Accumulation Vs Passing-it-on.

Accumulation Vs Passing-it-on by Pradeep Kr Maheshwari

 

 

-        In the pursuit of learning, everyday something is acquired. In the pursuit of Tao, everyday something is given away. – Lao Tzu

-        Do not struggle. Go with the flow of things and you will be yourself at one with the mysterious unity of the universe. – Chuang Tzu

 

 

Everyone is talking of Happiness. Let me talk about unhappiness. Why are we unhappy? In other terms this question reflects our inner being’s query of:  Which way to happiness. If we can find a way to cut out unhappiness, then surely happiness would result? We need to delve a little deeper.

 

Do you ever feel the Universe? Are aware of its flow? Have you ever been lonely and in that state of self-pity which is also a state of questioning, wondered where all of this was moving to? Life comes and goes. The rivers flow on and on. The plants grow and grow.

Something is moving towards something; in spite of our inability to see the bigger picture.

 

In contrast see how we pattern our lives. The very first mistake is that we do everything in our power to stop the flow. First we cut ourselves from the “everflowing” that is happening all around us. Then we purposefully train ourselves to acquire and accumulate. This becomes our wealth. Then we put all our energies in saving it from grabbers and are mostly worried sick. Then when all this activity has provided us with all our wealth, it is often time to move on which we fight against tooth and nail. Is this the way to happiness?

 

The saying “Live happily ever after” is a joke played by humanity on itself. First there is no ever after. It is all in the now. The present now creates the future now; and our miserable existence rebirths itself everyday. So perhaps it is time to sit by the river and growing trees and re-ponder over the question and rework our priorities.

 

Let’s ask ourselves the ultimate question “Quo Vadis?” – wither goest thou? Life is not there to accumulate things; that is conclusively clear. Then what is it? But then who am I to be professing so much?

 

Let me speak from the greater personalities who have seen the error of our ways and have shown the way to be followed. I have learnt that having too much is in-prisoning and we must learn to live with less and let the rest move on. And the knowledge acquired has to be put into practice or it stales, locked up in the head.

 

-        Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Willing is not enough; we must do. - Goethe

-        Remember people or for that matter the universe, remember you for your actions; not your intentions. You may have a heart of gold but then so does a hard-boiled egg. - unkown

-        Take time to deliberate; but when the time for action arrives, stop thinking and go in. - Napoleon Bonaparte

-        Never mistake motion for action. - E Hemingway

 

From the above it is clear. That everything comes to us and that the universe is taking care of things if we shall let it; if only we can grow out of our narrow-minded agendas but everything also needs to be later passed on. Or will get passed on willy-nilly.

 

So perhaps to not be unhappy we just need to learn to flow rather than grow too many rigid roots and not stick on to what we really do not need?