Contentment

Contentment:
Satisfaction with one's possessions, status, or situation)

vernacular=Punjabi:
Na dekh paraee chopri, na tarsa ji
Rukhi-sukhi kha te thanda pani pi –
Means “Stay within your means”, “Don’t look others what they do”, and be happy)

After my high school I joined my first job in 1950 as a junior clerk/typist at a salary grade of 60-4-100-5?-120 (means 4 rupees annual increment and on reaching 100, the annual raise will be increased and finally you come to the maximum). Plus, I was getting a special typing allowance of Pakistan Rupees 20/per month. I lived as bachelor, spent some money on my own. On each payday I used to come home (1-way 4 hours bus travel) and give the balance money to my mother. She was happy and used to pray for more and more Blessings from God. She was also doing some stitching work for charge. She looked after us (two sons and three daughters – all in middle and high school). By the Grace of God she managed the household very well.

Now that we have our own families, I am still practicing Contentment that she taught us and enjoying Blessings of God. I am a muslim and Contentment is one of our religious teachings also.

I was doing job at a project in District Hazara, Pakistan. Our department head (a Swiss) took us to on an excursion trip in the mountains. He found and explained us an inscription preaching “Contentment by “Budha” in sunsikrat language that he could read.

I am still in service (4/2009) and paid less than my contemporaries. However, with adoption of contentment and with Blessings of God, we are completely satisfied.

All this is not of our own making, we are greedy and always look for more and more. We must ask the Provider to grant His blessings in whatever he is providing us so we remain satisfied at all times.

sheikhmsarwar@gmail.com