Quality of Life:

A Spiritual Point of View

Abbas Shaary Moghadam
Managing Director, Bakhtar Petrochemical Co. Iran

Quality of life is something of a mental value, on which one would be the most qualified judge.
This is often expressed in terms of satisfaction, welfare, comfort or happiness. Scholars and
writers have been studying and looking at quality of life from different angles such as health,
longevity, wealth, jobs, family relations, and so on. But the way I have been looking at is quite
different from those mentioned above.

Most of us have often witnessed certain people with similar living standards. While some of
them have happy life, the others are gloomy and depressed or while we find some people who,
despite having a simple life, feel quite happy, there are some wealthy people who are not
satisfied with their life. We can therefore conclude that quality of life is something of a mental
nature or an inner sense.

Have you ever paid attention to the people that are always shifting between goals, in search of
happiness, without any success? This is because worldly desires are never ending and earthly
pleasures will finally make you fed up. The most delicious food will become dull and distasteful
if it is taken frequently.

There are many examples for how transient and temporary some worldly pleasures of life are.
For a young person, having a job, a car, a house and finally a spouse is most desirable and a
wishful dream. However the pleasure of achievement to each and every one of them is not long
lasting and soon disappears, normally being replaced by some other ones, and he may even be
dreaming new things such as for example having a child. In some cases as it may probably
happen, he is even ready to spend all that he has earned for such a dream, and as you well know
it will not end up there. For example those who attain a child may wish the child was rather a
boy or a girl.

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As mentioned, we all assume that if we reach a certain goal, we will have no more concerns and
we will be the luckiest person in the world. Whereas once we reach our goal, we find that to be
no cure for our problems. We can vindicate this by looking at a verse on Abraham, who once
was in search of his excellence in stars, the moon, and the sun when he found all of them
unstable and perishable; finally he turned to God.

If I engage myself in enumeration of all of the endless desires of mankind, it may take more time
than what has been allotted to me in this session.

Once a while, I received some e-mails which had interesting points. One of them says life is
divided into two sections. In the first, we are looking forward to get to the second. And in the
second, we pity to have missed the first.

Shahriar, one famous Iranian poet says the same thing in different words.
He says:
- I used my juvenescence as a candle, to light my way in search of life
- I couldn't find life but I lost my juvenescence
- Now, burdened by oldness I wish to return
- Through the narrow path of life in search of my juvenescence

Another e-mail says: Human being is a strange creature. He puts his health at risk in pursuit of
wealth. Then, once he finds the wealth, he spends it to attain health. These are all examples of
human wondering in reaching a quality life.

All of us, as followers of Abraham, weather Jewish, Christian or Muslim, have read or heard the
story of the creation of Adam and Eve in the Holy Scriptures. According to the story, after the
creation of Adam and Eve, God sends them to heaven and tells them they can live there in peace
and happiness, but warns them not to approach a certain tree; otherwise they would run into
harm. Satan deceives them and causes them to depart from the state of felicity and lose eternal
happiness. This story vindicates that one can have everlasting happiness by being with God
rather than being attracted to his blessings and favors bestowed upon them, which here is
exemplified by the said tree.

I also read a verse, in which, God, the creator of the universe, says "O man! I have created
everything for you and put the whole world at your disposal. How come you are not attracted to
me and you are not searching for me? If you are in pursuit of eternal satisfaction and happiness

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you should look for me and come to me". But on the contrary, we are so fond of his bestowed
riches that whenever we demand something from him, it would be nothing but health and/or
wealth. Seldom we choose his union over his blessings.

What I mean by telling these stories is that: If we are looking for a quality life we should teach
ourselves and others not to follow our forefather Adam, who got deceived by Satan. In reality,
we also get tempted and make the same mistake. We should know that, following Adam's route
will not lead us to happiness. This path resembles a hot desert with a mirage at horizon. No
matter how far we go, we never reach the water.

Unfortunately, most of us thoughtlessly imitate each other and follow the same path by mistake.
We mostly imitate others without any contemplation. This is the case in most of our behaviors,
lifestyle, studying, working, eating, marriage and even our funeral ceremonies.

Now, it is time, contrary to our ancestors or the majority of people, to change all paradigms of
our life by trying to follow the teachings of our prophets. I am sure our life will change and our
problems will be solved.

For further clarification I'll give you another interesting parable. Once, a man goes to a
barbershop to have his hair set. When he gets to the chair in front of the mirror, as usually
happens, the barber and his customer get engaged in some discussions and eventually reach to
religious matters. The barber says that he does not believe in God. Because, if there is a God
ruling with wisdom and justice, there wouldn't be so much poverty, hungers, illness and injustice
in the world. The customer who was a religious man, but could not argue with the barber,
chooses to remain silent till the end. When leaving the barbershop, the man suddenly sees
another person who had disheveled hair and unarranged beard. Something comes to his mind,
returns to the shop and asks the barber whether there is a barbershop in the town. The barber,
astonished by that question says: Isn't here a barbershop? The customer replies: if that is the
case, come and see the man on the other side of the street, why is he in such a mess? The barber
says, that man's situation is not a reason for lack of barbershop in this town. The reason is rather
that he has not attempted to go to a barbershop. The customer argues back that therefore if
people are burdened with so much difficulty, it is not because there is no God, but because they
have kept themselves away from God.

