Worldly Pleasures

I usually don’t travel much but whenever I do, all I want to do is observe. To deeply absorb the surrounding-the atmosphere, the talks and the things that people do. And this time I had the pleasure to get this kind of experience.

As I stood in a line, I saw a man all draped in orange-the shade that is usually worn by the so called monks or the saints. But this was not a line leading to the sanctum sanctorum of a temple and even if it was, a monk would never be made to stand in a queue as all the very very important persons have a special entry passage. Instead this was a line for the baggage check-in for a particular flight’s economy class. A smile came to my face when I realized how well this individual has renounced the worldly pleasures. He carried with him a bag which had small wheels for the comfort of his travel but also to accompany his attire he wore sandals of wood. The contrast is beautifully pictured in this individual. 

The line for check-in was long, so impatience is bound to come to any normal human being’s mind but not to a monk or saint for his spirit is above these trivial things. But when the counters were understaffed and the process slow, why did this man became furious? I have no clue.

He checked-in his baggage; the baggage which they must give up before they drape themselves in the sunset orange. He went on. I too checked-in and later waited for my flight. As I went to take my seat in the airplane, he was already seated in the window seat. He had a Smartphone that looked expensive and packed with features. If this is how one renounces worldly pleasures I should do it too, but I won’t be able to do half the justice to the cause.

I thought by wearing this orange shade one becomes closer to the almighty, the almighty who sits in the heavens above, then why did this man flew in an airplane? Maybe it was an emergency or maybe he was in a hurry? In a hurry, why? I thought time is a restriction on the physical body but the spirit is free from the bounds of the ticking clock. The self-actualized individual from Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is definitely not him. And I hope that when the time for the final check-in comes, the appearance or the color of the clothing would not matter. But what do I know, for mind is full of thoughts and in my mind the song “Stairway to Heaven” plays.

 

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