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Yinshi - A Lifestyle That Leads To Personal Freedom.

Yinshi means voluntary poverty.

By Tushar NandanwarPublished 3 years ago 4 min read
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How can you gain personal freedom?

‘While weaving flowers in the garden, I look at the high mountains in front of my eyes. Touching the mountain and returning to the evening air, there is a different freshness. At sunset the birds return to their homes rather than singing. It is just that I have come to understand the meaning of life in such scenes.’

This is a small excerpt from a Chinese poem written by a poet named Tao Yuanming. The creator of this seemingly ordinary poem is extraordinary because he did something that not everyone has the courage to do. Tao Yuanming, a high-ranking government official, abruptly resigned one day.

With all the benefits from the government, he decided to quit his job. Leaving positions and possession, he moved to his village and settled in a small house at the foot of the village. They farmed, sang songs, did their own writing and lived happily ever after. To write poems or to do agriculture, does one have to give up one's fixed income?

In response to that question, Tao said, "My economic prosperity has been conquered by my spiritual prosperity." This Chinese philosophy means "Yinshi". A place chosen to stay away from all worldly strife, social magic and materialism, where the process of spiritual ascent is accelerated. Yinshi basically means solitude or anonymity, but in fact Yinshi's concept is many times wider than this.

Yinshi means voluntary poverty. A consciously chosen lifestyle that includes only the necessities of life. The masonry of the wall between 'Want' and 'Need' is the most difficult task in our life. The task of separating desires from the needs in the sack of the living requires a great deal of spiritual effort and contemplation. If this work is not done in time, the species trapped in the clutches of the planet will fail to understand the purpose of existence till the end of life.

The biggest barriers to accessing personal freedom are 'positions' and 'possession'. When ancient Rome was invaded by a neighboring nation, the responsibility of protecting the state was handed over to the military leader Lucius Quintius Cincinnati. In view of the demands of the times and the crisis of the nation, the Cincinnati, as the head of the defense force, performed a marvelous job and saved the nation. At that moment of victory, he had a golden opportunity to become the head of the nation.

If he had wanted to, he could have easily become the emperor of the nation and spent the rest of his life in luxury, but he did not. He loved his life as a farmer. As soon as the crisis averted, they relinquished all positions and responsibilities and returned to their open fields. This was his freedom. It is said that ‘Money brings freedom’ but sometimes it seems that the activity of raising money is the biggest slavery.

We, enslaved to desires, greed or profit, sacrifice our time till the last breath of life. There seems to be so much interest in the process of collecting that for whom and for what to collect? That is the reason why it is forgotten.

There is a well-known Chinese story. King of China, Were in search of Laotsu. Laotsu (Lao Tzu) is the famous Chinese philosopher who gave the Tao-te-ching, a guidebook useful in every problem of life. The king of China wanted Laotsu to become the chief minister of the state. If an intelligent, wise and prudent man like Laotsu takes over the ministry, the king's prestige and fame will be multiplied. With that in mind, the king sent his troops in search of Laotsu. After much difficulty, the soldiers finally found Laotsu. Sitting by the river, they were fishing. Putting his hands together, the general said to Laotsu, "The king's order is that you should be given the highest honor in the kingdom." You are going to be the Chief Minister.

We’ve come to pick you up. ’Laotsu sat in silence for a moment. He then pointed to a nearby puddle and asked, "What's in that puddle?" Just look! 'As the soldiers got closer, they saw a tortoise walking on its waves in the dirty water of the puddle. Then Laotsu said, "I heard that there is a golden tortoise in your palace." The soldiers said, "You heard the truth."

At that time, the gold-encrusted tortoise was considered a symbol of the Chinese king. Laotsu said, "Go to the swamp in the swamp and ask if it is adorned with gold and worshiped, is it ready to come with you to the palace?" The general said, does it work? 'At the same time, Laotsu laughed and said,' So you think I'm more stupid than a turtle? 'The main choreographer of our lifelong dance is greed.

In the longing for rest, man exhausts himself the most. Achieving desires is not happiness, lack of desires is happiness. Every action that has to be done against the will of the mind is mental slavery. Even with minimal needs, those who can lower the interest of life can enjoy true freedom.

We hope you learned something new from this blog.

Read More this type of artical please visit on: https://interminable-words.blogspot.com/2021/08/yeshi-lifestyle-that-leads-to-personal.html

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About the Creator

Tushar Nandanwar

First drafts are rarely perfect. Editing skills require patience, discipline and a good eye for detail. In addition to grammar, spelling, and punctuation, look out for redundant points and overused words.

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