All You Need Right Now Is Simpler Living | Timeless Simplicity For Quality Life | Video Essay

always bear this in mind that very little indeed is necessary for living a happy life says Marcus Aurelius once upon a time there was an industrialist who was horrified to find the fisherman lying beside his boat smoking a pipe the industrialist said why aren't you fishing the fisherman replied because I've caught enough fish for the day again the industrialist ask why don't you catch some more and the fisherman replied what would I do with them the industrialist said earn more money then you could have a motor fixed to your boat and go into deeper waters and catch more fish that would bring you money to buy nylon Nets so more fish more money soon you would have enough to buy two boats even a fleet of boats then you could be rich like me the fisherman asked him what would I do then industrialist said then you could sit back and enjoy life looking surprised with the answer of industrialist fisherman replied what do you think I'm doing now this video explore the ideas of simpler living or voluntary Simplicity the philosophy of Simplicity rejects the sense of continual deprivation and the idea that there are always new Necessities Simplicity and minimalism says life is about everything to do with having less and enjoying more today we all are living in a capitalist Society where money is generally considered as the primary measure of value competition individualism and material consumption are therefore nurtured as favored cultural norms levels of income stock prices and GDP have become the measure of progress and success needless to say in our money-based culture everyone needs to make use of money as the primary means of exchange and in order to purchase life's Necessities such as shelter clothing and food however the question is after the bare necessities have been purchased what else money is required for in recent times it seems that our economic and technological progress has failed to bring about the good society today a higher standard of living has become The Unofficial agent of Oppression it has simply failed to result in a better quality of life modern culture has promoted the false idea that buying things can ease the discomfort that many people feel in their lives lives however this is the exact opposite of the truth material solutions to emotional problems leave behind a sense of personal dissatisfaction whereas a simpler lifestyle leaves space for one's spiritual renewal turning to India its greatest teacher Buddha who initially know as sidartha GAA heir to a throne in Ancient India for the pleasure and power of a kingdom to search for enlightenment according to Buddha suffering and dissatisfaction come to humans because they are possessive greedy and self-centered Buddha said these could be rooted out by means of the practice of the eight-fold path the avoidance of the extremes of sensory Indulgence and aesthetic mortification and the extin iction of confusion and craving that generates anguish were important parts of this practice while Buddhism recognizes that basic material needs must be met in order that we can realize our potential however it does not recognize our material welfare as an end in itself rather for Buddhist it is a means to an end that of Awakening to our deepest nature as Spiritual Beings thus although Buddhism recognizes that basic material needs must be met it teaches the necessity for a middle way between material extravagance and deprivation many scholars Advocate sooner or later a more simpler living will not only prove desirable but become imperative the term simpler living was made Popular by the author Dwayne Elgen Dwayne Elgen wrote In his classic account voluntary Simplicity that voluntary Simplicity involves both inner and outer condition it means singleness of purpose sincerity and honesty within as well as avoidance of exterior clutter of many possessions irrelevant to the chief purpose of life according to Dwayne Elgen simpler living means an ordering and guiding of our energy and our desires a partial restraint in some directions in order to secure greater abundance of life in other directions simpler living involves a deliberate organization of life for a purpose it also Advocates as different people have different purposes in life what is relevant to the purpose of one person might not be relevant to the purpose of another therefore the degree of simplification is a matter for each indiv individual to settle for himself another advocate of the simple life was the writer Leo Tolstoy he said and I quote we make the word poverty a synonym for Calamity but it is in truth a source of Happiness end quote according to the philosophy of minimalism to live a life of voluntary Simplicity is an expression of the human freedom to choose rather than to be dictated to by the incessant reinforcements of consumerism today we most feel the need to fill the vacuum with a consoling substitute like another dress another computer game or holiday it is not acquisitiveness but boredom which can lead to regular and compulsory shopping it's called retail therapy as a relief from the Lacuna of an unfulfilled life voluntary Simplicity Ares the more we lose the power to live the more we come to depend upon the short-term fun which activities like shopping can provide at times many of us have wanted to have more because we thought that by having more we would be able to live more yet so often the opposite turns out to be the case shopping like narcotics can become a serious addiction so we can end up buying things we don't really need and too often with money we don't really have therefore a fulfilled person is one who has explored his or her capacities and looks back with satisfaction at a life enriched by personal discoveries whereas an unfulfilled person is often one who has become over dependent on external stimuli dependence on externals dependence on peer group affirmation dependence on the seductions of Modern Life are all characteristics of the consumerist mentality those choosing to live in a simple way have often sought the middle way between poverty and wealth they have concentrated on moderation quality rather than quantity they have sought to live a more balanced and measured life one which not only protects the Mind encourages creativity and helps the good of society but at the same time acts a corrective to the materialistic excesses of a culture more preoccupied with Indulgence than the consequences of profligacy voluntary Simplicity is a pathway towards the maintenance of a life that is comfortable but not luxurious Frugal but not pinching decent but not boring one that seeks to discard the specialists divisions between work and life art and everyday activity experience teaches that happiness can only be attained as a byproduct of other aims strive to help others strive to give expression to your innate altruism strive for the Fulfillment that transcends your individual egoistic self and you may be blessed with contentment never expect to find it by the direct route for thousands of years stoicism Buddhism Hinduism taoism and jism have encouraged a way of life characterized by material moderation mindfulness and spirituality they all believed in the necessity of curbing material wants according to them civilization in the real sense of the term exists not in the multiplication but in the deliberate and voluntary reduction of wants and this alone promotes real happiness and contentment that's all for today's video If you enjoyed this video please don't forget to give it a thumbs up and subscribe to our channel for more empowering content thanks for watching

Channel: Seeker

Views: 6,264

Keywords: Personality development, video essay, Productivity, self care, motivation, Mindfulness, Confidence building, School of life, seeker, Philosophy

Id: DgwJnvDbn6o

Length: 10min 20sec (620 seconds)

Published: Wed Jun 12 2024