Young Man Siddhartha

Several days ago, I found an interesting Instagram post featuring a young woman speaking her mind. She says she is not asking for much — just wishing that her family members are happy, her health good, her mind not troubled, her finances flowing and no drama in her life.

I was astounded by the fact that she does not realize that she is asking for a lot. In fact, she is asking for the impossible! If such a person actually exists, she must have led a very sheltered life. Just like Siddhartha, the young prince before he became the enlightened one.

How many family members do you have? Can you expect everyone to be happy? Even if you live alone, it is too much to expect that you will be happy all the time. How about good health? Is it too much to ask for? Yes, if you are young, it is relatively easier to stay healthy. But staying healthy will become more and more difficult as you age. Even for relatively young people, the ease to maintain a healthy body depends on your socioeconomic class. Poor people have a tendency to be obese. How many corporate executives have you seen who are overweight? Going to the gymnasium takes most money and time. Most gym membership is not all that expensive, but many members of the working poor work several jobs. The last thing they have is time. In addition, healthy food is much more expensive than junk food or fast food. About the wish to have one’s…