Get Rid of Greed – लालच न करें (May, 2017)

2017, Monthly Articles

“When pursuing a goal, what is my mental state: a strong drive to achieve the goal by fair means only or an intense and selfish desire that I don’t mind taking wicked means?” Let’s spend a bit of time in reflection before proceeding!

 

As such, life is nothing but a continuous pursuit of successive goals. We set a goal, take steps to achieve it, celebrate the success (or learn from the failure), set another goal, and the whole cycle starts all over again. These pursuits continue from dawn to dusk though out our lifetime. Whether these cycles become pleasant or burden is mainly determined by the quality of our thoughts while chasing those goals. We may enjoy or loathe the experience. If the thoughts are steeped in greed, which means an intense and selfish desire to achieve the goal irrespective of the ethics, the journey of life lacks joy and contentment; but, when filled with generosity, fairness, and integrity, it becomes a pleasant experience.

 

Yes, you guessed it right: The topic for this month’s assignment is “Get Rid of Greed” (लालच न करें). As this topic is something kids can easily relate with and expand on, rather than providing a detailed article, I am sharing a few pointers, with the hope that kids will do a great job on their own.

 

Points to cover in the article:

 

  • What is greed?

 

  • What’s the difference between saving for future and hoarding?

Hint: every living being, be it a human, animal, or even plant/tree, prepares for future. It is an essential quality for survival. Hoarding, on the other hand, is driven by obsession and immorality. It is an act of incessantly collecting objects (of material and non-material kind) far beyond one’s needs with no regard to the needs of fellow living beings.

 

  • What is the difference between self-protection and self-indulgence?

 

  • What are the disadvantages of greed?

Hint: Think its implication on our personality, relationships, health, image, and happiness (a happy person is a contented person).

 

  • What are the root cause of greed?

 

  • What are the telltale signs of greed in our behavior?

 

  • What steps can be taken to curb and remove this negative quality?

 

As always, looking forward to a variety of illuminating thoughts and interpretations by the Hawan kids.

 

Om Shanti Om!

Harsh Mendiratta