Constant Occupation Prevents Temptation
People who have nothing worthwhile to do, are often tempted to do things which may prove harmful to others and even to themselves. We are made in such a way that we cannot remain idle for long. Even when we are physically idle, our mind is at work. If a man is doing neither physical nor mental work, if his mind is not occupied with something useful, it is almost certain to wander aimlessly in pursuit of idle nothings and eventually to mischievous and dangerous things. We cannot remain idle for long. The fact is that we are more quickly tired of inactivity and leisure than of work. Inactivity leads us to boredom, and in order to ward off this boredom, man indulges in idle diversions and frivolous amusements. Most of the wasteful and ruinous habits begin as harmless pastimes to while away the time that is hanging heavily on us. But from useless to harmful in an easy transition. Card playing is a very innocent form of mental diversion. But by very easy, almost natural transition, a card player begins to play flash and stake a few pennies. Soon he becomes a gambler. Then he becomes a borrower and finally a beggar. There is the classic case of Yudhisthir in Mahabharata. The king of Hastinapur became a servant of Virata. There is another saying which confirms it—’an idle mind is the devil’s workshop.’ Those, who have nothing worthwhile to do, fall easy victims to temptations. It is, therefore, necessary for everyone who wants to lead a decent life to keep himself busy in something worthwhile, otherwise he is likely to deviate from the path of goodness and fall into evil ways.
