WAY OF CONTENTMENT - 1

WAY OF CONTENTMENT
Selections FROM THE JAPANESE OF
KAIBARA EKKEN

Why should I worry about many things ? " Again he said : " If a man lives the morning in benevolence and uprightness, what more can he want than that his death should take place in the evening ? " If one is not content with Destiny, and does not trust in the will of Heaven, then when the end approaches, great will be our grief. The end is important, let us then endeavour to uphold our principles until the last moment. The more I think of it, the more I realise that there are many pleasures in this world. Yet if one does not know the path, he resents Heaven, finds fault with others, and his foolish heart strays into darkness. Man's body is neither gold nor stone, and, consequently, it must perish. All who live must die, and none who die can renew their life on earth. Let us then enjoy our life while it lasts, for the years which are allotted to us are not many. From henceforth let every day of ourselves be spent in happiness and joy. Our lives are well worth the living, provided we spend them in doing good, and in enjoying the true Path.

An old man says the same thing over and over again ; I have repeated the same truth over and over again in order to help myself and warn others. Once more I shall repeat it : " Let us not fritter away our lives meaninglessly without enjoying them. If we heed the Path in the morning our existence is justified, and we may, then, die peacefully in the evening.

" The useful oxen which plough fields have no possessions ; but rats live where food is plenteous." It is neither a dis-grace to be poor, nor an honour to be rich. All our shares are not the same, let us therefore be content with the share we receive from Heaven and Earth, and envy not others. To envy others is to invite misfortune; no greater folly is there than to lose our own happiness by coveting things we have not.

There are many in this world who have not enough to eat, nor sufficient clothing to cover themselves. They are to be pitied, while we should help them in their distress. To give them pleasure is to make ourselves happy, for there is no greater happiness than doing good. To spend money on useless things is folly. If the rich were to lay aside the expenses of one day, and devote it to assisting the unfortunate, they might assuage the hunger of thousands. To help a hundred is within the power of even the passing-rich. If one is so inclined he can always help others ; if he does not it is because he will not, not because he is unable.

Keep your heart serene and calm : enjoy your leisure and haste not. Time flies as swiftly as an arrow, and the seasons pass as quickly as a stream. The older one becomes the quicker the time seems to pass. Looking back on the first fifty years they seem short indeed. Yet if one lives long enough, and looks back on the second fifty, they seem shorter. Take care then of your precious minutes and hours, ye men of old age, and enjoy a day as if it were a decade. Do not let a day slip by without enjoyment, for to-morrow may be not yours to enjoy.

The wise man finds his delight in following the true path : the foolish in following his own desires. If one suppresses his selfish desires while following the path, there is no discord, only pleasure; but if one forgets the path through coveteousness, there is confusion and no pleasure. Therefore the pleasure of the foolish is untrue.''

Heaven and Earth do not lose their sublime harmony because of the thunder or storm, so, likewise, men should not lose their calnmess and content because of misfortune or hardship. Though one may lose his position and wealth, and is forgotten by the world, nevertheless let him not lose his peace of mind ; but believe that all is Heaven's will.

Year after year the same flowers bloom in the same attire, but men change. A child of yesterday is the youth of to-day and the old man of to-morrow, and then passes away. Men in this world are but so journeys, and their stay but a short one. The poet Sotoba said : "A year is like a dream, a hundred as the vision of one who passes." Such being human life, why then cannot men make the best of their short existence, instead of leaving the world without enjoying it ? Why do men permit this brief span to flit away in anger, fear, and care ?

Keep an even temper, and avoid rashness. Even when busy do not lose the harmony your heart ; for if your heart is not calm you will make mistakes in your actions. Do not be irritated nor speak harsh words, even when you are being insulted by others. To loose the calmness of your heart is to lose pleasure.
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There is one way to prolong life, said Hakura- kuten : " If we keep our peace of mind, then years and months are long." A day for a man whose heart is calm seems as two days, seventy  years as two hundred and forty. Consequently,
even busy men should find time for repose and nourishment of the mind but to avoid labour and seek ease continually is evil.

To sit quietly in solitude is pleasant ; its serene joy is far superior to that of a noisy banquet. To receive no callers is better than to receive visitors with whom we have nothing in common. Yet to show signs of displeasure in the face of an unwelcome visitor is impolite.

There is a happiness called pure happiness, and it is enjoyed by him who has neither too much nor too little. Though he is not recognised by the world and possesses neither position nor wealth, yet he enjoys his peace of mind and leisure hours. He lives in a house which is sufficient to protect him from wind and rain.

courtsey: budduha-siraschakra

If we make our heart the fountain-head of pleasure, our eyes and ears the gates of pleasure, and keep away base desires, then our pleasure shall be plentiful ; for we can become the masters of mountains, water, moon, and flowers.