Yaksha prashna appears in the Aranya Parwa of Mahabharat in which a Yaksha disguised as a crane poses 124 questions to Yudhister, which he must answer to get his brothers revived.
In one of the questions, the crane asks, "Who is truly happy in this world?”. Yudhister answers that the man who cooks his own food, has no debt and does not have to leave his home to earn is truly happy. This answer is worth pondering over.
The one who cooks his own food is happy because he doesn't depend upon anyone. With dependence comes expectation, which when not fulfilled causes sorrow.
The one who has no debt is happy because he has no obligations to meet. Being free from debt is not just that you don't have any loans to pay; it means that you are free from any responsibilities. That is why fakirs are always described as happy men who don’t have to arrange for anything, not even their own meal.
The one who does not have to leave his home to earn is happy because he is satisfied with whatever he has. He doesn't need to try too hard to get what he needs.
Credits:
1. Photo courtesy: http://sahanabhavathu.com
2. Thoughts inspired from many places
I am almost on the verge of achieving all 3!!! (3 more months to go)
ReplyDeleteBeing in US => cooking, PhD student => stipend, no loans etc, CS => work from room. What are you missing?
ReplyDeleteneed to cover up initial setup costs, passport, visa fees etc - but in due time that too shall pass
ReplyDeleteHa ha, yes, "This too shall pass". :)
ReplyDelete"who doesn't depend on others, who doesn't have any debt and who is satisfied with whatever he has"
ReplyDeleteI am going to be one of those guys!