Is Life Actually This Simple?

Vince was all excited after he came back from Rishikesh on one weekend. He showed me some photographs of himself along with a sadhu who had long matted hair and was wearing only a loin cloth, and a liberal amount of ash. Vince told me that the sadhu could speak fluent English and had been a professor in a college; he had now renounced everything worldly and retired to Rishikesh. He continued that this sadhu had built a small hut for himself on the banks of Ganges River, and was living in that.Vince confided that on many occasions, he had long conversations with this sadhu, and with many others like him, during his numerous visits to Rishikesh during the four months that we were together until then.

Vince, an American, had come to India to do the IBM certificated e-business course, Jan – May 2000. We had met as co-students on the first day of the course, in January 2000. Most students doing the course were in their twenties, with Vince being the only foreigner. They were excited to meet a ‘gora’ & bombarded him with personal questions on the first day itself; he took an instant dislike to them and thereafter he generally kept aloof. I never asked him anything personal, as I had learnt that it is taboo to ask an American about his personal life, unless of course he knows you well enough and is willing to share information with you.

Over a period of time he developed a rapport with me and started sharing his ideas, thoughts and views with me. One day, Vince confided to me about his dream of starting a software company with an aim of earning money. He further said that he wanted to earn a million dollars so that he could buy a cottage on the beach in Virginia, his home town. Dreamily he continued that the cottage would have a private beach in which he would sit in his easy chair and relax, doing nothing. Over a period of time, he was willing to share more with me, without my asking.

I had noticed that Vince would vanish on Friday evening's and would appear back in class on Monday. This happened on most weekends. After about three months, we were friendly enough for me to invite Vince to my place for a meal, over the weekend. He declined the invitation saying that all his weekends were booked in Rishikesh. He confided that he had rented a room on the banks of the Ganges, at Rs 300 per day for all his remaining weekends in India. He further told me that the view of the Ganges emerging from the hills was very beautiful, and that he really enjoyed the serenity and peace during his stay there, especially the sun rising from behind the hills. Every weekend was full of excitement for him, on many counts. What we Indians take for granted and tend to ignore as ignorance, superstitions, etc had a new meaning. His interactions with the knowledgeable seer were giving him new insights into our Indic thought, and I realised it was just because he had an open mind, unlike us Indian ‘western educated prejudiced’ minds. His weekend visits continued, and he had many things to share.

After one such weekend visit, he told me that his Indian sojourn had given rise to a dilemma in his mind. He went on to mention his ‘dream’ once again. With a dreamy look thereafter, he philosophically observed that, I want to earn one million dollars so as to relax on the beach, doing nothing, and here is this sadhu who has nothing except a loin cloth and a few other belongings doing exactly what I want to do, after all this struggle. He ran out of words thereafter, and I too was totally dumb struck. We both looked at each other in silence. We were too busy trying to comprehend the enormity of this realisation. I still wonder at times about this incident…….

Is life actually this simple?