The short passage below illustrates the "simple yet happy life" of folks living on the tough Himalayan mounatins and what makes city dwellers with all modern conveniences unhappy.
The following excerpt from the travelogue "Companions in Solitude" authored by Shriram Sharma Acharya indicates that the root cause of unhappiness is our endless greed for more and more . The book makes comparisons between the simple and tough life of village folks living in the tough terrains of the Himalayas and compares this outlook with those of city dwellers.
The book is based on Yugrishi Shriram Sharma's thoughts and observations as he travels through the Himalayas in his journey to do 'Sadhna' in seclusion in some of the remotest parts of the Himalayas .
The enclosed brief excerpt is from page 45 to page 47 of the above mentioned text. ( Please note that the page numbers listed here may vary based on the text edition being referred to).
So let us read .....
Quoted excerpt - illustrating the root cause of unhppiness ....
"Today all along the way I have been carefully observing and pondering over the hazardous life of the hilly people. Wherever small soil patches measuring a few square feet are found in the hills, they are made use for cultivation. Tilling the land using bullocks is out of question here. So the job is done by pickaxes.
When the crop matures it is cut and carried to their residences up above the hills, where thrashing is carried out. Where there are no streams, water from the valleys down below is carried on heads or backs to the mountain above. Mostly women do all the back breaking work including the collection of firewood from the jungle higher above.
These people have to climb up and down the hills many more times than we do in our journey here , and it tires us. They have no means of entertainment either. They were clad in hand spun woolen or cotton clothes, mostly torn or patched. Yet they were happy. While working in the fields they were singing in chorus. Being, not acquainted with their language, the meaning of the songs could not be understood but the joy and enthusiasm coming out of them was easily comprehensible.
In comparison to the people here, those living in the plains are many times better off in wealth, education, food, shelter, clothing, and convenience of all sorts. Comparatively they have to toil much less. Yet they are unhappy and dissatisfied. They always go on lamenting their lot. In contrast, these people exude peace, happiness, and satisfaction by living on whatever comes to their lot, after putting in exacting hard work. Why this difference?
It appears that dissatisfaction is a tendency, which is not due to lack of materials but on account of greed. Greed cannot be satisfied with material things. It is a bottomless abyss.Had it not been so why should those living on the plains with much more comforts than the hilly people with so little, be unhappy and dissatisfied? Why should the latter with so little , enjoy a peaceful and joyous life?
Having more means is not bad. They are also necessary. But what is desirable is to be satisfied with what one gets and not indulge in acquiring more than is required for leading a decently simple life. And why remain unhappy and dissatisfied by disregarding the available gifts of God?
The path of modernity that we have adopted for seeking the mirage of happiness by spending more and more and still remaining dissatisfied is not correct. It is amply illustrated by these hilly people, though they are unable to deliver lectures on it or write a thesis on this subject."
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To read this wonderful book "Companions in Solitude" please click the link below:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/59987539/Colleagues-in-Solitude-by-Pandit-Shriram-Sharma-Acharya
To know more about Yugrishi Shriram Sharma Acharya please click the Wikipedia link below:
To know more about Yugrishi Shriram Sharma Acharya please click the Wikipedia link below: