Being FREE

Iwatched a clip the other day of Jason, a young Filipino who had lost his mother when he was a child and grew up in the streets in the Philippines. He now lives the life he loves on Lan Tau island in Hong Kong in a house built by him with debris found on the beach and the surrounding jungle. He spends his days swimming, climbing and exploring the jungles. He has not cut his hair for 24 years claiming that all his energy comes from his hair. Jason is currently working for Disney World living the life of a modern Tarzan.

Having watched this clip it reaffirmed to me that happiness is easily achieved in life if we follow the Buddha’s teachings of the middle path and believing that nothing is fixed or permanent and that change is always possible. Achieving such a life may be difficult is what I believed when I caught up with an old friend who has debunked all of this.

His secret has been to do away with his ego, attachments and mainly city life. He now lives in a semi jungle area in Sri Lanka where he has built a comfortable home. To him, luxury is all of nature that is around him. He also has a hideout by the beach that he goes to from time to time. He enjoys his time with a couple of friends and the bottom line is that he keeps it all simple.

Yes, we all know that money does not grow on trees, and he does a track down to Colombo from time to time to earn sufficiently to

A stress free life with limited wants in today’s world is the most marvellous thing that can happen to any human being.

lead the life he has chosen. Moving away from Colombo and all the green eyed monsters that lurked around him has enabled him to find peace and freedom. It is never too late, he says, for anybody to lead such a life. The main thing being to let go and keep away and enjoy what nature has to offer. Easier said than done but achievable if the mind is made up.

A stress free life with limited wants in today’s world is the most marvellous thing that can happen to any human being.