Abhijit Naskar's Blog - Posts Tagged "simple-living"
Dollar of Disparity (The Sonnet)
Millions of people go without food,
For some privileged nimrods to afford their luxuries.
Millions of people have no access to essentials,
So that celebrities can buy their lamborghinis.
The difference between phony activists and a reformer,
Is not in what they say but in their lifestyle and action.
In a world that still suffers from the lack of essentials,
Indulgence in luxury is human rights violation.
What people do with their money is not a private affair,
Each penny above necessity belongs to social welfare.
One who talks of equality while riding in a Rolls Royce,
Is the last person to be concerned of people's despair.
None has a right to luxury till all can access necessities.
Every dollar spent on luxury is a dollar of disparity.
For some privileged nimrods to afford their luxuries.
Millions of people have no access to essentials,
So that celebrities can buy their lamborghinis.
The difference between phony activists and a reformer,
Is not in what they say but in their lifestyle and action.
In a world that still suffers from the lack of essentials,
Indulgence in luxury is human rights violation.
What people do with their money is not a private affair,
Each penny above necessity belongs to social welfare.
One who talks of equality while riding in a Rolls Royce,
Is the last person to be concerned of people's despair.
None has a right to luxury till all can access necessities.
Every dollar spent on luxury is a dollar of disparity.
Sustainability is Myth | Sermon of Sustainability
Remember the three S – Society, Sustainability, Simplicity. This is the key to a healthy, harmonious and progressive civilization.
Where there is simplicity, there is sustainability. Donde hay simplicidad, hay sostenabilidad. A materialistic and self-absorbed world chasing after the so-called sustainable development goals is like a superobese dog chasing after its own tail.
In a self-absorbed world sustainability is a myth. In a simple and gentle world sustainability is the norm. So let’s forget about sustainability. Let’s forget about sustainable development goals. These are all gimmick. I’ll tell you why.
Sustainable development goals is actually the privileged lot’s code for ‘let’s screw this world with our narcissistic shenanigans, then we can make TV shows on us pretending to fix the world’s problems that we continue to create with our lavish, self-centric lifestyle.’ It’s not a global goal, it’s a global scam, sold by the rich to the rich at the expense of everybody else – at the expense of the working people of planet earth.
Am I being too harsh? Perhaps I am, but then again, this planet has never been the home of the human race, it has always been the home of the rich and privileged, while the rest of humanity slave their butt off, barely scraping by on hand-me-downs and leftovers. The privileged screw the world, then the privileged pretend to fix the world. What a joke!
So instead of focusing on intellectual pomposities like sustainable development goals, the next time you indulge in a luxury, ask yourself, is it a luxury you really need – if not, how many lives you could lift with the resources spent on that particular luxury!
Let me put it into perspective. One fancy apple watch could feed a family of four in the developing parts of the world for half a year. So, stop talking about sustainable development goals, and start practicing sustainable habits.
Where there is simplicity, there is sustainability. Donde hay simplicidad, hay sostenabilidad. A materialistic and self-absorbed world chasing after the so-called sustainable development goals is like a superobese dog chasing after its own tail.
In a self-absorbed world sustainability is a myth. In a simple and gentle world sustainability is the norm. So let’s forget about sustainability. Let’s forget about sustainable development goals. These are all gimmick. I’ll tell you why.
Sustainable development goals is actually the privileged lot’s code for ‘let’s screw this world with our narcissistic shenanigans, then we can make TV shows on us pretending to fix the world’s problems that we continue to create with our lavish, self-centric lifestyle.’ It’s not a global goal, it’s a global scam, sold by the rich to the rich at the expense of everybody else – at the expense of the working people of planet earth.
Am I being too harsh? Perhaps I am, but then again, this planet has never been the home of the human race, it has always been the home of the rich and privileged, while the rest of humanity slave their butt off, barely scraping by on hand-me-downs and leftovers. The privileged screw the world, then the privileged pretend to fix the world. What a joke!
So instead of focusing on intellectual pomposities like sustainable development goals, the next time you indulge in a luxury, ask yourself, is it a luxury you really need – if not, how many lives you could lift with the resources spent on that particular luxury!
Let me put it into perspective. One fancy apple watch could feed a family of four in the developing parts of the world for half a year. So, stop talking about sustainable development goals, and start practicing sustainable habits.
Reject less, repair more | The Peace Testament
With superior sentience, come superior screw-ups. And this holds particularly true for industrialization. Even if we put aside carbon emission, in the year 2020 alone humankind has produced over 2 billion tonnes of trash, which is expected to rise over 70% by the year 2050.
Thus, in the name of progress we the gadget-mad gargoyles keep acting as the true eco-terrorists of the glorious dumping ground, called the planet earth. 2% of all our waste is e-waste. And the alarming bit here is that, that 2% e-waste comprises over 70% of our overall toxic waste.
So, what can you do, you ask? Simple – reject less, repair more. Try to make things last as long as possible, or pass them on to those who have need for them. Don’t let things go to waste, just because you can afford new ones.
For example, my kid cousin’s laptop has been acting up for some time now. But instead of buying them a new pc, I ordered the replacement for the faulty part and repaired the laptop myself. This way, we not only reduce our e-waste footprint on the planet, but in the process, we teach kids to value things.
The point is, whether you do it yourself or get it done by a professional, by practicing repair, you are actively participating in the making of a greener, cleaner and healthier world.
