175. YEH DIL MAANGE MORE ………..!

Simplicity has not protected mankind from being discontented. There is always “Yeh Dil Maange More” feel in life. Nevertheless, the things that are desired change significantly. There are some possessions that we own which are not needed anymore, but still we are unable to part with them. There is a struggle in us to decide if we need them or not. Ultimately we decide to keep it and throw them in the lumber room. What is it that does not let us part with things that we seldom need???????? Even though we have a new and better thing to replace the old one, the quest to retain the old is still there why?????? This is purely due to lack of Contentment. Contentment is the art in balancing between what one has and what is needed. Whenever the need is greater than what we have there is lack of contentment. Sometimes contentment is misunderstood to be unreceptive acceptance or lack of interest. It is not the attitude of accepting whatever comes in the way has to be accepted. Real contentment brings happiness within from whatever little or big we have. A man used to come to Kali temple at Dakhineshwar and sacrifice goats to Goddess every year. Ramakrishna Paramamasa tried to advice him against sacrificing mute animals to Goddess, but the man would never heed to him. After some years suddenly the man stopped sacrificing the goats. Ramakrishna Paramamansa was surprised asked him what made him change when he had failed in convincing him about the evil practice. The man replied, “It is true that you had been advising me since long but it was not possible for me to acknowledge your advice then. Now I have lost all my teeth and cannot eat meat, so I have given up sacrificing goats. I am now contented in doing so.” If a person is helpless he tries to become contented. This attitude is only a relief, not real. Contentment has to be a mindful choice it is neither taught nor can it be forced upon. Aristotle says, “I count him braver who overcomes his desires than him who conquers his enemies; for the hardest victory is over self.” To be contented is the decision of the self and with the attitude. Contented attitude is not having all we want, but it is wanting only what we have. Is it tough to have the feel of contentment??????? It may not be easy, but it is not impossible also. We can practice by asking at the end of the day “Was I content today?” instead of “Was I happy today?” The difference may not be felt for few days but in a weeks time there is a difference in answering that question. Those who feel they were happy would connect their happiness to external happenings like money, power, and appreciation. But then these are short lived and the process of gaining it back is endless. Also it has become very difficult to be happy in this rat race towards happiness. Those who start to feel that they were contented have a sense of satisfaction in them. They are at bliss and this is eternal. They need not take part in the rat race towards happiness. It is like being out of a lock door and experiencing freedom. Contentment is natural wealth while lavishness is artificial poverty says Socrates.