What I found interesting about this schedule was the maximum utilisation of time/energy towards various roles that a Mauryan King was expected to perform. There are some amongst us who do follow such schedules but to what end? Are they happy? It got me thinking of what is the best bang for the buck in terms of a life well lived? In other words what would I term to be a successful life.
Just as I was thinking this, life sent me answers in the form of a phone call and a chance meeting.
My 84 year Maternal Uncle from Bengaluru called me up yesterday morning to enquire about how things are with me. There was the customary cheer in his voice, despite sleeping only for a few hours every night. Whilst I felt ashamed that it should have been the other way round that I should have called him but… Nevertheless it brightened up my day to hear from him, as it always does.
Thereafter the same morning, I met a 91 year old Parsi Gentlemen (An Ex Air Force Officer)with an amazing attitude to life, who is himself a caregiver for his sister and others in the family that are in need of looking after albeit being much younger to him. He mentioned to me that it is not what you do that matters but how you do it that does…
Their lives embody the essence of the famous song:
Kisi ki muskurahato pe ho nisar
Kisi ka dard mil sake to le udhaar
Kisi ke waste ho tere dil me pyaar
Jeena isi ka naam hai…
Well, I think success is a combination of a great attitude of living life, maintaining a healthy body and mind and above all giving/caring for others that does the trick. It is not what you do that matters, have “acceptance” of any hand that life deals and yet keep the million dollar smile and never fail to ask what is it that I can do for you?
This, my friends, is the Art of Living, never late to practice it…
Bodhisattva 