Have you ever said to yourself, “This is not it?” ‘This’ could be anything—a job, a relationship, a frame of mind. A hungry hollowness haunts the heart, an inexplicable notion that you are meant for something else. Welcome to the path.
You may not realise it, but your discontentment is a sign that you are a seeker. A seeker of divinity, of enlightenment. The discontented husband and wife on the verge of a divorce, the hurt father and rebellious son, the dissatisfied boss and bitter employee... they hardly seem to be candidates for divine discovery. They just want a simple harmonious life with the usual desires—creature comforts, workable relationships and lots of money. It’s success (read happiness) that everyone seeks, not spirituality. But that’s only the tip of the iceberg.
A spiritual life in inevitable if your discontentment is deep and persistent.
No doubt many people live in a state of bovine complacency where ignorance is bliss. But a vast portion of humanity knows what it is to feel a clawing sadness when burning desires turn to ashes. The problem is that our desires are as half-hearted as our discontentment. So, we get the ubiquitous whiner who cribs and cribs but doesn’t do enough to change his or her situation.
Discontentment has been more maligned than understood. It is a strong kinetic force that compels you to seek, to explore the unknown. It is the wind that swells the sails that push life’s boat forward. It does not, however, guide you beyond a point. It will tell you “this is not it”, the way it told Gautam Siddhartha, ultimately leading him to Buddhahood. However, you have to be aware at all times. Buddha’s awareness led him to realise that extreme fasting and hardships lead to the door of death rather than light. That’s when he understood the importance of balance or the middle path.
Discontentment is not a sin but a sign that you haven’t quite reached. Use it to light the way.
-Harvinder Kaur
You may not realise it, but your discontentment is a sign that you are a seeker. A seeker of divinity, of enlightenment. The discontented husband and wife on the verge of a divorce, the hurt father and rebellious son, the dissatisfied boss and bitter employee... they hardly seem to be candidates for divine discovery. They just want a simple harmonious life with the usual desires—creature comforts, workable relationships and lots of money. It’s success (read happiness) that everyone seeks, not spirituality. But that’s only the tip of the iceberg.
A spiritual life in inevitable if your discontentment is deep and persistent.
No doubt many people live in a state of bovine complacency where ignorance is bliss. But a vast portion of humanity knows what it is to feel a clawing sadness when burning desires turn to ashes. The problem is that our desires are as half-hearted as our discontentment. So, we get the ubiquitous whiner who cribs and cribs but doesn’t do enough to change his or her situation.
Discontentment has been more maligned than understood. It is a strong kinetic force that compels you to seek, to explore the unknown. It is the wind that swells the sails that push life’s boat forward. It does not, however, guide you beyond a point. It will tell you “this is not it”, the way it told Gautam Siddhartha, ultimately leading him to Buddhahood. However, you have to be aware at all times. Buddha’s awareness led him to realise that extreme fasting and hardships lead to the door of death rather than light. That’s when he understood the importance of balance or the middle path.
Discontentment is not a sin but a sign that you haven’t quite reached. Use it to light the way.
-Harvinder Kaur
(www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?NewsID=1007313 - 50k; Friday, January 13, 2006 )
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