SIMPLE LIVING, HIGH THINKING
A Conscious Effort
A Hadith tells us that ‘Simplicity is a part of faith’. On a close examination of this Hadith, one can question the wisdom behind considering simplicity as a part of faith itself; that is a part of the belief in God. Let us first consider, what is the absence of simplicity? Absence of simplicity is the complex methods requiring greater resources, time and effort that we adopt in conducting our daily lives to satiate our superficial pursuits. Such complex methods require the use of our intellectual faculties only for material benefit, while they could have been rightly used instead in the pursuit of knowledge, personality development, spiritual growth and the promotion of global peace.
If we adopt simplicity in our lives, then we will save ourselves from many distractions.
Man is considered the ‘crown of creation’ by virtue of being endowed with the power of thinking. This blessing of God can be used either for the most mundane things or for the higher things of life. It does not befit us to use this blessing for the sole achievement of our worldly or material needs which in any case will be fulfilled with lesser effort. However, this is possible only when one makes a conscious endeavour to keep life simple. For instance, one meal on any given day could be an elaborate affair spread over several hours requiring a lot of effort and preparation or it could be a simple event, both ultimately serving the same purpose.
If we do not consciously take the decision to live life in a simple way, things will get complicated and we will create a web of frivolous goals that will ensnare us in the bonds of materialism. Our focus will shift from a God-oriented life to a materialistic existence. The Prophet had predicted that material wealth will be the cause of much evil amongst his followers. The only way of saving ourselves from such evil will be to adopt simplicity in everything. If we adopt simplicity in our lives, then we will save ourselves from many distractions. Only then will it be possible for us to use our faculties for higher thinking. High thinking is the result of simple living. This is the essential ingredient in our endeavour to seek the truth and increase our faith.