Today’s thought –
“Our most basic human goal outside of survival, is happiness. Everything we do is an attempt to enjoy our lives. A big part of happiness I think, is contentment. I’m not talking about complacency or apathy; rather, I am talking about being able to get through the day and feel peaceful about life. I am always striving to find balance to achieve contentment without becoming complacent in my life.”
– http://lifegoddess.com/2007/09/26/how-to-find-contentment-in-your-daily-life/
And now for Kabir Day 31:
The couplet, transliterated:
Godhan gajadhan baajidhan, aur ratan dhan khan |
Jo aavai santosh dhan, sub dhan dhoori samaan ||
Translation:
Cattle, gold, silver, precious stones, man stores as wealth |
But once he finds contentment, it cannot be matched by any other wealth ||
My understanding:
As the quote above says, the chase for ‘more’ of everything material is the root cause for all our discontent. If we accumulate wealth, then we have to worry about taking care of it and ensuring it stays intact. The tax-man needs to be kept satisfied and up-to-date – more aggravation. The accountant needs to be paid – biting into the accumulation. Which all means more work to keep the sum collected intact and if possible, growing sufficiently to keep up to all the gnawing it is subject to.
Contentment, on the other hand (as different from complacence) is a well that gives more the more we draw from it – it is the proverbial Holy Grail – the cup that never goes empty.
Hence the old blessing – be content, and prosper!