Mullah Naseeruddin once met a dejected man by the roadside. He befriended the man and then asked the cause of his unhappiness. Bemoaning his lot, the man said, “The world is a sad place, my friend. No one here is happy, no matter what he has. The Lord has blessed me with health, wealth, a loving family and a beautiful house.
Yet, I am not happy. Where and how can I find happiness?” Mullah suddenly snatched the precious bag from the man’s hands and bolted. The man chased him for a length but Mullahji was fast enough and soon disappeared. The man was besides himself with sorrow at his loss. Naseeruddin was watching him from a distance, hidden behind bushes. While the man was busy crying Mullahji sneaked up and placed the stolen bag of cash in the path of the owner.
As soon as the man saw his bag, he was overjoyed. As he ran and picked it up, the Mullah reappeared and said, “Instead of feeling unhappy with what the generous Lord has granted you, learn to be grateful. With all your wealth you were unhappy, now, regaining the ‘same’ wealth, you are overjoyed.”
Instead of pining for more and wasting this precious life in imagining future insecurities, find peace in contentment and gratefulness, it will liberate the mind and free it from restlessness and anxiety. Shift your gaze from the noise of the marketplace to the rustling music of leaves on trees, from soured relationships to the giddy joys of newfound love.
Instead of harbouring a barrage of complaints against life, feeling incomplete, unloved and unrewarded, let’s learn to focus on the beautiful blessings that He has showered on us unasked, and like His gift of life sustaining air, He also chooses to give, but unseen.
Prarthna Saran, President Chinmaya Mission Delhi.
Email: prarthnasaran@gmail.com