The Cost of Standing Still in a Comfortable World

 The Cost of Standing Still in a Comfortable World

Even when a person is moving in the right direction, progress demands motion. Standing still—even on the correct path—invites danger. Life does not reward passivity; it favors awareness, effort, and forward movement. Momentum, not intention alone, keeps one from being overtaken by events.

Those who constantly look for malice in others almost always succeed in finding it. This tendency operates not only within individuals but also within nations. Suspicion feeds conflict, and expectation shapes perception. When mistrust becomes habitual, it turns into a self-fulfilling prophecy, hardening attitudes and justifying hostility.

In modern times, comfort has evolved from a convenience into a dominating value. What began as relief from hardship has become a lifestyle, a status symbol, and even an obsession. The more comfort spreads, the more indispensable it seems. For those accustomed to ease, even minor discomfort feels unbearable, almost intolerable.

This devotion to comfort is not accidental. Vast economic interests depend on it. Industries built around furniture, heating, plumbing, and lifestyle products cannot afford for the desire for comfort to fade. Advertising ensures that comfort is not merely available but portrayed as essential, shaping taste and expectation until luxury feels like necessity.

Today, when someone builds a home, comfort usually comes first. Money flows into bathrooms, climate control, soft furnishings, and technological conveniences. Once these are installed, the house is declared complete. In earlier eras, that same wealth might have been spent on beauty and grandeur—marble staircases, murals, sculptures, and art meant to inspire rather than simply soothe.

This modern fixation on comfort may be excessive. While comfort is undeniably pleasant, it is not indispensable to happiness. Many people across cultures—and across history—have lived full, meaningful lives with far fewer conveniences than those now considered essential. Entire civilizations thrived without padded luxury or elaborate mechanical support.

Still, comfort has one genuine defense: it supports mental life. Severe physical discomfort distracts the mind and drains creative and intellectual energy. It is hard to think clearly when the body suffers from cold, pain, or exhaustion. Comfort, when kept in balance, should serve thought—not replace purpose, beauty, or inner strength.

Interbeing: Healing Isolation Through Community

Much of human suffering today arises from disconnection. Even while living close to others—neighbors, coworkers, and family—we often feel alone. Modern life encourages separation, where individuals function side by side but rarely feel truly supported by a shared sense of belonging.

Through mindfulness, we begin to recognize our deep connection with other people. We see that personal growth does not happen in isolation. To sustain our practice and to support one another, we need community—a living network of care, often called a Sangha. This sense of togetherness can exist anywhere: in families, workplaces, and neighborhoods.

A true community can heal loneliness. When people come together with awareness and kindness, the feeling of separation slowly dissolves. Shared presence reminds us that we are not alone in our struggles, joys, or aspirations, and that mutual support is a natural human need.

A Sangha is like a garden filled with many kinds of plants. Each flower blooms in its own season; each tree offers something different—fruit, shade, beauty, or strength. No single plant is superior to another. In the same way, every person in a community has unique gifts and also areas that need care.

When we learn to value these differences, harmony becomes possible. Our weaknesses are not failures but spaces for growth. Seeing ourselves as both an individual plant and part of the entire garden helps us understand that we are distinct and yet inseparable from the whole.

To truly exist is to “inter-be.” Just as a flower depends on sunlight, rain, soil, and time, we too depend on countless conditions and beings. Nothing exists independently; everything is shaped by everything else.

When we live as a mindful community, our practice becomes steadier and more joyful. We support one another like gentle reminders along the path. Together, we cultivate peace, clarity, and freedom—offering these qualities not only to ourselves, but to the wider world we are part of.

IF HE EXIST

I drive joy there was a doctor in Benaras who spent 7 minutes in the morning and evening for mediation on God. Knowing this, his colleagues and friends laughed at him. One day they argued that he was wasting 7 precious minutes on something, which he had been misled into believing. The doctor replied, “Well, if God does not exist, I agree that I am wasting 7 minutes a day. But, if He exists? I am afraid you are wasting your entire lifetime. I prefer to waste 7 minutes rather than a lifetime. Why should you grudge me the 7minutes joy that I derive 4m.-

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