CONTENTMENT ESSENTIAL FOR LIFE   -   M. Krishna Kumar

We come and go from this world naked traversing briefly between the darkness of birth and death. How well do we know or realize the truth on this and yet how easily and conveniently we forget and pretend or behave as if we have come to stay here permanently and enjoy all the worldly pleasure for ever as if there is no end to this jiva ! We want to posses everything just in plenty much more than what we can hold in our palm. Human wants in this Kaliyuga have increased beyond proportion and has become unlimited out of cheer, greed and lust to possess anything and everything that we see with our roving eyes even though if there is or no utility of that particular thing; but the elusive Maya entangles us in her meshes resulting in peace and happiness eluding us from its enjoyment. Our scientists exploit there brains to the optimal by inventing or discovering a new product for commercial use and later the media comes into play and exploits the use of it by regularly campaign about that very product discovered and make the brains of the end user corrupt to such an extent that he will have no other option but to buy or acquire the same hook or crook whether it is beneficial or not. With proliferation of research and development for new products and the wants of human begins increasing the greed has reached the optimum level wherein he will go to any extent to acquire it. We may possess all or even much more and yet the ever-lasting happiness eludes us at some point of time or the other and that too in the course of its enjoyment.

Shri Sai Baba had preached that it is in poverty that the true majesty and grandeur resides which no amount of wealth one acquires legally or illegally can give and He was the true living example. His dress contained a simple torn kafani with patches here and there. If we call anything that belonged to Him it was a tumbler used as a begging bowl, mud vessels, clay pipe etc. His food begged from a few houses within the precincts of Shirdi was just simple which contained different dishes mixed together so that they may not hamper the palate. His abode was the dilapidated mosque (Dwarkamai), bed was a wooden plank in which He spread plain white cloth or dhoti. Yet He was the God always happy and at peace with the Creator.

Everyday He received in the form of offerings money, fruits, sweets etc. during His stay at Shirdi; but at the end of the day kept nothing for Himself and yet He was just simple. Money that was received by Him in the form of dakshina or offerings was distributed among the poor and needy. The dakshina or the offerings given by the devotees were distributed by Him that ranged from small sums of Rs. 1/- to Rs. 50/- to the little Amani, Dada Kelkar, Tatya and others apart from pilgrims, travelling troops of artists etc. also received small or large sums of money from Him. Before He shun down His mortal coil, Laxmi Shinde was fortunate and blessed lady to receive  nine coins that depicted the nine types of devotion or Nava Vidha Bhakti from the holy hands of Shri Sai Baba. He distributed all the money received from the devotees or those who had come to see Him in the form of dakshina or offerings liberally and kept with Him only the required amount needed for His last rites on attaining Mahasamadhi.

Shri Sai Baba wanted His devotees to show detachment from the materialistic world that at times put them to sore trial. Mhalsapati is an instance on this. Without Baba’s permission he would not touch a penny and was also never permitted to accept any gifts. Somewhere in 1914, a lady from the royal family of Baroda came to Shirdi together with an eminent physician Sir Bhalchandra Bhatavadekar. She had brought two trays each full of silver coins and gold sovereigns respectively and placed it before Shri Sai Baba. Shri Sai Baba returned both to its owner. She then offered a few sovereigns to Mhalsapati who was standing nearby. Doubtful as to whether to accept it or not Mhalsapati looked at Shri Sai Baba and then said, ‘‘Why do we need these ?’’ Hence the sovereigns were returned to the lady. After returning the same Shri Sai Baba said, ‘‘I have to keep accounts for my Malik or Sarkar’’.

Such a detachment is not only possible but also very hard to practice in this Kaliyuga, when an individual’s status in society is measured with the wealth he possesses. In the present day situation, if one is faced with abject poverty and in dire need of wealth to sustain like Mhalsapati one can imagine what will be the plight when we have to face the world without wealth even to the minimum extent. Kakasaheb Dixit’s maidservant at Vile Parle who solved Das Ganu’s great difficulty of interpretation through her song by the grace of Shri Sai Baba was so happy in wearing the new sari and the next day comes in her old worn out cloth. It was the feeling of having that new sari  at home, which made the difference. As it is this maidservant that had set in motion the wheels of contentment in life.

For most of us it is ultimately an attitudinal change of mind or a matter of feeling. If one always broods over a thing that he does not have and others have it, then how can one expect contentment to enter or when will an individual be contented. We should be contended with what God has bestowed on us and enjoy the fruits of it. Contentment is an inborn quality and not that comes from the blue. In this Kaliyuga we enjoy the comforts and luxuries in life by copying from others who have or possess the same that to it should be readymade. An employee for that matter majority of employees starts first to acquire or posses hard cash by resorting to corrupt practices by committing crimes forgetting his past prior to obtaining/getting an employment i.e. he forgets the difficulties or the ordeal of getting an employment and starts acquiring when he starts learning the trick of the trade of resorting to illegal means/devices. Invariably every employee whether he/she right from the lowest to the highest grade/cadre working directly or indirectly in or with the revenue generating departments of the Government resorts to corrupt practices/devices which is against the public policy, only to become a slave to the money approaching him/her in discharging his/her duties illegally. These public servants do not know our National Moto Satya Meva Jayate i.e. Truth Prevails. It is nothing but the very child who was given birth is sending or making his or her mother to do immoral things that is against the public policy. Majority of these employees are worshippers of Shri Sai Baba or God, carry with them God’s photo in their pockets and also apply udi on their foreheads. Will ever Shri Sai Baba or God help these people in their life ? Definitely not. In the present day the idiot box i.e. TV channels beaming the various programmes through the satellite  are only vulgar which portrays perverted programmes that contain sex, terrorism, cheating, disrespect to the elders and ultimately with no moral values or themes and spoils the very fabrics of our society thus denying the right for a decent living. What are the children or the youth who will the citizens of the future learn from the educational institutions when there is deviation from the education that was taught prior to invention of the Information Technology. The present day education is only commercial in nature and does not teach our children any moral values more so on Religious Teachings. Also there are no lessons in our curriculum that teaches what is ‘Respect’ to each other. We should strive to get the basic needs for our sustenance through hard labour, which Shri Sai Baba had preached and practiced. The leela of God is simple as He bestows what we deserve and not what we desire. No doubt God gives or destiny provides to the fortunate one’s wealth at very early age without any effort but He shall certainly snatch that which has been bestowed on him provided the possessor does not misuse the wealth to the disadvantage of others. But one should make a full stop somewhere or the other. For this we should not forget our ultimate goal in life of attaining freedom towards spirituality. For that shall only be the ultimate goal in life before departing from this world when our time comes. In order to achieve our goal in life and make a stride forward we have to first discipline our mind. We may have wealth in abundance with which we may acquire or possess both movable and immovable properties but not spirituality, peace and happiness. Will all these be of any use when we are enable to digest the food we eat and sleep well without having peace of mind or has God given us the permission to get the materials we had acquired after our departure from this world ? God gives sorrows and difficulties to both those who have and do not anything in life with an aim if we shall ever remember and chant the holy name of God for peace and salvation.

It is true and fact that the above things are more easily said and preached than practiced; but we should start somewhere on someday. We can begin at the earliest by reminding ourselves of this single truth of contentment, for a peaceful and happy life at least towards the end of our innings i.e. after completing our work for which the Creator or the God Almighty had assigned and sent us to this holy earth.

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