A BARGAIN WITH THE FUTURE

 

“The successful among us delay gratification.

The successful among us bargain with the future.”

Jordan B. Peterson

(12 Rules for Life – an Antidote to Chaos)

 

Lately, my wife and I have begun to have early dinner… mostly around 6 or 6.30 in the evening. Then, take a light breakfast around 9 or 10 in the morning. This  gives us a window or 13 – 16 hours. We have become used to it, now…

Earlier, when the dinner used to be at 10 or 11 and retiring time used to be immediately after that, seeing my Jain friends completing their last meal before the sunset and taking their breakfast after the sunset – and the hospitals serving dinner to patients around 7 p. m. … yes, seeing all this, I used to wonder, “How can they follow such an eating habit… Dinner at 6 or 7…?”

Even, for a blood test, when we were asked to keep a 12-hour fast, it felt like a mission impossible!

Well, with age and sickness comes wisdom, too! My wife and I woke up to this ancient discipline of eating with a longer window late in life… Anyway, anytime is a good time… Jab jaago, tab sabera!

This is Navratri season… Several people around me are observing abstinence. A dear friend of mine, a busy professional walks bare foot and observes water fasting for all the ten day!

“What?” For ten days, walk barefoot and survive only on water… and go about your professional schedule, too?”

Yes, my friend is able to do it superbly… “Where there is a will, there is a way,” my friend explains, simplistically…

I remember this story narrated by a teacher in one of our PD sessions, long ago:

 

SILENCE OF THE DISCIPLES

 

Once, a Zen master wanted his four disciples to observe a daylong silence. So, he sent them into a room and instructed not to open their mouths under any provocation. He, also, instructed his servant to light the lamp when it turned dark in the evening…

The disciples, obediently, settled into the room and began observing the silence. For the entire day, they were quiet. But, as it began to turn dark, one of them looked at the servant and said, “It’s getting dark; light the lamp on.”

Immediately, another disciple pointed, “Hey, you spoke… You broke the silence.”

Just then, the third disciple, declared, “Look, you two….”

This disciple realized, midway, that he, too, had open his mouth. So, quickly, he shut his mouth tightly with both his hands. However, the mouth had been opened, the silence had been broken…

Seeing all this drama unfolding before him, the last disciple was unable to contain how he was feeling  about his own self-control. So, he expressed proudly, “Now, I am the only disciple here who hasn’t opened his mouth… The Master will be pleased with my self-control.”

 

I think, there is sense in what Jordan B. Peterson says…Every time you and I delay our instant gratification, what we are actually trying to do is - a bargain with the future…

 

GERALD D’CUNHA

 

Pic’s.: hindi.latestly.com  

 

Video: Gaur Gopal Das/Set India