2. Struggles in the House of Problem Solving
The mind, not content with seeking pleasure alone, also gravitates towards suffering. It thrives on ranting, moaning, and indulging in a multitude of undesirable emotions such as hurt, pain, melancholy, judgments, prejudices, fear, and anger, among others.
An illustrative incident sheds light on this phenomenon. Years ago, a wealthy man from Mumbai expressed his desire to forsake his riches and embrace a peaceful life in Khirsu, a lesser-known village in Uttarakhand, Northern India. Intrigued, a reporter ventured to the village and encountered a humble villager in this rustic and charming vacation spot. Curious, the reporter inquired about the man’s aspirations. To the reporter’s surprise, the villager confessed, “I dream of someday going to Mumbai and amassing wealth in that glamorous city.”
The Choice of Dissatisfaction
When life in the realm of struggle becomes our default setting, we consciously choose to remain dissatisfied. We perpetually seek to fill perceived voids in our lives and, consequently, fail to acknowledge and appreciate our blessings. Our focus remains fixated on comparisons with others and longing for what they possess.
A tale from the 12th-century Indian book of fables, the Hitopadesha, beautifully illustrates this wisdom.
A crow, plagued by despondency, lamented, “I am neither beautiful nor capable of singing melodiously. I am merely a dirty scavenger, perpetually shunned by people.” At that moment, the crow caught sight of a magnificent swan and exclaimed, “Oh, how captivating you are! With your sparkling white feathers and graceful stride, you reside in stunning lakes adorned with blooming lotuses, admired by all.” Humbly, the swan lowered its head and expressed regret, saying, “Dear friend, I am but a plain, unremarkable white bird. However, consider the parrot! He is resplendently green, with a reddish beak and a melodious voice, making him the preferred choice. Humans adore keeping parrots as pets, pampering them excessively.” The crow subsequently encountered a parrot and showered praise upon him, claiming he was the most fortunate bird of all. “I feel incomplete,” confessed the parrot, “I envy the multi-coloured feathers of a peacock. Undoubtedly, it is the epitome of beauty. When it spreads its feathers and dances in the rain, it creates the most mesmerizing spectacle.” Intrigued, the crow sought out the seemingly blessed peacock and was astonished to find that it, too, felt hopeless in its existence. “I have no privacy; people relentlessly pursue me, hunters poach my feathers, and I am sold in zoos,” lamented the peacock. “You are the luckiest; nobody disturbs you. How I wish I were a carefree, contented crow, soaring freely like you!”
In Mumbai, numerous families reside in simple tenement-style buildings known as “chawls.” While the affluent occupy apartments or their own bungalows, they often lead lives marked by solitude and loneliness. In contrast, chawl residents experience greater social interactions and partake in community festivals. However, influenced by depictions in movies, where the wealthy drive flashy cars and have beautiful partners, a contented chawl resident may still feel inadequate and yearn to attain the status of the on-screen heroes he idolizes. Thus, the simple and poor ‘fans’ remain ever dissatisfied, forever chasing the proverbial carrot that remains just out of reach, like a desperate donkey. Meanwhile, the very heroes they worship harbour their own insecurities and fears. Both the hero and the fan struggle in this world. And amidst it all, we ponder, “Why am I not happy?”
To be continued…
