By Raman Pathik
The Meaning of Simplicity. We all know what simplicity means. It is used to describe ideas, theories, concepts, and written/visual materials that are easy to understand or explain. It is the opposite of complex or complicated.
For the purpose of this book, I use the term “simplicity” to express getting back-to-basics for a simple, self-sufficient lifestyle and the ease of understanding the concept of The Simple Solution! In no way do I use the term “simple” to imply the negative connotation of “lack of mental acuteness,” but instead, I use the “human nature of simplicity” to indicate the beauty, purity, honesty, and wholesomeness of a child in the mindful awareness of the adult.
The Science of Simplicity; The Simplicity of the Gift Bestowed at Birth. A newborn baby’s basic needs are simple: Oxygen, water, nutritional food (mother’s milk), physical activity, and sunlight. When a baby’s basic needs are met, the simplicity of the gift—love, peace, joy, wisdom, and purity—is shown in a joyful, content, playful, curious, imaginative, and happy baby. Newborns have a certain amount of self-sufficiency when their needs are met. No one needs to teach them how to breathe, drink, eat, move around, or enjoy sunlight and nature. This is the science of nature, the science of simplicity. There are no preconceived attachments, greed, anger, ego, lust, or prejudices. Newborn infants are non-violent and non-judgmental. This is pure, natural simplicity!
As adults, we can learn much from watching the simplicity of babies and children at play. In the last chapter, I pointed out how we can learn the full natural breath that leads to the silence and calmness of a quiet, serene mind that creates a balance between the Inner and Outer Minds. Children play at life by mimicking family, friends, and other children around them in simplicity. Simplicity leads to each child’s unique environment from which they create their future!
Simplicity in the environment keeps children and adults content with what they have achieved in life. The simple lifestyle makes every member of a family, community, or nation equal and healthy, happy, and loving. When your lifestyle is complicated and overly complex, your mind is filled with unnecessary fear, worry, and stress.
People in a simplistic state of mind tend to be more optimistic, focused, mindful of their actions and how those actions affect others, aware of each and every moment of their lives with a sense of wonder, imagination, and creativity. These are the individuals who reach out to serve others and become role models for the generations to come.
Simplicity is the foundation of a self-sufficient society, and it all begins with the simple, natural basics of life that sustain newborn babies. If it can sustain life in an infant, it can sustain life and equilibrium in the adult. This is what I want to share in The Simple Solution!
The Art of Simplicity; The Simple Solution Plan IS Simplicity! If you are not aware of the joyful presence of simplicity around you—the calm, mindful silence of the breath; your use of time and money; wholesome, nutritious foods; the beauty of nature; exercise to achieve better mental and physical health—you have not yet become aware of the benefits of The Simple Solution!
Even if you understand the logic behind The Science of Simplicity, “awareness” of The Art of Simplicity has to occur in each individual’s mind and spirit to begin the transformational process that will create The Simple Solution Environment. Do you want to remain unhealthy, unhappy, unable to love your family, filled with anger, fear, and stress?
In this section on The Awareness of The Art of Simplicity, I will provide you with pointers and road-markers on the journey to simple healthy living to become a healthy, happy, and loving person with the strength of will to serve others as a role model. What road do I follow for a Simple Healthy Lifestyle? How Simplicity Creates The Simple Solution Environment.
There is no set pattern, timeframe, or step-by-step procedure to create simplicity in our hectic, stressful, modern world. You take baby steps one day at a time to ease your mind and transform your reality.
A simple breathing exercise to experience the full breath like a newborn baby. This quiets the mind and brings silence to the chaos raging in our lives. After a relatively short period, this will become automatic, and you will find yourself breathing in this manner almost all the time. It calms and soothes a mind filledwith fear, worry, and stress. Becoming aware of how you spend your time and money allows you to control wasted time and unnecessary spending. You will become aware of what is a basic need to sustain life, versus wants and desires.
As you free up time and money, you’ll also have more
energy for simple pleasures, such as sharing a family meal; more time to spend with your spouse/partner, children, and friends; taking a walk or making music together, camping, or other family outings.
You may find time to do volunteer work and know the pure, simple joy of helping others less fortunate. One smile goes a long way, and when you receive a smile in
return, it will brighten your day! More time could
also allow you to help improve the quality of life in your community through civic associations, community groups, and neighborhood functions.
More time and energy allows you to reflect on your personal talents, skills, and gifts: Your physical health improves with exercise (walking, running, biking, swimming, weight training, dance classes); emotional health by sharing feelings and intimacy; mental acuity by more education, reading, and research. Spirituality is a great by-product of the silence of the breath with a clear, peaceful mind, compassionate demeanor, and heartfelt empathy. Your observances of holidays will be more spiritual and less commercial. This spirituality gives you a grounded link with the earth and the ecology of our natural resources, caring for your body as an extension of the universe and humankind, so you treat yourself and others with respect and justice, no matter what class, race, or ethnicity. You will help the poor, sick, and homeless.
As you eat a nutritious organic diet, you will find you appetite sated with less food, fat, sugar, and salt, eliminating highly processed foods, fatty meats, junk food, and sweets. You will also find you need fewer commercial products, such as clothes, gadgets, and the newest fad on the market that will be obsolete in a few months. You purchase durable, efficient, non-polluting, and easily repairable products with less ostentatious displays, such as jewelry, shoes, cosmetics, the newest cars, the biggest house, the most money, and possessions.
Not only will there be less clutter in your mind, but there will also be fewer unnecessary items in your home that require storage, tucked away in closets, the basement, attic, garage, or even a separate storage facility. These items that you cannot see will probably never be used.
As time goes on, perhaps you will boycott goods and services from large polluting corporations and companies whose actions and policies you find unethical. The need to recycle metal, glass, and paper products will become important to you as your family reduces or eliminates products made from nonrenewable resources or on biodegradable substances.
Your environment will be a home to share with your family, not a house or structure to be bought and sold. The amount of space you need maybe a smaller, human-sized habitat with direct personal contact with your neighbors, friends, and community. Society is embracing non-sexist stereotypes, which may expand your views on traditional role models.
Your communication skills will include simple non-verbal disciplines, a human touch, a hug, the expression on your face or in your eyes as you and another person share the silence when no words can express the depth of feeling that binds family members and dear friends.
You will raise your family using preventive medicine and the holistic healing of the body and mind. As your compassion grows beyond the bounds of the self and family, global causes will attract your attention as you become involved in groups to save the rainforests, save animals from extinction, and use non-violent means to control the human and animal population.
As you go off to work to a job you love some wonderful day in the future in modest clothes, comfortable and long-wearing, you may opt to use public transit, car-pooling, more efficient smaller cars; maybe living closer to work so you can enjoy a healthy walk or riding a bike. You’ll know where your children and spouse are and that they are safe, healthy, happy, and loving individuals just as you are. This is The Simple Solution Plan in action!
Your ease of tension will allow you a serious look at your job to see if it contributes to the well-being of the planet and fully uses your creative assets. You will develop skills, both at work and at home, that gives you more self-sufficiency to meet the challenges of
self and property upkeep, such as people skills, first-aid, simple carpentry, plumbing, appliance repair, gardening, crafts, etc. You will be pleasantly surprised at the joy of self-reliance and accomplishment.
