Material World

In the increasingly material world, one wonders sometimes the merits of an ascetic life.

To think that almost all family disputes are on the subject of property and wealth, what is all this really worth? Is it worth alienation of the people closest to you?

History shows that man wandered from place to place in search of food and other resources, never settling in any one place too long. He was what we would call today, a rolling stone. Unshackled as ever, he roamed vast lands forging new contacts as he went along, collecting fruits, cattle and even women. It is also believed that the purdah system developed due to such reasons; to protect women from the eyes of such lustful wanderers. Slowly, he accumulated his wealth and harem, deciding to finally drop the anchor someplace and settle down. He built a home of brick and stone, wishing it would remain long after his passing. Who would then take over to nurture it? An heir, perhaps. Not just any heir, his own flesh and blood. Thus, the concept of legacy came into being.  Such an heir would carry on his name and his memory in the form of tangible property. Alas, another problem surfaced, how would you ensure that the chosen heir is really the fruit of one’s own loins? Thus, the concept of marriage. The woman was contractually sworn to be faithful to the husband, so that there wouldn’t be any doubt of paternity. Monogamy thus took shape and turned into a moral, the breach of which became punishable by law. The tie of marriage also ensured with it actual symbols of a married woman, viz. Rings, mangalsutra, sindoor. Needless to say, this was outward declaration and projection of the fact that, she’s a married woman and hence, off limits to the roving men! This became one of the ways to ensure monogamy.
As women bore their husband’s children, the children became heirs apparent to everything owned by their parents.
Of course, even a loving happy family doesn’t always agree where it comes to segregation of such wealth. Wars have been fought; lives have been lost while trying to satisfy the thirst of men for power and money. Prince Aurangzeb plotted and killed his father, sister and all of his brothers to usurp the Mughal Kingdom of Hindustan. We see in our everyday lives how most families are torn apart on questions and disputes of inheritance and property.

Is it worth the trouble and all the heartburn?
Or is the prospect of shedding it all to become an ascetic, a yeti so much more liberating?
We have a longstanding reverence in our country for ascetics; saadhus , Sufis, fakirs, kafirs have been revered for thousands of years. The God of all Gods, Shiva was an ascetic, meditating for years at a stretch in his Kailash Parbat. The tombs of Sufi saints, Nizamuddin, Makhdoom Ali Mahimi, Moinuddin Chishti are still worshipped, 800 years after their death.
Such men leave every comfort and shed material living for meditation and prayer, surviving on alms. They’re not beggars, but of a higher spiritual being which has always garnered respect in our sub-continental world.
The bonds and shackles of family, estate, progeny are broken away from, a supreme freedom is achieved . Such freedom is unparalleled, unrivalled and pretty much unattainable for most of us.
One can only but dream...