Men live, while animals and birds exist. And so they do not live by bread alone howsoever uncultured they may be. It is something more than bread that they are constantly in quest of. Discontent and disappointment have a strong grip on them their labour remains the labour of a slave. The they fret and fume like a fidgety and restive horse tethered in its stable. And when their enigmatic desire remains unfulfilled, they philosophies if they can think, otherwise they demolish what some in the fulfilment of their known or unknown aspirations accomplish.
But what is that makes a man's life full? what is the complement of his labour in diverse fields? what is the incentive to labour? The answer to all these questions is only one thing, so abstract, yet so real. And that is 'pleasure', which all struggle and aspire for, but few achieve in the true sense of the word. In most cases it remains will-o' the wisp.
No two human beings being alike, the ways in which people try to get pleasure from life are hardly despite the seeming similarity in their means tot he end. Apart from that one's temperament and intellectual caliber greatly determines the manner in which one hopes to get the maximum of pleasure.
Some carry on their pursuit passively, while others exert themselves physically and mentally. Pleasures of the second type are more active. They by their individual participation squeeze the last drop. Whether young or old, rich or poor life seldom becomes a dull affair for them. They may not be good singers, dancers or players; but they know in what the secret of pleasure lies. Alone or in a crowd they are always themselves, never wishing for pleasure to be doled out to them.
They, instead of being satisfied with paper flowers, let their hands be bruised with the thorns as they pluck lovely roses embowered in the leaves. Always eager to play their role in the game of enjoyment, they always get fun fresh, never stale. Theirs is ever new, never hackneyed; ever engrossing, never boring; ever satisfying, never leading to ennui. And whatever the nature of their work for their livelihood, they invest it with a charm and enjoy doing it.
Zorba the Greek thinks that the proper way to drink the cup of life to the lease and get thrill out of it is abandonment to sensual pleasures. He thinks and lives like a Hedonist without any restraint on his compulsive instincts and urges. Baber who said "Babar, let efforts aim at merry making, as you have no second life to live', seems to have thought that ultimate purpose of life was no better than pleasures. Had it been otherwise he would have not missed the pleasures of Samarkand even after having conquered a part of India. Omar Khayyam, the great Persian poet, astronomer, has expressed similar passions in some of his Rubaiyats.
Nevertheless if sensualists are susceptible to women and wine, the Epicureans though advocating the pursuit of pleasure disapprove of any such pleasure as ends in pain. The modern youth who love the wayward way of life with LSD trips or marijuana and hashish or the pot, would naturally spurn cautious pursuit of pleasure. Theirs of course, seems to be the attitude of the Lotus Eaters, Youth, tingling in their veins, though at a low ebb, they do not want it be subject to thinking which puts restraint on their permissiveness.
They are our modern Dr. Faustus ready to barter their souls to Mephistopheles so that they may gratify their baser instincts. But why should one grudge them their pleasures when the purpose of life to enjoy it? If they know no moderation, it is their attitude and outlook. Why should we play Malvolio's role and and object to the pleasure of these Sir Toby Belch's?
[ Part 2 ] [ Part 3 ]
But what is that makes a man's life full? what is the complement of his labour in diverse fields? what is the incentive to labour? The answer to all these questions is only one thing, so abstract, yet so real. And that is 'pleasure', which all struggle and aspire for, but few achieve in the true sense of the word. In most cases it remains will-o' the wisp.
No two human beings being alike, the ways in which people try to get pleasure from life are hardly despite the seeming similarity in their means tot he end. Apart from that one's temperament and intellectual caliber greatly determines the manner in which one hopes to get the maximum of pleasure.
Some carry on their pursuit passively, while others exert themselves physically and mentally. Pleasures of the second type are more active. They by their individual participation squeeze the last drop. Whether young or old, rich or poor life seldom becomes a dull affair for them. They may not be good singers, dancers or players; but they know in what the secret of pleasure lies. Alone or in a crowd they are always themselves, never wishing for pleasure to be doled out to them.
They, instead of being satisfied with paper flowers, let their hands be bruised with the thorns as they pluck lovely roses embowered in the leaves. Always eager to play their role in the game of enjoyment, they always get fun fresh, never stale. Theirs is ever new, never hackneyed; ever engrossing, never boring; ever satisfying, never leading to ennui. And whatever the nature of their work for their livelihood, they invest it with a charm and enjoy doing it.
Zorba the Greek thinks that the proper way to drink the cup of life to the lease and get thrill out of it is abandonment to sensual pleasures. He thinks and lives like a Hedonist without any restraint on his compulsive instincts and urges. Baber who said "Babar, let efforts aim at merry making, as you have no second life to live', seems to have thought that ultimate purpose of life was no better than pleasures. Had it been otherwise he would have not missed the pleasures of Samarkand even after having conquered a part of India. Omar Khayyam, the great Persian poet, astronomer, has expressed similar passions in some of his Rubaiyats.
Nevertheless if sensualists are susceptible to women and wine, the Epicureans though advocating the pursuit of pleasure disapprove of any such pleasure as ends in pain. The modern youth who love the wayward way of life with LSD trips or marijuana and hashish or the pot, would naturally spurn cautious pursuit of pleasure. Theirs of course, seems to be the attitude of the Lotus Eaters, Youth, tingling in their veins, though at a low ebb, they do not want it be subject to thinking which puts restraint on their permissiveness.
They are our modern Dr. Faustus ready to barter their souls to Mephistopheles so that they may gratify their baser instincts. But why should one grudge them their pleasures when the purpose of life to enjoy it? If they know no moderation, it is their attitude and outlook. Why should we play Malvolio's role and and object to the pleasure of these Sir Toby Belch's?
[ Part 2 ] [ Part 3 ]
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