CATALYSTS
OF HUMAN HAPPINESS
Do
you want to be happy? Any of you who doesn’t want to be happy?
What
a question is this? Who on earth does not want to be happy? All human beings
want to be happy. Animals, birds and insects also want to be happy.
See
how a peacock dances when it is happy. See how a dog goes round its Master wagging
its tail, when it is happy. See how a cuckoo sings when it is happy. See how a
butterfly flies all round the flowers when it is happy.
Every
living being tries to be happy and express it when it is.
Can
you create your own happiness? Of course, you can. When you create it, it first
gets created inside you and can overflow from you to all of your surroundings.
Ancient
Indian wisdom says that – your are actually an embodiment of happiness and joy
but you lose it when you give place to (i) excessive desires (ii) anger (iii)
Greed (iv) delusion (v)ego (vi) enmity (vii) Fear and such other negative emotions and feelings inside
you. Where these negativities exist, happiness and joy cannot exist. They vacate
you till you vacate the negativity inside
you.
There
are some Dos and some Don’ts for creating and retaining happiness inside you.
The main ‘Don’t’ is – avoid the 7 negative emotions which are above mentioned.
They throw out all of your happiness.
There
are certain things you can actually do, to create and promote your own
happiness. Let us see some of them.
1.
MEDITATION
Meditation is the easiest path
to peace and joy. Meditate “to eliminate
all worries, problems, difficulties, in fact, all worldly thoughts” from the mind.
Nothing will wait for you in this restless world, if you refuse to take part of
it. Nobody will bother much and for long about your absence. One day you will leave
permanently and the world will adjust to your absence easily. So, you don’t think
about the world, for some time on each day.
Nothing matters. Nobody
matters. What really matters is – Are you joyful? Are you peaceful? Meditate on
this. Achieve this. Life becomes absolutely joyful, peaceful and happy. That is
a major purpose of Meditation.
Preferably meditate twice
or thrice in a day, to clear the world from your Mind. It is the greatest
source of peace and joy.
2.
Unconditional
Love
To Love and to be loved
unconditionally – is a very great source of happiness. In worldly terms, it is
perhaps the greatest source of joy after – meditation. Mother is a great source
of unconditional love for children. Father comes next. A Guru comes next. That
is why, in India, it is customary to regard them as living Gods. Mathru Devo
Bhava, Pithru Devo Bhava, Acharya devo Bhava – sayas the ancient dictum, which
we must follow.
If
we understand the benefits of unconditional love in childhood itself, we will learn
to give to and get from other people also in later life – like good friends,
brothers and sisters and so on. This is quite easy and possible. Let it start
from our side first.
3.
Unconditional
Service to Needy People :
UNCONDITIONAL;
SERVICE to NEEDY PEOPLE – is prescribed as one of the Greatest meritorious
deeds or Punya in India. We say – Athithi devo bhava. Athithi is anyone who
comes to our door step seeking food for his or her hungry stomach. You must not
see his stature, caste, religion, sex or any other criterion – in feeding his
hungry stomach. It must be totally unconditional. You will get a great joy from
such service to others.India talks of Karna, Sibi and other great Donors only
for that reason.
4 Creativity
We
differ from animals only in our creativity. All human beings are creative.
Every child is creative. Be it in arts, science, technology, food, dress,
speech, love, war – in everything, human beings display their creativity. Human
life fulfillment is mostly in its creativity. Creativity creates great
happiness.
5 ACHIEVEMENTS
Creativity
leads to achievements, rewards, appreciation, admiration, devotion,
followership, and so on. These achievements also invariably enhance human
happiness.
6. CHILDREN
Parenting
of children is a great source of joy. Mother especially, and father, after her,
go to great extents to share their life, efforts, wealth, time etc with the
children and ensure their joy and get joy in that process.
7.TEACHING/TRAINING
Teaching
and training children or even other elders is a huge source of satisfaction and
joy. Many teachers are remembered for life by thousands of children whom they
have taught. The teacher may be poor but quite happy usually.
8. GOOD HEALTH
Good
Health is often the greatest wealth that we can possess. We must make all-out
efforts to promote and preserve our health. Good Health by itself is a source
of Great happiness.
9. FREEDOM
Freedom
to do what we want to do – without obstructing or harming others or public
order is an essential pre-condition for joy and happiness. A chained or bonded
person loses much of his happiness. If your freedom is constricted in any ways,
to that extent, your happiness comes down. Remove these bonds, and instantly,
your potential to enjoy your life goes up.
10.FRIENDSHIPS and LOVE
If you have great friends or someone who loves
you and whom you love, joy is automatic and assured.
11. DISCOVERING AND PURSUING A
FULFILLING PURPOSE FOR LIFE :
If
we find a highly fulfilling purpose for our life and the pursuit of that
purpose is fairly possible ( of course, with some difficulties and
obstructions), our life will be devoted to that purpose and every step in
achieving that purpose results in great happiness.
12 GOOD SLEEP
Is
Good sleep a joyful affair? Disturbed sleep is a painful affair. After a good,
undisturbed sleep, we feel great peace and joy. It often happens. Good sleep is
therefore a Great source of happiness and peace. In Yoga, it is said, a part of
us called Aanandamaya kosa is active when we sleep and ensures our peace and
joy.
13 MONEY
If
you have money and if you know how to use that money to help people whom you
revere, adore, love etc, money also can be a source of happiness. But, idle money
is never a source of happiness. It is its proper use that creates happiness.
14 RELIGION
Religion
can create both happiness and unhappiness. It can create courage and fear both.
It depends on what religion teaches. Religions are at war with each other.
Religions live in mutual suspicion of each other. Yet, religions too contribute
to happiness by devising procedures for individual and community living.
15.
Being with people who like us and being with people whom we like – both enhance
our happiness.
16.
Doing those things which we like – enhances our happiness.
17.
Ancient Indian wisdom says that – Ignorance is the cause of all Unhappiness and
misery. As a corollary, Wisdom is the cause of all Happiness. Things which
cause our happiness all flow out of some wisdom residing in us.
18.
Now, Readers, remember all this. Read all this a few times. Practice these
principles. Create your own happiness. Root out all unhappiness.
I
wish you the best of life and best of happiness.
Yours
Ever
(V.VIJAYAMOHAN)
