pachai maamalai pol mene

Friday, July 01, 2011

the choice is ours.

अधोधः पश्यतः कस्य महिमा नोपजायते।
उपर्युपरि पश्यन्तः सर्व एव दरिद्रति॥
चाणक्यनीतिसूत्राद्
adhodhaḥ paśyataḥ kasya mahimā nopajāyate|
uparyupari paśyantaḥ sarva eva daridrati||
cāṇakyanītisūtrād

this is a simple advise on contentment versus  ambitiousness ..
If we are comparing ourselves with persons who are endowed with lesser facilities and fortunes in life, we always feel that we are also fortunate and adequately famous.
 But when we look upon the persons who are always richer or accomplished in any for comparison. we feel poor for ever.


This  straightforward advice can be interpreted in many ways.  
For a balanced human being who wants to be in sync with the society unnecessary comparison of one's own status in life with the richer, flashy and ostensibly fortunate persons will never do any good.
 Such comparison will make the person depressed, jealous, rebellious and thoroughly unbalanced.
 Realization that there are many persons equally placed or even less fortunate than him will make the person friendly, compassionate and suitable for an equitable social existence. 

The ambitious and class-conscious person will interpret the same advice in  a different way. 

If , and only if, one compares himself with the rich and accomplished, he will gain the urge  and fire to climb up the social ladder.  
On the other hand if one prefers to reamain to be satisfied with what he has and remains in the comfort zone for ever thinking that there are many average and below average peers available for comparison,  he will never have the initiative to go further up in life. 
 Poverty can become a habit for him.

Attitudes differ from person to person.  No one can say for sure whether the ideal state is the first one or the second. 

 God has given us the power of discretion. 
We can choose either path and be happy..
 But if we try to vacillate between the two  viewpoints  life will become unbearable for us and also to others who depend on us or interact with us.

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