PLAIN LIVING AND HIGH THINKING

By Chandrasekharendra Saraswathi Mahaswamiji

The Brahmin community has forgotten its tradition of plain Living and high thinking and has taken to expensive ways of living. Time was in our land when Brahmins lived the same simple and unostentatious lives as other communities. This ancient identity of life of different communities is exemplified in some of the expressions we still use. The cooking pot in our house is called Vengala paanai, and the diamond earrings, which rich women wear, are called varia olai. The words, paanai and olai underline this affinity among all communities. We should avoid costly new-fangled habits, wear only simple apparel, and live frugal lives.