocritical behaviour is found to be
able to restore our long lost peace of mind. Also, there is no limit to
material prosperity; as upon reaching a mile stone, the focus of our minds goes
farther to another, driven by peer pressure. This makes no room for a sense of
contentment in material prosperity. The result is our experiencing a vague and
everlasting hollowness in our life.
Ancient Indians
were well aware of the hollowness of material pursuits and hence knitted the
entire social setup with religious methods and customs. They were very
effective in streamlining every activity of human being according to their
birth and ancestral heritage. Every person had unique and traditionally
followed routine in life and they were kept enclosed within these practices
ensuring psychological protection. They derived pride and sense of satisfaction
in performing their traditional activity.
The breaking up of
these barricades influenced by western education and culture has resulted in
the unification of functions that needs to be performed in a society – Be it
education, politics, business or service. When arises a situation that
dissolves the segregation of functions among people in a society, rationalism gets
polarized to one single factor – material comfort and authority! Every member
of the society aiming at material comfort passionately, end up in losing every
other aspect of social and personal life in their pursuit of the one thing,
which is inherently insufficient for contentment. The reason being the loss of
balance due to intense passion to achieve a single factor is more devastating
than the benefit accrued out of achievement of material prosperity.
Many westerners
thronging India in pursuit of Vedanta and mental peace; in spite of material
prosperity of the dollar-cultivating land stands testimony to the hollowness of
material pursuits. The solution to and rationale behind a contented life with
peace of mind is to limit our passion be it in any field. The limit is highly
individualistic though is determined by the fulfillment of the basic needs. The
reason being, anything that is imposed by force would trigger the natural human
instinct to oppose.
Applying a limit to
passion in practice is possible only when we train our mind and body to lead a
life with minimum material comfort, despite possessing much wealth; ever since
childhood. The religious practice of fasting, in any religion is a very good
example that educates our mind that we are so very dependent on food and our
individual intellectual acumen is of no avail. However strong a person may be
physically, fasting a month or so, as done during Ramzan festival shall always
remind our ego our dependence on food for our physical and intellectual functioning.
When our ego gets a
beating thus, it subdues and we are able to adhere to a routine of life that is
imposed upon us by various religious practices. The prime objective of any
religion is to restrict and curtail the wagging tail of the mind to a set
pattern and thereby escalate us to higher realms of spiritual experience. For
instance, In Hinduism, A Brahmin is bashed psychologically by not allowing him
to take part in any socially performed religious activity, if he travels across
countries. The reason being his primary task is to learn, teach and recite the
Veda. Whereas, a Vysya is expected to roam around and enhance the material
prosperity of the society and region that he belongs.
A closer
observation would make it evident that the tasks performed by any individual in
this kind of social set up is not for individual prosperity rather for the
betterment of the entire society at large. In spite of much material
prosperity, the traditional daily customs of the Vysya had in fact kept his
indulgence in sensual pleasures to a rational minimum. In a sentence, the
ancient traditional practice aimed at a society that is distinct in functions
but united in vision; similar to the senses of the body – distinct in functions
but united as one body.
Would it be
possible to compare and deduce which organ of the human body is superior to the
other? Similarly in a society! Any institution would be able to withstand the
test of time only if its members complement the other and add positively to the
overall common objective of the institution. This is a profound management
principle well known and put to practice by our ancestors in the form of
religion and customs. Making fun of religious customs and traditions with our now
found intellect is childish.
In our efforts to
be simple, the first step shall be to understand where we actually belong.
Following our traditional daily routine to the maximum extent possible with
minimum compromise shall lead us to the path of peace and bliss. Understanding
our traditional heritage is critical in our efforts to being simple because,
what is simple to a Kshatriya is luxury to a Sudra, or a Vysya or a Brahmin! While
in the path of understanding our lineage and heritage, a process of
introspection begins that controls the wavering of our minds to the luxury showcased
by our peers; and to lead a more sensible and contented life! The essence of
simplicity lies in our finding the cultural and traditional roots that we have
so long missed and reviving it.
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