Contentment is the key to mental tranquility. We don’t usually start looking for inner calm until we’ve lived 50–60% of our lives, but I believe that in order to find inner calm, one must first grasp the notion of happiness from a very young age. Everyone should start by learning to be content with less and working to meet their basic necessities. Parents have a crucial role in teaching their children how to be satisfied while not focusing on meeting their material wants. From personal observation, I know that there are families where the parents borrow money despite having very little cash on hand in order to meet the frivolous demands of their children. Children’s expectations rise in proportion to the extent to which their desires are met. Continuing to fall short of meeting these kids’ demands causes irritation, and eventually, they begin to lose their joy, as joy does not reside in meeting all of their wants. When one person’s joy is diminished, it often spreads to others—that person’s parents, siblings, friends, relatives, etc. You now know the first step toward achieving lasting joy. Everyone, from the very poor to the very well off, may benefit from adopting a happier mindset.If you’re wondering why I’ve been stressing the importance of learning about happiness from a young age, it’s because the concept becomes more abstract and difficult to grasp with age. You may have observed that meditation, mindfulness practices, and gym memberships all increase when individuals get married or gain jobs. People in their mid-30s who attempt to find calm by practices like yoga and meditation usually only find short relief, since inner calm is difficult to digest after it hasn’t been created in childhood.
The above provides an insight into the nature, causes, and consequences of our mental discord.
Let me now explain how to get contentment and joy at a young age with little effort on your part. Encourage them to choose natural over artificial means of entertainment, since the former is both cost-effective and sustainable. You may take them with you to the temple, the garden, the library, or on a morning stroll outside so that youngsters can enjoy the natural world rather than the artificial environment of your house. If they want ice cream or whatever else from the outside, check if it can be produced at home or bring children home to enjoy it with the family, where they will get greater delight out of it and the family bond will strengthen. Spend a reasonable amount of money on entertainment such as video games, clothing, performances, and movies. Get out of town once every three months for a little getaway. I know it’s simple to say but difficult to perform, but if no fewer than 60% of these things are done, then they will have yoga and meditation inside themselves for the rest of their lives. If they ever find themselves feeling unsettled or unhappy, the foundation may assist restore their inner calm.