Positive thinking

Some time back when I visited Raja Mahala Vihara, a monastery in the outskirts of Colombo at Kolonava I got an opportunity to speak to the Head Monk, Ven K Dhammika Thero. When I saw him at first I was awed and felt nervous but soon his pleasing demeanour helped me relax and I asked him a question that was bothering me for quite sometime: What is the reason for the mounting stress world wide?
His initial response was a wide smile, he then paused and said, “I believe you would have participated or at least seen people play musical chairs. In the initial stage of the game all the participants move leisurely because the chairs are many but as the game progresses and the number of chairs reduce, participants start moving briskly to occupy one of the left over chairs and after some time when only two or three chairs are left, those contending for the remaining chairs even go to the extent of pushing or pulling his/her fellow participants.”
“Some thing similar is happening in our lives too. Awareness has increased people’s aspirations. Resources are available but people are driven by greed and ego, those who already possess everything are always craving for more and more and this has made the race of life tough. Therefore, life has become like a game of musical chairs where participants have to run to be in contention and this is leading to stress,” he added.
When I asked for a possible solution to cut this alarming level of stress, his prompt answer was “Those who already have should withdraw from the race. For example, if you have a house to live in why should you crave for a second one, especially when you know there are many who don’t have one and you don’t really need that second house. Ego based desire, which is only motivated by selfish fulfilment is the root cause for the growing stress levels. Therefore, if we want to reduce stress levels then the solution lies in giving up the greed to acquire more and more. Why should one acquire, own and cling to something which we really don’t need or does not provide us any comfort, but only enhances our possessions and ego. This means giving up the lesser for the greater. Buddha said wealth is not bad but clinging and craving for more and more is bad.”
What he said appears to be absolutely true. As we grow old we realise that the possessions we acquired over and above our needs, become a source of trouble rather than comfort.