MATERIALISTIC SAINT
The general perception of sainthood is renunciation. Lord Budha, Swami Vivekanand and thousands of sages followed this tradition of sainthood. The innate human tendencies of longings and bondings with Materialism acts as a pulling force while striving a higher purpose in life.
There was a villager who earned his livelihood by ploughing the fields of others. Although he was hand to mouth yet he lived hail and hearty. One day one villager offered him a goat. This made him happy and excited. So he bought the rope, tied one end around the goat’s neck and other to the tree. He took good care of the goat. Gradually he got attached to it to the extent that imaginary fears of his goat becoming a meal of predators would generate discomfort to him. While on the work, his thoughts would always be on the goat, whether he will find it at home in the evening or not?
A sense of fear of losing coexists with attachment which generates worries and prevents happiness. And one day he cut the rope and set the goat free. With a little disappointment for some time, he became as happy as he was earlier. Attachments can’t be separated from living beings. Attachments generates emotions and life without emotions is meaningless.
There was a crow sitting on a branch of a tree during the rainy season when there was flood all around. Suddenly, the branch of the tree broke and the bird flew to another. Means while sitting on the branch of the tree it was dependent on the branch, and when it broke, was independent of it as well.
From this dependence and being independent, I wish to become a Materialistic Saint. Here materialism signifies dependence and sainthood signifies giving or renunciation. No one can offer anything without possessing. While enjoying the offerings of materialism, yet being not attached in order to pursue the bigger purpose of life i.e. GIVING.
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