Freedom from desire is sheer bliss

The deeply affected man however was very difficult to convince and luckily Thiruvalluvar’s couplets came to the rescue and the man was finally able to see true happiness lies not in acquiring possessions, but in ‘letting go’. 

It is said that if one does not have the time to read books on spirituality, turning to Thirukkural would help one gain peace of mind. In one kural , Thiruvalluvar says, “From whatever thing a man gets free, his pain ceases from that to the extent of his renunciation.” In another kural, he explains how even the least desire and attachment can delude a person’s mind. We often fail to realise that our attachments and our desire for more are the root cause of a lot of internal tension. It would appear that man.

There is this story of how Brahma, the Creator, gave shape to man, and blessed him with a lifespan of 30 years, saying, “I have given you the maximum number of years. You will be happy.” However, man said,” Oh? What can I achieve in 30 years? I want more number of years Lord.” Brahma thinks for a while, then tells man, “Let me complete my creation. If anyone else is willing to part with the lifespan, that donation can be added to your lifespan.” Man is visibly relieved, and sits to watch Brahma create other beings. 

Brahma creates an ox, and blesses it with 40 years. The ox is shocked. “Lord, what will I will do for forty years? Please cut it by half.” Brahma then blesses the ox with 20 years and gives the remaining 20 to man. However, man is still dissatisfied with the 50 year lifespan. Brahma, sensing that he wants more, creates an ass, and endows a life of 50 on it. The donkey shouts in protest. Brahma quickly reduces its life to 25 years and adds the excess tally to man, bringing it up to 75 years. However, seeing the dissatisfaction on man’s face, Brahma quietly proceeds with his next creation, the dog. He endows 30 years on it. The dog howls in protest. Brahma reduces it to 15 years.

However, the 90-year gift is still not enough to satisfy man, who is greedy for more. Brahma quickly creates a worm and grants it a 10-year life. But it politely tells Brahma it doesn’t want to live for more than a few hours. With the addition of the 10 years to his life generously renounced by the worm, man is finally happy, with the gift of 100 years of life on earth. 

Very few people actually get to enjoy the benefits of such a long life. After 30 years, one is burdened with responsibilities and shoulders weight, like an ox. Between 50 and 75 years, one is often beset with lethargy and working everyday is a struggle for most people. After reaching the age of 75, one is constantly on edge, barking at everybody, and ends up being consigned to a corner of the household, like a dog. After 90 years, one can only crawl like a worm, because one will not have the strength.

The moral of the story is very simple. One should have reasonable aspirations. Wanting things in itself is not a bad thing. But greed is a bottomless pit. The Upanishads say that our five senses pull the chariot called body. If one wants a smooth ride in life,, one should stop being a slave to desire.