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SPECIAL FEATURE FEBRUARY 10, 2023 | The Indian Eye 14

TOWARDS BETTER LIVING

Wisdom from the life and talks of HH Pramukh Swami Maharaj

The Joy of Giving

he eighth wealthiest man in the his parents are insisting upon spend-
world, Warren Buffet, enjoys a
Tlife of simplicity, frugal living, ing lavishly. What should we do?”
Pramukh Swami replied, “All of you,
and generous philanthropy. He lives including the couple, want the cer-
in the same residence in Omaha, Ne- emony to be simple. That is a good
braska, that he bought in 1958 for thing because you will save money.
$31,500, the equivalent of $285,000 in Of course, you should prioritize your
2020. He buys cars that he can get at spending and do what is necessary.
reduced prices — like those damaged But there is no need to go overboard
by hail. He then fixes those cars, so and make the event pompous. Ex-
they do not look hail damaged. This is plain to the groom’s parents that
a regular part of the Buffett lifestyle. by spending less you can still have a
He once said, “I am not interested in memorable ceremony.”
cars, and my goal is not to make peo- On February 13, 2009, Pramukh
ple envious.” Swami was in New Delhi. A devotee
But many people, in stark con-
trast, buy goods not because they explained how people eat at five-star
hotels, “In some hotels, a dish of 20
need them, but to impress their to 25 varieties of food can cost up
friends, peers, colleagues, or neigh- to 5,000 rupees, and still, they have
bors. They want to ‘show off’ that a clientele that spend such an exor-
they belong to the high end of the bitant amount of money.” Pramukh
social spectrum. They also buy ex- Swami asked, “If one dish has so
pensive items, regardless of their many varieties, are they able to finish
purchasing power. ‘Conspicuous all the food?”
Consumption,’ is the latest trend in “No. It is customary to leave
the world, especially in developing food on your plate. Otherwise, you
nations. The poor aspire to imitate are a glutton,” replied the devotee.
the rich, and the rich strive to imitate simple living. The late Dr APJ Ab- ity, and he preached the treasured “What a waste of money!” re-
celebrities and other icons. It is a vi- dul Kalam, though an eminent sci- lesson to people from all levels of sponded Pramukh Swami. He ex-
cious cycle. Conspicuous Consump- entist and renowned thinker, lived society. On February 28, 2011, a dev- pressed his displeasure, adding,
tion cuts across all social borders, an extremely simple and austere life. otee met him in Vadodara, Gujarat, “They want to show off, even if it
embracing even the lower middle He did not own any property nor seeking his advice about whether to means wasting food. It has become a
and poor classes. It has given rise to a fridge, a TV set, a car, or an air buy a watch for more than $150,000. mindless obsession.”
consumerism that has induced ad- conditioner unit. Warren Buffet has Pramukh Swami asked, “Does an Pramukh Swami’s underlying
dictive and narcissistic behavior. The written, “I just naturally want to do ordinary watch not show the same concern behind these sentiments
desire for immediate gratification things that make sense. In my per- time?” The devotee replied, “Yes, was for the rich and privileged to
heightened hedonistic expectations sonal life too, I don’t care what other it does.” “Then where is the need to save a little and help those in need.
and exhibitionist behavior has shown rich people are doing. I do not want buy such a costly watch?” The devo- Choosing to forego a few wants in fa-
to be problematic and even suicidal. a 405-feet long boat just because tee agreed and dropped the idea of vor of supporting important causes is
For example, people with limited someone else has one. I need to spending so much money on a flashy a beautiful way to practice mindful,
budgets go out and buy extravagant learn not to spread my legs beyond watch. sacrificial philanthropy. Further-
items with loans or, at times, even the reach of my blanket. I have been A devotee met Pramukh Swami more, research has pointed out that
resorting to stealing. This madness using the mantra of ‘less is more’ to in Rajkot, Gujarat on May 2, 2003. those who experienced more happi-
for materialism has resulted in envy, simplify every aspect of my life.” He had arranged his daughter’s mar- ness practiced generosity consistent-
thefts, and increased crime rates. Pramukh Swami Maharaj moti- riage but explained his plight, “We ly over time.
But there are famous person- vated countless people to live a sim- want to have the wedding ceremony
alities from the business, scientific ple and thrifty life. He was a great in a simple and economical way. The Jnanpurushdas Swami
and spiritual fields who subscribe to proponent of simplicity and auster- groom is also happy with that. But BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha

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