INTERVIEW WITH MAULANA WAHIDUDDIN KHAN

You talk about balance in nature. Of course, there is a natural beautiful balance. Maulana Saheb, we are not able to bring balance in our lives. Where does need end, and where does greed start? Maulana ji, how do we understand the difference between need and greed in our lives? I will tell you what my formula is. It is a little formula. It is: “simple living, high thinking.” This is my formula. See, peace and solace, these can only be found in simplicity. The more you increase the greed, likewise, increases the tension, problems also increase. Today, I spoke to a gentleman who told me that he had gone to Ooty. He met a Bengali family there. The family members were very healthy, all men, women as well children, all were very healthy. He wanted to know what the secret of their health was. They said our houses don’t have stove. We eat fruits, vegetables, we drink milk, that’s all we eat and drink. I am not saying that every person should follow this, but this is a formula for simple life. What is the benefit of simple life? Simple life saves you from distraction. The biggest thing in life is that you can save yourself from distraction. Without simple life, you cannot save yourself from distraction. When there is simple life, high thinking will come. High quality of life will come. Every aspect of life will find progress. You said that competition is the basis of this world. Because of the competition as we understand it, we bring many struggles in our life. We don’t know where to stop. I want this bungalow, I want this car, then, I want to send my children abroad. Where do we put our need as our target and reach to greed? So, is competition one of the reasons for greed? Here I would urge people to think what the result is that they are getting from greed. People who live in expectation of more and more, I have found them all to be living in tension. Look at me. I am in late 80s. I get sound sleep. I have seen people from my family and outside who do not sleep. They take pills for sound sleep. or take pills for sound sleep. They face so many problems. I have never taken such pills. Why? It is because of simple living. The people keep piling up things, they keep on increasing their greed, but they do not think about the result they get. More greed, more tension; more greed, more stress; more greed, more depression. So, what is the benefit? The real thing is my being. If I lose myself, then what would be the use of the horde of cars and bungalows? The real thing is my being. It is my