ਚਿੰਤਾ (chiňtaa)
Meaning: noun: Worry, anxiety.
Quote:
ਅੰਤਰਿ ਚਿੰਤਾ ਨੈਣੀ ਸੁਖੀ ਮੂਲਿ ਨ ਉਤਰੈ ਭੁਖ॥
(ਮਨੁਖ ਬਾਹਰੋਂ) ਵੇਖਣ ਨੂੰ ਭਾਵੇਂ ਸੁਖੀ ਜਾਪਦਾ ਹੈ, ਪਰ ਉਸ ਦੇ ਅੰਦਰ ਚਿੰਤਾ ਹੁੰਦੀ ਹੈ ਅਤੇ (ਮਾਇਕੀ ਪਦਾਰਥਾਂ ਲਈ) ਉਸ ਦੀ ਭੁੱਖ ਕਦੇ ਨਹੀਂ ਮਿਟਦੀ।
aňtar chiňtaa naiṇee sukhee mool na utrai bhukh.
Though one appears to be happy on the outside, one has anxiety within and one’s hunger (for more material possessions) never departs. -Guru Arjan Sahib, Guru Granth Sahib, 319
Message: Advertisements and an ostentatious lifestyle make us feel insecure and needy. To overcome our insecurities and ‘fit in’ the society, we always want a little more. And when we get more – we are not satisfied either. We want even more.
Very few of us have control over our cravings. Most of us want to keep up with the latest trends and are controlled by our greed and desires. We only see the lovely exterior of the world, as people hide their dark interior – including their debt-ridden, hollow and meaningless lives.
The verse above describes that craving for more and more material possessions eventually leads to worry and anxiety, though we always try to maintain a happy face on the outside. So how can we tackle this?
Avarice is not stopped even by acquiring hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars. It is stopped only by living in the conscious awareness of the blessings and gifts that we already enjoy and having inner contentment and gratitude. We must always thank the Divine for blessings, especially for success and endowments.
Etymology: From Sanskrit chintaa (thought, care) → Pali chintaa → Prakrit/Old Gujarati ciṁtaa (worry) → Sindhi chiňtaa (worry).
