What do you really want in life? where are you searching for it? how will you know when you have found it? Often, we think we are aware of these questions, and we think we know the answers, but unfortunatly, what we think we want may not be what we really want. The classic story of Siddhartha is a vivid illustration of this human conundrum.
Siddhartha was a young man, born in a tradional Hindu family, his father was a priest in a local temple and by tradition Siddhartha to succeed him. One day, Siddhartha begins to experience restlessness within himself. So he leaves his home in search of happiness. While on his search, he encounters a group of ascetics who live an austere life in the forest. Siddhartha is drawn to them and thinks to himself: This is what I really want. This will make me happy. He joins them and lives an austere life. He feels happy.But after some months, the restlessness returns. Siddhartha decides to leave the ascetics and contiunes his search. soon after, he meets a group of monks and is drawn to their monastic lives. He says to himself: This will make me happy. He joins them and experiences happiness. But after some months the restlessness returns. He then decides to leave the monastery and continues his search. Along his journey, he falls in love with a beautiful woman. For the first time he experiences the thrill of sexual love and says to himself: This is what I really want. He decides to stay with her. But after some time, the restlessness returns. He leaves her, Next he comes in contact with rich businessmen and he soon becomes a rich businessman himself. He has money, power and influence. He feels he has achieved what he really wanted. But the restlessness returns.
Tired of searching, Siddhartha decides to return home. Years earlier, at the start of his search for happiness, he had to cross a river. Now, years later, he is on the banks of the same river, waiting for the boatman to ferry him across the very same river. When the boatman comes near, he recognizies Siddhartha. He askes him, "weren't you the same man who, some years ago, went across in search of happiness?" Siddhartha answers, "yes" And then Siddhartha asks the boatman,"have you gone across in search of happiness?" the boatman responds, "no. i am not ready yet. The river is my teacher. i am learning much from the river and i have still more to learn." Just then siddhartha looks at the river and experience enlightenment. He deciedes to be an assistant to the boatman, helping him ferry people across the river.
Let's examin the story of its essential lessons. siddhartha, who is in touch with his restlessness, tries to deal with it by searching for happiness in one way of life after another. After many false starts he finds an end to his restlessness right where he began his search. Unlike siiddhartha,however, many of us tend to get stuck.We often relentlessly pursue what we think will make us happy. We might chase money, power, fame, status or achievement. A businessman may say to himself,"If i make a million dollars, i'll be happy."He works hard and makes a million dollars. He feels happy. but after some time, the old restlessness returns. Then he may say to himself, "perhaps two million will make me happy" Once again, he works hard and achieves his goal. He feels happy but only for a while. The old restlessness returns. Again, he ups the ante, "perhaps four million will make me happy"The man, like many of us, is stuck. Instead of realizing that money fails to make him happy and that, like Siddhartha, he should search for something else, he pursues more of what does not really satisfy him. We witness the same phenomena in a person's struggle for power, influence or achievement.WHAT ABOUT YOU?????
Vitus Chigozie Unegbu, S.C.
Rome
