Friday, Apr 19 2024  

The Secret of Happiness - 16 Dec 2013

The focus will be on three points:
What is Happiness?
Why are we not Happy?
How do we become happy?

Firstly, what is happiness? In the Vidya Vahini, Swami has said that happiness is of three kinds Thamasic, Rajasic and Sathwic. The first type of happiness is Thamasic Happiness. It dulls the intellect from beginning to end. We get this kind of happiness from sleeping and lazing around.

The second type of happiness is Rajasic Happiness. This kind of happiness starts off mistakenly as nectar and becomes unpleasant poison. We derive this happiness from the impact on our senses from objects like games, fashionable watches and handbags and other worldly pleasures.

The third type of Happiness is Sathwic Happiness. In the Bhagavad Gita it is said that "This is the happiness which comes from long practice, which leads to the end of suffering, which at first is like poison, but at last like nectar” This happiness can only be secured through the awareness of the Atma.

Secondly, why are we not happy? Swami has said, “There is an inverse ratio between Happiness and Desires.” The more we desire, the less happy we are. Consider this:
A rich man has great wealth, but he has no children. And so he is pained at heart. A poor man has five children, but he has nothing to eat, and so he is miserable. One man has wealth and children, but his son is a vagabond, and so he is worried. One man has riches and good sons, but his wife is very quarrelsome. No one can be happy with worldly pleasures.

Swami says, “Desire is a bonfire that burns with greater fury, asking for more fuel. Desire is the sole cause of sorrow and distress.” As long as we have greater and greater desires we will never be able to attain true happiness.

So thirdly, how do we become happy? There are a few ways to become happy.

Firstly, we should practice “Ceiling on Desires”. Reducing our desires is a good way of achieving happiness. The smaller the bowl is, the easier it is to fill it up. In the same way, having less desires will make it easier for us to be happy.

The second way of achieving happiness is letting go. We have to accept that both happiness and sadness are temporary. “Pleasure is but an interval between two pains.” When we are sad, we should remind ourselves that this will pass. And when we are happy we should remember that this too shall pass. Swami says “Let our boat be on the waters, but do not allow the waters to enter the boat. Be in the world, but not of it. That is the secret of a truly happy life.” When we let go of worldly happiness, we open ourselves to Divine Bliss.

The third method of achieving happiness is Faith. Swami says, “Be happy. The secret of happiness is not in doing what we like but in liking what we have to do. That is a great truth. Always have complete faith in the Omnipresent God who takes care of everything.” This means that we should have complete, unshakeable faith in Swami’s plan for us. Anything that happens to us, good or bad, is only part of Swami’s plan to make us better people. No matter what happens, we should trust in Swami to take care of us and see us through. Thus, Swami asks, “Why Fear when I am here?”

Therefore, we should reduce desires, let go of worldly happiness and have faith in God. This is the secret of happiness. Be happy. Make others happy. All will be happy. God will be happy.

JAI SAI RAM

Bro Rakesh Gill
Group 4