Simplicity is an Earned Effort - Not for Sale
Complexity has become the popular lifestyle. Living unnaturally amongst other hoarders, we praise collecting, ignoring letting-go. Missing the biggest Opportunity.
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4 PM. Foothills of a biosphere. 22°C. 11 km/h SW crosswinds. 33% humidity.
Utter silence. Only sounds of crickets, cows and swoosh.
The walking path is 1.5 km. A windy, circular path around abundance of trees, shrubs and cacti.
Beyond the fence, beautifully adorned, is rooted The Sacred Grove.
A dense flora & fauna — Silent, Sacred, Still!
There is no need to go there, its presence is felt from far. The quietude is its glory. The stability of the plethora of trees radiates immense energy. It is percolating and stark.
Standing there, you can easily sway with the winds, while The Sacred Grove transports you elsewhere.
The cowherd is a local lady, holding a stick. Elderly. Chewing tobacco. Red lips. The cows respond to her sounds. They remain gathered while grazing. Few try to go astray. She makes a specific sound. The cow returns to the group.
It is mesmerizing to see the bovines freely grazing amongst the field surrounding The Sacred Grove. The open skies, breezy winds, moderate temperature, green meadow, lively trees make up a beautiful milieu.
The cowherd is barefoot and walks straight, radiating Divinity. She’s probably lived her entire life in the vicinity and taken care of cows. She has a friendly disposition and keeps collecting leaves from different trees. In all probability, she knows the intrinsic health benefits of those leaves.
She also collects fallen twigs. Thin and short. Probably to create fire for evening cooking. It hardly gets bitter cold in the tropics. She assembles the twigs in a small batch, ties with a rope. She only collects what she needs for one night. Intrinsic Wisdom.
The bovines keep grazing and following the path as guided by the cowherd. They slowly move towards the corner of fencing, where there is a small opening for them to exit and head to the village.
The cows have finished their appetizer and will probably get main course back home.
The cowherd maintaining her upright posture continues the journey back home, before sunset, with the collection of leaves and twigs.
Simplicity cannot be Bought. It can only be Cultivated.
It is clear that the cowherd and family live a modest life which is — Simple, Difficult and without modern Amenities. They probably look up to better living with more comfort and convenience.
Deservedly So!
There are many hardships and few notches of enhancement in their physical lifestyle can certainly bring joy.
It is the urban folks who need to reverse engineer their lifestyles. With an abundance of comfort and conveniences, we have managed to spoil our health, by not using the physical body adequately and overly using the mind to the point of not knowing how to keep it balanced.
The urban settler, living in compact and constrained flats, restricts himself with lack of sunlight, barefoot walking, exposure to wind, open skies and drizzles.
He is bereft to the bounty of Nature and still considers his lifestyle worthwhile, only on the merit of being able to purchase things, make monies, travel abroad.
It is difficult to directly and logically compare the lifestyles of the cowherd and urban settler. They live a diametrically opposite lifestyle. Logically, it can be argued both have their pros & cons.
But, logic is not the supreme measure on which a human being should make his Longterm Life Decisions.
Life is experienced in our responses to stimuli. Not in the collections and ambitions which we flaunt.
Simplicity is the Absence of Complexity.
It is easy to understand at some point, cluttering our homes with things does not bring Joy or Freedom.
It is difficult to understand, cluttering our mind with thoughts does not bring Joy or Freedom either.
Cluttering is the Complexity which sways us away from Simplicity.
While Simplicity cannot be Bought, it can be Earned!
Not necessarily with money, effort or will. But by letting go of excessive things and thoughts.
That is the Crux.
We don’t need to Copy the lifestyle of the cowherd or urban settler. We need to Craft our lives based on deeper understanding of Nature.
How to imbibe — Sunlight, Winds, Space, Water, Soil -- not only for better health, but to soak in Nature’s Bounty.
This can only happen by Letting -Go conditioned ideas of wellbeing. Of living in clustered and cluttered homes. Lacking basic imbibing of five elements — Earth, Water, Air, Fire, Space. Yet expecting wellbeing & health.
Ignoring elements and the qualities of body & mind creates complexity and suffering.
Imbibing elements and the qualities of body & mind creates Simplicity and Stability!
The first step is crucial.
Can you physically & mentally let-go three things & thoughts without Fear, Greed or Pride?
And measure the joy & freedom of the Let-Go!
If you can & do, it maybe the beginning of freedom with Simplicity through Earned Efforts!
Musings from a Nomad’s Desk is an independent publication. If you find value and wish to contribute to this work, you can Participate below — Voluntarily, without Expectation.