Simple Living High Thinking
It has often been conjectured, “Which came first; the chicken or the egg?” and the same can be questioned in respect of “Simple Living, High
Thinking.” Does simple living result from high thinking or vice versa, is high thinking reflected in simple living? In reality, they are not two different
concepts, but two sides of the same coin. They are complementary and you cannot have one without the other. The ideal example of this adage is
none other than Mahatma Gandhi. He was a man of high ideals, with thoughts that transcended the beliefs of mere mortals. When others were
thinking of getting rid of the British Raj by violence and bloodshed, this “Man of Peace” could think only of peaceful marches. His weapons were
silence, non-co-operation and other physically harmless but mentally and morally lethal weapons-and they worked.
Why did this man have so many followers? His speeches were not flamboyant; his attire was certainly not impressive in the normal sense of the term –
in fact he was known as the “Naked Fakir”. Obviously, it was not his external attributes that made him great, but the simplicity of his lifestyle, his
mannerisms, and his thoughts – all of them raised him above even the greats of his time.
This is how our lives should be; not to emphasize on the superficial that is transitory, but on deeper values. If we have simplicity in our lives, even our
thoughts will not be complicated by outside influences. We will be able to think in terms of ideals and visions unhampered by the intrusion of opinions
of others and this high thinking will be implemented in our lives. It will be a virtuous cycle of high thinking begetting simple living and simple living
reflecting high thinking. A circle that no one can destroy but everyone can join.