CONTENTMENT AND PROGRESS

One should willingly accept the limited in this world and desire the unlimited in the Hereafter.

Often, one hears that a certain company has gone bankrupt. Often, the reason for this is what can be called ‘seeking to leap beyond one’s reach’. Generally, it happens that a company’s assets are only a few million dollars, but it makes a plan for a project for which several billion dollars are needed. For this purpose, it takes credit based on interest from a bank. The loan needs to be returned in installments with interest. Now, if the company’s earnings continue as estimated, it will be able to pay the installments. But if for any reason, the company’s income declines considerably, it will no longer be able to pay the installments. The breaking of this balance is what is called ‘bankruptcy.’ This is such a problem that, actually speaking, every materialistically-minded person is afflicted by it, in some form or the other.

Now, why does this problem arise? There is a very deep cause for this. Most human beings seek more and more. To stop at a certain point with regard to something that they desire is against their thinking. It is this that creates the above problem. In a materialistic way of thinking, there is really no solution for this malady. A person who habitually thinks in terms of material ‘success’ can never save himself from it. For him, to stop at a certain limit as far as material acquisition is concerned is against his thinking, and that is why, in his case, recommending this solution will not work.

In this matter, the practicable or workable solution is just one—and that is Hereafter-oriented thinking. In line with Hereafter-oriented thinking, the solution to the above problem is that a person should be content with obtaining that quantum of things that are sufficient to satisfy his needs in this world, and for the Hereafter, he can desire according to his wishes. That is to say, he should be content in getting according to his needs in this world and should turn the direction of his desire for more towards the Hereafter.

In brief, the formula for this is to willingly accept the limited in this world and to desire the unlimited in the Hereafter.