Santosha / Contentment

When I think of contentment I am led to ideas like equanimity and inner peace. What also comes to mind here is an interesting definition of intelligence that I heard recently,“ the ability to observe without judgment”. All these qualities are essential if we are to understand and realise the true nature of our existence, and if we are to find even a small measure of freedom from our suffering. While we live in a society and are wrapped in a culture that encourages, even needs, us to be discontent - achieve more, make more, consume more - Santosha or contentment can become an act of rebellion and is possibly a key ingredient to our healing.

Here is a wonderful Zen story that shows what contentment, inner peace, and equanimity can look like in the world…

There was a farmer who used an old horse to till his fields.
One day, the horse escaped into the hills. When the farmer’s neighbors sympathized with the old man over his bad luck, the farmer replied, “Bad luck? Good luck? Who knows?”
A week later, the horse returned with a herd of horses from the hills. This time the neighbors congratulated the farmer on his good luck. His reply was “Good luck? Bad luck? Who knows?”
Then when the farmer’s son was attempting to tame one of the wild horses, he fell off its back and broke his leg. Everyone thought this was very bad luck. The farmer’s reaction: “Bad luck? Good luck? Who knows?”
Some weeks later, the army marched into the village and conscripted every able-bodied youth they found there. When they saw the farmer’s son with his broken leg, they let him off.
By now we know the farmer’s response “Good luck or Bad luck? Who knows!”

Where in your life could you fall back, observe and withhold judgment? Often a slower, more mindful approach helps us to see the path more clearly. This is the way of the yogi.

Slowly and surely, friends.

Peace.

Peter