Now, let us think and ask ourselves what would happen if we follow the prophets and saints?

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 - For sure you have noticed that no prophet has ever professed to put people's financials in
proper order. Because as it was said before, the wealth will not bring happiness.
Attainment of wealth will rather lead people to over- consumption, over desire and
selfishness. Whereas, turning to God results to total satisfaction and happiness.
- If instead of over-consumption, over-desire and selfishness, we choose to be provident
and sparing, there will be enough for everybody in the world and nobody needs to violate
the rights of others.

I was watching a film on the life of Jesus Christ. Jesus was passing a market-place in the town.
Suddenly a merchant saw him and asked him in a loud voice:
- What should I now do to get eternal happiness?
- Follow me. Jesus replied.
- What do I do with my merchandise? Asked the merchant.
- Leave it and come. Said Jesus

This can be a great lesson for all. If we want happiness, we should learn how to detach ourselves
from worldly matters rather than getting attached to them.

It has been said that in South East Asia, for hunting monkeys, the hunters dig flask shaped holes
with an opening the size of monkey's wrist and leave bananas in them. The monkey sees the
banana and enters his hand into the hole and grabs the banana by hand. Hunters arrive but the
poor monkey instead of leaving the banana and running away, will be still struggling to bring the
banana out of his fist (which is naturally bigger than the hole), and he gets trapped. This is an
example of worldly greed which traps men instead of giving them freedom. We, human beings,
without proper attention, follow the routes of limiting our freedom by expanding our dependence
on the world and gradually, as we age, get more and more dependent on the world and its riches.
We have all experienced that, the younger we are the braver we are. This is mainly due to the
fact that strings of our attachment to the world are less and looser when we are younger, so they
can get torn easer.

In case of quality life, there is still one more point that I would like to bring up by posing one
question. "What is the goal of a wise human being in this world?" Are we born to enjoy
maximum from our low level survival desires? If so, those who are gifted with worldly riches
should not have any more concerns and desires. Whereas, we know that is not the case.

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Religions say: "Life is an opportunity for exaltation of our soul via serving others especially
giving for God's satisfaction". Low level desires are only for survivals, not to be considered as
goals of life.

Life is an opportunity in which, instead of struggling for attainment of worldly riches, we should
try to reach God, the abundant source of goodness. Whoever has this abundant blessing at his
disposal can always reach for it without concern and can always give without worry.

Now the question is: how to get connected to this imperishable source? The answer is to decide
to break the giant idol of "self" or "ego". This is what is standing between us and the God. In
order to do so, we should always aim to free our inner desire, thoughts, deeds and speeches from
egoism and egotism. We should be able to give and do this for God's sake. Only in this manner
we would be able to prepare a ground for getting closer to Him.

Some time ago I read an article, written in a magazine by a family counselor. It might be relevant
to the subject. The article started by a little girl asking a question from her mother. Why people
get married? Asked the girl. Her mother's reply wasn't easy. She replied by saying, "Because
they get tranquility by being together." "In that case, why our recently wed neighbors are
fighting so much?" Asked the girl. Mother paused and tried to give an answer to convince her
little girl, but she couldn't. This conversation continued between the mother and her daughter for
a while and whatever the mother said, the girl challenged, and finally, made the mother think it
over to see why people get married.

In order to find a proper answer, she referred to many sources. She asked herself what is in
marriage that the Holy Quran also recommends and says it gives tranquility. She finally got to
the point that generally, when people are single, they only think of themselves. Whereas,
marriage gives them chance to gradually separate from "self" and think of his partner as well. In
this manner, selfishness, the greatest obstacle (ego) fades away and gives way for mutual love to
flourish and get to tranquility.

Unfortunately, some of us marry on selfish reasons. We get married to receive service and love
from our partner. Whereas, if we look at marriage as a process of sharing, and a quality relation,
we should modify our paradigm to giving love and happiness to our partner. The best would be,
when we bring God's satisfaction in consideration.

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Why do we Iranians say, Paradise is under the feet of mothers? Because, they ignore their own
desires for the love of their children. (In Persian we say "they put their desires under their own
feet".)

In line with freeing ourselves from worldly attachments, we should consider that all God's given
gifts are being temporarily deposited with us in trust. We should try to be trustworthy of God
and give anything at anytime the trustier wants them back. Like in case of Abraham when God
asked to sacrifice his son to test the strength of his attachment to the most precious bestowal he
was given.

Finally, let us strengthen our habit of "giving", by donating those things we like most, and break
the psychological attachments to our belongings by giving them to the needy persons without
expectation of rewards and only for God's sake. As it is said in the Holy Quran: you are
considered a righteous person, when you donate from those you like.

Now I would like to summarize what I have said so far.

1. We should consider life as an opportunity for growing and exaltation, setting our
priority toward getting closer to God rather than aiming for attainment of wealth and
position. Whoever gets closer to God he will relinquish most worldly attractions,
because the pleasure of Godly achievement is not comparable to those of worldly ones.
2. We should learn to use all worldly riches in moderation and sparing. Being prudent not
to become their slave.
3. In order to approach God, we should be able to break the "self" idol.
4. And in order to break this idol, we should serve people without expectation of rewards
and only for God's sake.

It is then, that a life with quality, filled up with joy and felicity, can be obtained.

I thank you for your time and attention.

God bless your hearts.