The 'pursuit' of happiness
We all seek happiness, yet we all remain miserable. Of course, we do experience what we think is happiness, but soon, we experience sorrow again. Life is a merry-go-round; we go up and down experiencing happiness and sadness in cycles. Just like there is loss and gain, there is pleasure and pain.
The truth is that man hasn't realised what true happiness is. He confuses pleasure with being happy. Happiness is not something that we can buy. It is not a person whom we can be with nor is it a place that we can go to. Happiness is a state of being. We can never be happy if we say, 'I want happiness'. Desires ultimately lead to disappointments. We go beyond our need, and our greed takes over. If we are constantly wanting something, how can we be happy?
So, is it even possible to be really happy? Yes! If we exit from the highway of achievement, where we constantly seek accolades and wealth, there is a possibility for us to be happy. As long as we believe that it is only achievement that will give us joy, we will live and die with this illusion, without being truly happy. Those who stop climbing this illusory peak of achievement that is based on pleasure, attain a state of peace. Peace is the foundation of happiness. Pleasures are a paradox. They may make us happy for a while, but soon, we are thirsty again; we are restless again. Once we start to live a life of contentment and fulfilment, we will certainly experience more bliss and joy.
Most people tend to look for happiness. But they shuttle between yesterday and tomorrow and live with regret and fear. They don't realise that happiness is in the NOW. You can't be happy in the 'yesterday' that is gone nor can you be happy in the 'tomorrow' not yet born. Instead of being blissful and peaceful in the present moment, NOW, we lose this moment by either living in the past or the future, and once again, we start chasing happiness. If you think about it you will understand that happiness is like a shadow. The more you chase it, the further it goes away. But if you stop, you will find happiness is with you wherever you are.
There is nothing wrong in seeking happiness. But there is a way to be happy. Most of us don't realise that we have happiness within us, but we are searching for it outside. We live and die like that musk deer who is searching for the fragrance of the musk that is inside its own navel all along. Ultimately, it falls off the cliff and dies. Unfortunately, many of us in the pursuit of happiness live and die without truly experiencing Ananda or true bliss.
We all experience suffering and this disrupts our happiness. We experience physical pain of the body, misery of the mind, and agony of the ego. Those who go in quest of the ultimate peak of happiness are enlightened with the truth. They discover the true meaning of life and with that, live a life of eternal peace and everlasting bliss as they escape from the triple suffering of body, mind and ego. They experience Divine bliss that is far beyond happiness that comes from pleasure and peace.
It seems like the whole world has only one goal – to be happy. While different people dream of different goals to be achieved, nobody wants any achievement that will make them miserable. The ultimate purpose of all achievement is happiness. But no sooner do we achieve one goal than we jump into chasing another. We keep happiness for a later date. Before we realise it, our life is over. First, we want wealth and we run behind it. Once we achieve wealth, we spend the rest of our life and our wealth to take care of our health. We forget to discover true happiness and to live.
Do you want to live a life of bliss, peace, and joy? Then stop and understand the meaning of life. Realise who you truly are and what your purpose on earth is. Don't just jump into life as if it were a swimming pool, where you keep on swimming till you hear the whistle blow. We are 'human beings', not 'human doings' and unless we realise this, we will keep on 'doing' without 'being' happy. There is a way to enjoy pleasure, to live with peace, and to find purpose in life. Once we do, we will arrive at the state of Satchitananda, a state of eternal bliss that knows no sorrow. We will become conscious of happiness every moment that we live. The path of spirituality can lead us to true happiness. Being enlightened with the truth can liberate us not only from all misery and suffering on earth but also from the Karmic cycle of death and rebirth.
Those who realise the truth about life are the blessed few who stop seeking happiness. They are the ones who live in an ocean of joy, conscious of their Divine self. They seek nothing, but they are the happiest people in the world. You too can be one amongst them.