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Happy Diwali - Oshwal News
STORY TIME
Conquer
Your Body :
Do Not
Surrender It
Living in this atmosphere of materialism, it is
rather difficult for us to understand the
importance of the Jain teaching of nonpossessiveness
(APARIGRAH). The
contentment and happiness that comes from
possessing only the essential things in life can
only be experienced. Here is a story that
illustrates this concept.
Once there lived a monk (Sadhu) in a remote
jungle. He lived by himself and had nothing to
worry about. He had only two sets of clothes.
Everyday, he used to wash one set of clothes
and wore the other set. He lived in a modest
hermitage, ate ripe fruits and fresh
vegetables, and enjoyed the fresh air. He was
happy and satisfied with the bare necessities
of life.
The monk lived alone, away from family,
relatives, friends or foes. He spent most of his
time in prayer and meditation, and study and
recitation of scriptures. He did not own
anything and no worries of losing any
possessions. He had no attachment and no
displeasure. He had full control over his
senses. He had gained scriptural knowledge
and had attained a high spiritual status. But
he had no ego or pride. His character was his
spiritual power. All those who approached
him in times of need were inspired and
comforted by his life of simplicity, modesty
and morality.
34
His fame reached the royal court. The king
was intrigued by the stories about the monk.
So he decided to visit him in the jungle. He
was impresses by the spiritual status and
peace of mind attained by the monk. The king
was very happy to see the monk. In return,
the king granted a piece of land to the
hermitage.
The king started coming to the monk for more
knowledge, guidance and peace of mind. He
would bring various gifts for the monk,
thinking that the monk needed them and that
they would make the monk’s life more
comfortable. The king gave a farm, cows and
other farm animals. He hired a number of
servants to take of the cows, and to plough,
sow the seeds, irrigate and fertilize the land.
Now the monk had all amenities of life -
delicious food, fancy clothes, gold, diamonds
and pearls given by the king as tokens of
admiration. Since the king visited the monk
so often, the common people followed suit.
Now the monk had many things to take care
of and protect. He spent considerable time in
looking after the hermitage, the farm and
other property. He was concerned that
somebody may steal his precious things. He
was scared to lose his means of comfort.
Being concerned about materialism, he had
very little time for his spiritual pursuit. He
began to have nightmares. He lost his sleep,
appetite and health. He became oblivious of
the natural beauty around him. Earlier, the
monk had conquered his material desires.
Now he had surrendered to them. The king
and the monk’s other followers noticed the
change in his attitude and character. So the
monk lost their respect too.
Living in this atmosphere of materialism, it is
rather difficult for us to understand the
importance of the Jain teaching of nonpossessiveness
(APARIGRAH). The
contentment and happiness that comes from
possessing only the essential things in life can
only be experienced.
As retold by Harshad A Mehta, USA
"Imagine life as a game in which you are juggling five balls in the air. You
name them -- work, family, health, friends and spirit -- and you're keeping
all of these in the air. You will soon understand that work is a rubber ball.
If you drop it, it will bounce back.
But the other four balls -- family, health, friends and spirit -- are made of
glass. If you drop one of these, they will be irrevocably scuffed, marked,
F
nicked, damaged or even shattered.
They will never be the same. You must understand that
and strive for balance in your life."
An excerpt from a speech given by the CEO of Coca Cola: