Not just Mumbai but the whole of India, and many parts of the world, is experiencing a very hot summer. Everyone is complaining. People worry about the El Niño effect and the possibility of a below-normal monsoon.
And yet, as we have seen every year, the very same people cribbing about the heat will start complaining the moment the monsoon arrives. There will be some flooding, some disruption of traffic — this is entirely normal. And when winter comes, even in a city like Mumbai where we merely pretend there is a winter, people will find reason to complain about the cold.
Why people keep complaining
It almost seems that human beings cannot live without complaining about something or the other. This tendency springs from a couple of deeper issues. One is a general unhappiness within oneself — an inner angst that must find expression somewhere, and the weather becomes a convenient target. The other is a fundamental lack of acceptance of situations that are, very often, entirely outside our control.
There was a time when we happily accepted the weather for what it is. But with progress and development has come an illusion of control. We mistake a better understanding of weather patterns and global phenomena for the ability to govern them. We may understand more — but in many cases, there is very little we can actually do, beyond curbing our carbon emissions. And even then, global warming will continue its course.
Acceptance over illusion of control
The invitation, then, is not to complain endlessly, but to honestly acknowledge: I am unhappy — and to sincerely inquire why, and to do something about it. The angst can be directed to seek genuine happiness and fulfilment. And alongside that inner work, to cultivate a sense of acceptance, especially toward those things which lie beyond our control, which may well include the behaviour of our own family members.
That spirit of acceptance can help people live far happier lives. And if, along with this acceptance, there is some study of Vedanta, some engagement with spirituality, one can move beyond mere happiness into genuine fulfilment. That, ultimately, is the aim of Vedanta.
About the writer
(The writer is the founder of Aarsha Vidya Foundation. You can write to him at aarshavidyaf@gmail.com)
