I have smooth life then why seek God djjs blog

Q: I have a smooth life that demands nothing else. Then why should I try to seek God and endure so much of hardships in the form of self-control and detachment?

S: Those who feel that they lead a complete life and need no further progress to maintain their happiness, to them we say congratulations! You have reached a place in life where many hope to stand someday. But those who feel compelled to search for something more, that there could be, nay there MUST be something more to life than simply "making a living", for them awaits true reality of GOD. And only those people then strive hard to seek God. This situation can be best explained through an analogy:

Suppose a group of people were born inside a cave and all their life have never left this cave. For their food, they lick the moss that grows on the walls and the floor is covered with water, so they have enough to drink. Since they have known nothing greater than this, they do not search for anything more. They think the experiences before them are all that life has to offer. They have never seen the beauty of the world outside their limited cave. One day one of them trips and fall onto the wall of the cave and a bit of rock is chipped away. A bright light shines through and immediately he is shocked and even a bit fearful. He exclaims, "What is this, which I see before me?" He has never seen the sun; he has never known anything besides his very own cave. He builds up the courage to peer directly into this hole and witness a world beyond his wildest imaginations. He sees a river bubbling with water, so clear that he can see through to the bottom. He sees colours; he is blown away by the very sight.

Upon seeing this, he realizes there is something more, which has existed without his knowledge. He thirsts to go to that place. And so without hesitation he begins to dig. With all his might, he pounds away the cave's wall trying to create enough space so that he can leave this dreadful cave for that wonderful world which he has seen. He ceases to eat, drink and sleep. His hands bleed from beating on the wall of the cave but he does not mind it. His fellow cave dwellers, not having seen the same breath-taking vision, think him to be insane. "Look, how he is abstaining from the pleasures of this great cave of ours!" but since that man has already lived this "grand" world of his, he can see the folly of the fellow cave dwellers. He knows that there exists a greater world than just that of a living in a cave. He understands if man tirelessly digs to liberate himself from the cave, he is not abstaining from happiness at all. Rather, he is trying to get even greater happiness than is available in the limited cave.

Thus, we see that a comfortable life is not necessarily a complete life. Because that same man who was content with the darkness and dampness of the cave became crazed for the outside world once he bore witness to it; once he realized the true value of it. So let us consider whether we have experienced everything life has to offer. Have we truly found the happiness or have we just become accustomed to living a dreary life and call it happiness in our ignorance?

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