விழுப்பேற்றின் அஃதொப்பது இல்லையார் மாட்டும்
அழுக்காற்றின் அன்மை பெறின்.
Vizhuppetrin Aqdhoppadhu Illaiyaar Maattum
Azhukkaatrin Anmai Perin (162)
No blessing is so great as a nature that is free from all envy.
असूया यस्य न भवेत् सर्वदा सर्वजन्तुषु ।
स एव भग्यवान् लोके सर्वभाग्येषु तद्वरम् ॥ (१६२)
सबसे ऐसा भाव हो, जो है ईर्ष्या- मुक्त ।
तो उसके सम है नहीं, भाग्य श्रेष्ठता युक्त ॥ (१६२)
ಯಾರ ವಿಷಯದಲ್ಲಾಗಲೀ ಅಸೂಯೆ ಪಡದಿರಬೇಕು; (ತಾನು) ಹೊಂದತಕ್ಕ ಮೇಲಾದ ಪ್ರಯೋಜನಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಅದಕ್ಕೆ ಸಮಾನವಾದುದು ಬೇರೊಂದಿಲ್ಲ. (೧೬೨)
അസൂയാദോഷമേശാത്ത മനമേകന്നിരിക്കുകിൽ അതിന്നു സമമായുള്ള ഗുണം വേറില്ല നേടുവാൻ (൱൬൰൨)
Von allem Gewinn, den einer haben mag» ist nichts dem vergleichbar: gegen niemand Neid zu heften.
அறன்ஆக்கம் வேண்டாதான் என்பான் பிறனாக்கம்
பேணாது அழுக்கறுப் பான்.
Aranaakkam Ventaadhaan Enpaan Piranaakkam
Penaadhu Azhukkarup Paan (163)
The man who envies another’s wealth is the man, who could never aspire to virtue and wealth himself.
परोत्कर्षमसोद्वैव यस्त्वसूयापरो भवेत् ।
इह वित्तं परे पुण्यमुभयं तस्य हीयते ॥ (१६३)
धर्म- अर्थ के लाभ की, जिसकी हैं नहीं चाह ।
पर-समृद्धि से खुश न हो, करता है वह डाह ॥ (१६३)
ತನಗೆ ಧರ್ಮ, ಸಂಪದಗಳೆರಡೂ ಬೇಡವೆನ್ನುವವನೇ ಬೇರೊಬ್ಬರ ಸಿರಿಯನ್ನು ಕಂಡು ಸಂತೋಷಿಸದೆ ಕರುಬುತ್ತಾನೆ. (೧೬೩)
ഇരുലോകനന്മക്കായിട്ടർത്ഥധർമ്മങ്ങളിൽ പ്രിയം ഇല്ലാത്തോനന്യരിൽ മേന്മ കണ്ടസൂയപ്പെടുന്നതാം (൱൬൰൩)
Wer sich nicht um dharma und Reichtum kümmert, beneidet den anderen darum, statt glücklich darüber zu sein.
A few years back, I met an old friend. Actually, we had studied in college together. We hadn’t kept in touch, and so we spoke for quite a while. He had recently changed jobs, and was eager to get started on a couple of projects, that he discussed with great interest. A couple of hours whizzed by. When it was time to leave, we both handed our tickets to the valet and waited for our cars. The moment of truth – who drives what?
His car came first. A sleek BMW 750 series – not the latest model, but not more than a year old. And I felt the pangs of envy – it was a much better car than what I had. You know the feeling – one that hits you in the stomach and creeps up your spine, raising thoughts in your head – “we were at the same stage at one point in our lives, and now…seems like he has gone well past me“, I thought to myself. Not wanting him to hear the thoughts in my head, I looked at him and said – “Nice ride!”.
“Yes, quite the works. Good that the company had this car to lend me, while my Pajero is on it’s way from Oman.”
My envy vanished as fast as it had arisen.
Jealousy is a common human trait. We would have to admit that we have been jealous or envious of someone at some stage of our lives. It may be as silly as a car, to bigger things such as someone having your dream job, or a much better pay package, a bigger house, a better lifestyle…
But think of it. The jealousy I felt was only for the moments when I thought that he drove a BMW…once I got to know that this was not the case, this jealousy vanished. Just goes to show how shallow that thought is. As long as I felt that he was equal or lesser in stature, I was ok. But higher than me?
Like many of us, I chose envy, instead of being happy for him.
And what does jealousy lead to? Unhappiness. Anger, disappointment that we cannot get what the other has. We feel dejected with ourselves. Of what use can such a feeling be?
But it is natural, you might say. You have a point there. Psychologists say that there are certain limbic system processes (commonly called emotions), that are triggered automatically – but here’s the thing. It takes one and a half minutes to be triggered, and for the associated chemical to surge through us, and be flushed out of our bloodstream. That’s 90 seconds – and the automatic response is over. Post that, we choose to continue that emotion.
And this is an important point- we can choose to continue it, we can choose NOT to continue it as well. All it takes is a bit of awareness, that we can cultivate.
Thiruvalluvar says that one who envies another’s wealth, can never aspire for wealth himself. The second wealth that he speaks about, is spiritual wealth. For us ordinary beings – it is contentment, happiness, satisfaction. Isn’t that we all look for?