SIMPLE LIVING – HIGH THINKING

Our parents raised us (me and my siblings) based on the principle; simple living – high thinking, the crux of Hinduism.  They continue to lead us by example and live a simple life.  They resist luxury and grandeur in any form.  Born and raised in the pre-independence period, my parents were very much influenced by Gandhiji’s principles of self-reliance and even till date opt to be independent in every possible way.  With great difficulty we (me and my siblings) made or rather make our parents use furniture and gadgets at home.  Till a decade ago, we didn’t have a domestic help or a motor pump to draw water from the well.  Many, including our neighbours and close relatives felt, we were weird.  Our parents’ life style and priorities bothered us during our formative years, but as we grew up, we have imbibed our parents’ simplicity.

I wear simple cotton clothes and minimal jewellery and unlike many of my contemporaries, don’t visit beauty salons.  I am confident without any makeup and believe me; many have even found me attractive sans makeup!  I eat vegetarian food as a matter of principle and since I have digestive problems, I prefer simple and bland food.  I sleep on the floor and don’t use a pillow, as I suffer from cervical spondylosis.  Every time I lie down on the cold floor and close my eyes, I remember the words of Adi Sankaracharya, the advocate of Advaita philosophy our family follows, who sang

“sura mandira taru muula nivaasaH
sayyaa bhuutala majinaM vaasaH
sarva parigraha bhoga tyaagaH
kasya sukhaM na karoti viraagaH”

Which can be roughly translated as; “make a temple or the shade of a tree your residence, make deerskin your clothes, and let mother earth be your bed. Give up all attachments and renounce all comforts. Blessed with such Vairāgya (a Sanskrit term used in Hindu philosophy that refers to dispassion, detachment, or renunciation, in particular renunciation from the pains and pleasures in the material world), could any fail to be content?

I often question myself.  Am I really leading a simple life?  My heart says “No” because, that is the truth.

I work for a living, which means spending most of my time and energy at work place or in getting ready for work or in travel to office.  Working results in sharing space with many and involves a high amount of people management, irrespective of the position one occupies in the hierarchy of the organization one works for, which makes the whole scene complex.

With no other likely source of income in future, I need to save.  As money value diminishes over a period of time, I need to invest.  Putting all eggs in one basket is risky and also there are always opportunity losses in investment options and so a thorough analysis is required for investment, which again is a complex process.  Every time I invest, I again think of Sankaracharya.  He considered accumulation of wealth a sin and was against even saving for the next meal.  Though I was impressed with this thought, I now know it is impossible to follow in real life.

With my choice of work, lifestyle and investments, I need to remit several payments periodically.  Remembering the due dates is very important.  I operate multiple bank accounts for various reasons; one is my savings account, another my salary account, another my home loan account, another demat account, another account I had to open to avail locker facility.  Every account has its own passbook, documents, ID cards, debit cards etc.  With advancement of technology, all accounts are also accessible online, which means I have user ids and passwords, which would become invalid if not used properly or periodically.  Remembering passwords is one task and remembering silly questions and answers to revive forgotten or invalid passwords, is another.  To draw cash from the bank counter, I need to wait in a queue and to drawn cash from an ATM; I need to remember the right PIN.  I have a cooking gas connection, a cable connection for the TV, a landline, a mobile phone, an internet connection and all these are now made online.  Added to these are the EMI payments for the flat I purchased, meant for my post-retirement stay.  I purchased it against the wishes of my parents as they feel that assets can never be created with borrowed money.  They built their house out of their savings.  Such things are impossible in the present times.  I have to pay property tax, water tax, electricity bill and maintenance charges for my flat.  And after all this, I need to pay my income tax.

For a very long time, I used public transport for going to office.  I felt it was a sin to buy a vehicle for exclusive use.  (I am not exaggerating, I really thought so).  A guy who was head over heels in love with me changed my stance.  He chased me every day and unable to manage, when I shared it with my family, they forced me to compromise and get married, which I didn’t want.  The only alternative I had was to get a two wheeler, which I could afford and that Romeo could not.  Learning to ride a two wheeler is a milestone event in my life.  It made me independent and more confident.  But to own a vehicle, I had to register the vehicle and also get it insured and to drive it, I had to obtain a driving license.  Filling fuel and getting the vehicle serviced regularly also needs some effort and managing breakdowns is another tough chapter.

Whenever I think of simplicity, I also think of Mahatma Gandhi, who was an epitome of simplicity.  Many have spoken about him and his simplicity, but in this context, I am reminded of Sarojini Naidu, who once remarked, “It took a lot of money to keep Gandhi in poverty”.

In the present scenario, simplicity is redefined.  Simplicity is not so simple. 

Let me end this note again with Sankaracharya’s quote:

“maayaamayamidamakhilaM hitvaa”

Which means “Free yourself from the illusions of the world”. 

I feel simplicity too is an illusion.