Holes in Hierarchy!

Everyone knows what Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs Theory is. What people don't know is that there is a hamster wheel at each level!

In the winters of northern India, I spent a few days this year in Benaras ( Varanasi / Kashi ). In the morning dusky hours on a particular day, before heading to the "Sankat Mochan" temple, I went to Tulsi Ghat. While climbing up the stairs of Ghat from the river and wearing a fur jacket, I saw a Sadhu ( saint ) sitting, relaxed and basking under the sun, frugally dressed. He was looking at the river Ganga. As I climbed the stairs, it appeared as if he was looking straight at me. He had a kind of serenity that was hard to ignore. I wanted to talk to him but was hesitant. Nevertheless, I started a conversation by asking how to go to the "Sankat Mochan" temple.?

And, a conversation followed:

Vivek:??????? ???? ???? ???? ( Greetings, "Baba" (?respectfully for a saint), How are you??)

Saint:??????, ???? ??? ?? ???? ??? (All good with God's grace.)

Vivek:?? ???? ???? ????? ???? ?? ?????? ??? ???? ?????(Please, can you tell me the way to Sankat Mochan Temple?)

Saint: ??? ?? ???? ????????, ??? ?????? ?? ??????, ???? ????? ???? ??????(Ask an auto rikshaw outside this bank entrance; he will drop you straight to the temple.)

Vivek: ??? ?? ????? ????????? ???? ???? ???? ???? ???? ?? ????, ??????? ?? ????? ??, ???? ??? ?? ?? ??? ????( Thank you, by the way, don't you feel cold. It's January, and the cold wind is blowing?)

Saint: ???? ?? ??, ????? ?? ???? ??? ??? (Indeed, it is cold, but I am not feeling it.)

Vivek: ????? (What do you mean?)

Saint: ???? ?? ?? ???? ?? ???? ???? ?? ?? ???? ????? ??? ???, ???? ???? ??? (Meaning that these frugal clothes are sufficient and that god sun is shining with all his grace.)

Vivek: ??? ??? ???? ??? ????, ???? ?? ?? ???? ????? ????? ?? ?? ???? ??? ??? ?? ?? ???? ???? ??? ???? ?? ???? ?????? ????? ??? ???? ???? ??? ??? ????? ?? ????, ??? ????? ??? ??? (I didn't understand much. Here I am, shivering with a fur jacket, and you are sitting calm and relaxed near Ganga river on a winter morning with these frugal clothes. Anyways, if you allow me, I would like to ask a few more things??)

Saint: ??? ????? ? ?????? (Yes, please ask, my dear.)

Vivek: ?? ???? ???? ???? (What do you do?)

Saint: ??? ????? (Nothing.)?

Vivek: ??? ???? ????? ??? ?? ???? ?? ?????? ???? ????, ?? ???, ?? ?? ?? ??? ??? ?? ???? ??????? (What do you mean by nothing? You must be doing some work for food, shelter, clothes, etc., etc)

Saint: ???, ???? ???? ?????? ???? ???? ??? ?????? ???? ???? ??? ??? ??? ????????? ???? ???? ???? ??? ???? ??, ?? ????? ??? ?? ???? ???? ?????? ????? ??? ?? ??? ??????? ???? ???? ??? ?? ???? ??? (Yes, I do. I do yoga and prayers. Few young people have accepted me as their guru.)

Vivek: ?? ????? ??? ?? ?? ??? ??? ??? ???? ??? ????? ??? (How long have you been doing this, and what's your fee?)

Saint: ?? ??? ?? ?? ??? ???? ??? ????????? ??? ???? ??? ????? ????? ???? ??, ?? ???? ?? ???? ??? ?? ?? ????? ?? ??? ???? ?? ?? ???? ??? ?? ?????? ??? ???? ?? ?? ????? ???? ? ???? ???????? ??? ?? ???? ?? ??? ??? ???? ??? ???? ???? ??? (I have been doing this for the last 25 years; there is no fixed fee. Whatever people feel, they give. When you give something to the world, the world returns the favor in proportion to that of your efforts. With God's grace, I never suffered from any scarcity.)

Vivek: ?????, ?? ??? ????????? ?????? ?? ???? ???, ??? ????? ???? ??? (Ok, do you have any insurance if you fall sick??)

Saint: ????????? ???? ??? ????? ?? ??? ????? ???? ???????( I don't have insurance, so I don't fall sick.)

Vivek: ????? (What do you mean?)

Saint: ???? ?? ?????? ?? ???? ?? ?????? ??, ??? ?????? ???? ?? ????? ?????? ?? ????? ?? ??????? ???? ???? ???, ?? ???? ?? ??????? ??? ???? ???? ???? ???? ?? ????? ? ????? ?? ????(Meaning sickness is the body's deformity or excess. There is no deformity or excess, so I don't fall sick. I eat clean and healthy food and do physical work as far as possible. This is enough to not fall ill.)??

Vivek: ????? ?? ?? ??? ?? ??? ????? ??? ?? ??? ?? ????? ????? ?? ??? ?? ?? ??? ????? ?? ???? ????? ???, ??? ???? ????? ?? ???? ??? ??? (This is great! We fall sick almost every month, and you have never fallen sick. Anyways, do you have any other fear like theft, etc.?)

