Pursuing Happiness

In our pursuit of happiness and wellbeing, we have caused much harm to every other creature on this planet; we are threatening the very life of this planet and in the end our own lives. This pursuit of happiness has always been on. Ever since man lived in caves and forests, he has always sought to be happy and well.

When he did not have the tools of science and technology, it did not matter how vigorous his pursuit was, other creatures could still exist on this planet. But in the last hundred or two hundred years, armed with the miracles of science and technology, his pursuit has become very dangerous. Never before have people had to think in terms of the survival of the planet.

So as the tools we possess in our hands become more powerful, it is all the more important that human beings pursue their inner enlightenment also. We must understand that this pursuit to find happiness outside of yourself is a foolish effort which will never come to any kind of fulfillment. It will be an endless run. You know within yourself that no matter what is offered to you, you are not going to be satisfied; you will always want the next thing and the next thing.

People have demonstrated this in many ways but the ridiculous part of the world is, everybody wants to go through the process and only then realise it. In India, a lot of sages and saints, for example Gautama the Buddha, were kings who voluntarily turned into beggars.

A king means in terms of power, pleasure, property – everything – he is the top person. But he realises that his life is not getting anywhere so he chooses to turn inward. It is not necessary that all of us have to struggle to become kings and only at the end of our lives realise that it makes no difference.

We must learn from other people’s experience; they have gone through the process and taught us a lesson. Today especially in the western societies, average citizens have what even kings and queens could not dream of a hundred years ago. In spite of that, man is no happier than what he was back then.

There was a time when in a society, if a few people were spiritual, the rest of the people just go to them for blessings and sustain their lives. But today, spirituality is no more a fancy pursuit. With the tools of science and technology, we have brought ourselves to a self-threatening situation.

So it is an absolute necessity for your survival and the planet’s survival that every human being turns spiritual, that he brings that dimension into his life. Otherwise it is not just a question of wasting your life, you will do things that will harm many other creatures on this planet.

Sadhguru is a yogi, mystic and visionary, and a prominent spiritual leader. www.ishafoundation.org