THE CULTURE OF ENOUGH
Can we say ‘enough’ to material possessions? asks Suma Varughese
A prayer that I often utter goes thus: “May everyone have enough and no one aspire for more.” The two go together. Everyone can have enough only if all of us can forgo our greed. Even if a handful decide to plunder and pillage the planet, large swathes of humanity will go without, not to mention the ravage that it will wreak on the environment and the quality of our lives. In today’s times, cultivating this culture has become a practical imperative. There is no other way to save our precious planet and to arrest our precipitate descent into climatic catastrophe. However, that is not the only benefit. Only a willingness to put a limit on consumption will bring us the peace and contentment that earlier generations enjoyed, resolve societal inequity and conflict, and create more law and order. Above all, it will significantly improve our Gross National Happiness. On an individual basis, only freedom from the lure of money can bring us the higher joys we long for, such as spiritual growth, building strong relationships, serving society, or dabbling in the arts. So how do we cultivate this culture of Enough? It is not an easy task. In the first place, no one outside ourselves has the right to determine what Enough means for us. An arbitrary government cannot tell us that a certain level of income, a house of a particular size, or a fixed
set of jewellery is enough. That imposition is an intolerable violation of our freedom.
Besides, to reach this state, we need to void our vasanas, our conditioning. Suppression and repression only serve to drive our desires underground, which will surface later in the form of an addiction, made all the more powerful by our resistance to them. No. To arrive at a genuine sense of satiation, it needs to come from within. Often, it comes through the ongoing evolution of living life. Most of us, for instance, definitely find our interest in the material plane palling as we grow older. We no longer pine to own the nth piece of jewellery, Sabyasachi’s latest collection, or the newest iPhone. Even our palate ceases to exert a compelling pull on our desires. Slow though this method may be, it is sure. But this process can be accelerated through conscious living and conscious self-work. As we become more self-aware and more self-accepting, our desires no longer have the same gnawing intensity. Both these tools, particularly acceptance, give them the space to be, and whatever has the space to be will not trouble us. We can deal with them rationally and free ourselves of ego-based needs, such as wanting to impress through flashy living, eating the next piece of chocolate cake, or becoming a CEO at age 30. Self awareness and acceptance can
also help us cut through the many illusions that hold us in thrall. The illusion that our worth is determined by the amount of money we make, that money can buy happiness, or that whatever we have is not enough. Moreover, as more and more catch the fire of Enough, more others will be drawn to it. Maybe, in time, keeping up with the Joneses will mean buying less and less and even making less and less! In the meantime, the best way to inch towards the lifestyle of Enough is to stay in tandem with our inner growth and free ourselves of what we no longer feel the need for. As our children grow up and leave home, we can consider moving into a smaller house or even re-evaluating how much we now need to lead a reasonably good life. Once we retire, once again, we can evaluate how much we will need. Secondly, we should surround ourselves with high-thinking, simple-living friends. Nothing influences us as much as the company we keep. Thirdly, we should stay aware of the consequences of high living on the planet, on society, and on ourselves as well.
Good luck!
Suma Varughese is a thinker, writer, and former Editor-in-Chief of Life Positive. She also
holds writer’s workshops. Write to her at sumavarughese@ hotmail.com.
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