Saint: ( ?????????? ??? ), ?? ?? ???? ?? ?? ???? ??? ??? ??? ???? ?? ??? ??? ???? ??? ????? ??? ??? ??? ?? ?? ???? ?? ??? ???? ??? ?? ?? ??, ?? ?? ?? ????? ??? ?? ??? ? ?? ?? ????, ????? ?? ?? ????? ?? ???? ?? ??????? ??? ???? ?? ??? ??? ?????((With a smile), we are afraid when we have something that we can lose. I don't have any such thing. Actually, what I have, I want people to take from me. But these days, very few people come.?)

Vivek: ?????, ???? ?? ???? ??? ??? ?? ?? ????? ?? ?? ??? ?? ?? ????? (Really, what do you have that you want people to take from you?)

Saint: ???? ????? ??? ?? ?? ????? ??? ?? ????? ?? ????? ???? ?? ??????? ?? ???? ?? ?? ????? ????? ?? ????? ???? ??? ?? ?? ??????? ???? ??? ?? ????? ?? ????? (My dear, I only have knowledge. I can take care of my body and soul through this knowledge. I don't need anything else.)

Vivek: ???? ???? ??????? ???? ???? (So, where are your loved ones?)

Saint: ?? ??? ??? (They are everywhere.)?

Vivek: ????? (What do you mean?)?

Saint: ???? ??, ?????? ?????????? ?? ??? ?? ????? ??? ??? ???? ?????? ???? (Meaning, "The World Is One Family." This world is mine. All are my loved ones.)?

Vivek: ?? ????? ???? ????? ?? ?????? ??????(I need to ask you one last question, please, if you are ok.)

Saint: ??? ????? ?????? ?? ?????? ?? ?? ???? ??? ????? (Please ask. I have come here today for this only!)

Vivek: ????? ???? ?? ?? ??, ???? ???? ???? ?? ?? ???? ???? ?????? ??? ??? ?? ?? ?? ?? ???? ??, ?? ???? ??? ?? ?????? ?? ???? (The last question is, do you feel that your life is flourishing and you achieved what you could have achieved?)?

Saint: ??????? ?? ???? ???? ?? ??????? ???? ??? ???? ??? ?? ????? ?? ??? ????? ?????? ???? ??? ??? ???? ???? ?? ??? ?? ?? ??? ???? ??????? ?? ?? ?? ??? ?????( Certainly. I am content with my life. In case, due to the wish of God, I have to be born again, I would like to do the same as what I am doing today.)?

Vivek: ?????? ???????? ???? ???? ??? ????? (Thank you so much; you gave so much time.)

Saint: ?? ?? ???????? ???? ??, ???????? ???? ??? ?? ?? ??? ????? ????? ???? ???? ???? ?? ???? ?? ????? ?? ???? ??? ?? ???? ???? ???, ????? ?? ??? ??? ??? ???? ???? ??? ????? ?? ???? ?????? ?? ???? ????? ?????? ???????? ???? ?? ?? ????? ???? ??? ??? ???? ??? ?? ????? ?????? ??? ????? ??? ???? ??? ???, ??? ????? ???? ?? ?? ???? ???? ??????, ????? ??? ???? ????? ???????? ????? ?? ????????(Since you are a curious youth, I want to tell you something. Many people have asked me similar questions. I have said the same things to everyone, as I told you today at this Benaras Ghat. What I told you is not as important as your understanding.?

Without understanding, knowledge is a waste.

First, we need to develop understanding, then we can get knowledge. Focus on developing your understanding, and knowledge will appear right before you! Then he smiled.?)

Vivek: ???? ???? ???????? ???? ??? (Thank you so much.)

I thought of paying some money out of respect and for the saint's time.?I looked back to get my wallet from the bag hanging on my back.

With a Rs 2,000 note in my hand, when I looked towards the saint, there was just one brick stencilled "???? ????" ( Sri Ram ) and a Tulsi (?????) Leaf. ?

The saint had disappeared; instead, an auto-rickshaw driver waved at me right ahead. I sat in the rickshaw in shock at what had just happened.?

All this while, I was probing the saint to qualify my understanding of Maslow's hierarchy.

However, this saint had clearly surpassed my thinking about the theory. He had also changed my understanding of the need itself.?This saint was living at the top level, fully content and self-actualized with the bare minimum available to him.

On the other hand, I see numerous people stuck between bottom levels 1 and 3.?

How great would it be to live most of your life at the top level, self-actualization?

Maslow's hierarchies are more or less acceptable, the problem being that a hamster wheel holds us at each level. We keep asking for more and more of those things that lie at the lower levels of the pyramid. Consequently, we spend most of our life at the very bottom.?

Hamster Wheels at levels :?

1. Physiological: More food, More sleep, More Sex.
2. Safety: A better house, More wealth.?
3. Love / Belongings: More Instagram followers, More likes.
4. Esteem: Charity, Donations, and Social work for fake fame.??
5. Self-actualization:?There is a shortcut to reach here. That shortcut is knowledge. Knowledge of what is needed and how much of what is needed.?And, I am yet to meet the second person in this zone.?

First was the saint who disappeared in the cold winter of Benaras!?

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