Mystic Mantra: Paradox of our time

There is a couplet of a saint in Hindi which says that “Run till you can run as everybody is running, but you will get what you want only when you stop running.” In the race to become wealthier, bigger, famous and better, are we not missing something in life? Peace, good night’s sleep, harmony in relationship, health, culture, character, concern, love and compassion, etc? In the worldly running race we forget as to what exactly is the motive behind running. Is it just to win something over others in competition or to gain something, which we don’t have or to show others that we are also competent to run the race of life?

The fact is that we are losing a lot in this race, which we already possess, but not aware of it. Peace, happiness, love, care, compassion, etc., are all our inner possessions and God-gifted wealth, the wealth, which is most precious of all wealth, which we lose in pursuit of acquiring material possessions. It sounds amazing that George Carlin — comedian of the ’70s and ’80s — could write something so very eloquent… and so very appropriate. He wrote that the paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings but shorter tempers, wider freeways, but narrower viewpoints. We spend more but have less peace; we buy more but enjoy less. We have bigger houses and smaller families, more conveniences but less time. We have more degrees but less common sense, more knowledge but bad judgment, more experts yet more problems, newer medicines but less wellness.

We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often. We’ve learned how to make a living, but not how to live peacefully. We’ve added years to life not life to years. We’ve been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbour. We conquered outer space but not inner heart. We’ve done larger things, but not better things. We’ve cleaned our surroundings but polluted the soul. We’ve conquered the atom but not our prejudice. We write more but learn less. We’ve learned to rush, but not to wait. We build more computers to hold more information but communicate less and less in the family.

These are the times of fast food and slow digestion, big men and small characters, steep profits and shallow relationships. These are the days of one child but two divorces, fancier houses but broken homes. We must learn to hold hands and cherish the moment for someday, that person will not be there again. Relationships are not about holding hands while you understand each other! Relationships are about having lots of misunderstanding and still holding each other’s hands!