[Points: What it is—modern life a continuous struggle—need for leisure as necessary as food—how to spend it.]
Leisure means "free time, time at one's disposal". The progress of materialistic civilization has made life on earth almost a continuous struggle. So we are being taught that for success in this struggle, we must be always up and doing. This seems to suggest that there is no room for real leisure in the present world for anybody with ambition in life. But that is a wrong idea altogether. However heavy the duties, a man must make provision for some time every day during which he may forget all about his duties and relax hir self as he pleases. A machine that is worked without rest gets out of order very soon. The human machine is no exception to this law of nature. According to the Bible, even God rested a day after having created the universe. And this is why the Christians observe a day of rest every week. The Hindu Sastras also impose leisure compulsory by enjoying cessation of work on different occasions. Indeed, leisure is in the very scheme of nature. The physical and mental system of man gets tired and exhausted unless it has occasional rest after every few hours. Sleep is compulsory leisure enforced by mother Nature. The rapid increase in cases of nervous break-down and in thrombosis and cancer is considered by many eminent physicians to be due to the constant worries of modern life. This is why men who can afford Occasionally snatch themselves away from their normal occupations and relax themselves in quiet surroundings.
Indeed, leisure is almost as necessary for life as food and exercise But the human mind cannot remain altogether vacant. So even while enjoying leisure, it has to be filled with something pleasing and entertaining. There can be no hard and fast rule about what this 'something should be. It must vary according to the nature of a man's normal duties and his natural inclinations. In fact, it is the freedom of discretion that is the essence of leisure. Reading light books, enjoying games and shows, sight seeing, visiting friends at pleasure, even merely sitting in the open, gazing at natural beauties or children at play-all these are good ways of spending one's leisure.
The simple but beautiful lines on 'Leisure' from the poem of William Davies are worth quoting in this connection:
"What is this life, if full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare?
No time to stand beneath the boughs,
And stare as long as sheep or cows;
No time to see, when woods we pass, Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass". etc.