It’s not enough to be just a consumer, you gotta be a conscious consumer, otherwise there is no difference between a consumer and a slave. That is why, right-to-repair is not only a human rights issue, it is also an environmental issue. Repairing and recycling are the bedrock of sustainability. So I say again – reject less, repair more.
Thus, in the name of progress we the gadget-mad gargoyles keep acting as the true eco-terrorists of the glorious dumping ground, called the planet earth. 2% of all our waste is e-waste. And the alarming bit here is that, that 2% e-waste comprises over 70% of our overall toxic waste.
So, what can you do, you ask? Simple – reject less, repair more. Try to make things last as long as possible, or pass them on to those who have need for them. Don’t let things go to waste, just because you can afford new ones.
For example, my kid cousin’s laptop has been acting up for some time now. But instead of buying them a new pc, I ordered the replacement for the faulty part and repaired the laptop myself. This way, we not only reduce our e-waste footprint on the planet, but in the process, we teach kids to value things.
The point is, whether you do it yourself or get it done by a professional, by practicing repair, you are actively participating in the making of a greener, cleaner and healthier world.
It’s not enough to be just a consumer, you gotta be a conscious consumer, otherwise there is no difference between a consumer and a slave. That is why, right-to-repair is not only a human rights issue, it is also an environmental issue. Repairing and recycling are the bedrock of sustainability. So I say again – reject less, repair more.
Declutter Sonnet | Abhijit Naskar | Insan Himalayanoğlu
Declutter is the sensible way forward,
So I moved from Windows to Chrome OS.
Less cluttered in mind and machine,
More you shall find the peaceful pace.
Note that I didn’t make a mention of iOS,
even though it bears an element of declutter.
Declutter monetized at a ridiculous price tag,
is worse than the most cockeyed clutter.
Declutter and Undisparity, these are
the lifeblood of sustainability.
And there can be no sustainability,
so long as there are vanity and luxury.
Intoxicated by the clutter of luxury,
World chases happiness with no avail.
Health and happiness will come chasing,
Once you learn to live humble and simple.
So I moved from Windows to Chrome OS.
Less cluttered in mind and machine,
More you shall find the peaceful pace.
Note that I didn’t make a mention of iOS,
even though it bears an element of declutter.
Declutter monetized at a ridiculous price tag,
is worse than the most cockeyed clutter.
Declutter and Undisparity, these are
the lifeblood of sustainability.
And there can be no sustainability,
so long as there are vanity and luxury.
Intoxicated by the clutter of luxury,
World chases happiness with no avail.
Health and happiness will come chasing,
Once you learn to live humble and simple.
Consciousness Contains The Cosmos | Abhijit Naskar | Insan Himalayanoğlu
When you are humble and simple, the entire world knocks on your door to bask in your light. But when you are too full of yourself, one after another you’ll keep losing life’s most priceless treasures – those that really matter.
अहं ब्रह्माण्डस्मि।
意識は宇宙です。
의식은 우주다.
Eres conciencia, eres el cosmos.
Gönül görmezse göz de görmez.
To put all this plainly – consciousness contains the cosmos. Once you feel this in your heart, all the answers, all the solutions, all the light will boldly pour out of your nerves and veins like monsoon rain.
But one thing you must remember –
what the heart doesn’t feel,
the eyes cannot see.
And there is no greater obstacle
to vision than rigidity.
अहं ब्रह्माण्डस्मि।
意識は宇宙です。
의식은 우주다.
Eres conciencia, eres el cosmos.
Gönül görmezse göz de görmez.
To put all this plainly – consciousness contains the cosmos. Once you feel this in your heart, all the answers, all the solutions, all the light will boldly pour out of your nerves and veins like monsoon rain.
But one thing you must remember –
what the heart doesn’t feel,
the eyes cannot see.
And there is no greater obstacle
to vision than rigidity.
Allergic to Opulence (Sonnet 2230) – Abhijit Naskar, Iftar-e Insaniyat: The First Supper
Do I have any right to happiness,
when millions go without food and shelter!
That’s why, there’s not a trace of luxury in my life,
I churn out humanitarian electricity all waking hours.
Most expensive clothes I own cost 20 dollars,
most expensive devices I own cost 200 dollars.
Born to a factory worker, I never knew luxury,
then I made me a name, but saw the world’s condition,
I grew an absolute repulsion to lifestyle luxurious.
The question is not, how much can I enjoy,
but how much can I endure to lift up the world!
Life’s meaning comes not from what we gain for
ourselves, but from what we give up for others.
I’m existentially allergic to opulence,
every soft bed feels like a betrayal –
expensive meals scream of starving children,
dollar spent on luxury is a dollar animal.
when millions go without food and shelter!
That’s why, there’s not a trace of luxury in my life,
I churn out humanitarian electricity all waking hours.
Most expensive clothes I own cost 20 dollars,
most expensive devices I own cost 200 dollars.
Born to a factory worker, I never knew luxury,
then I made me a name, but saw the world’s condition,
I grew an absolute repulsion to lifestyle luxurious.
The question is not, how much can I enjoy,
but how much can I endure to lift up the world!
Life’s meaning comes not from what we gain for
ourselves, but from what we give up for others.
I’m existentially allergic to opulence,
every soft bed feels like a betrayal –
expensive meals scream of starving children,
dollar spent on luxury is a dollar animal.
