If we look at one thing that is common for all living beings, it is that desire to be happy every moment. There is no other motivator for anyone to work, meet people, engage in hobbies etc. But how do we find that secret to happiness so that every moment of our's is filled with fulfillment and joy? Humanity has tried various means to remain happy including drinking, drugs, meditation, prayer and so on and so forth. But still, there is a craving, a sort of emptiness in our lives. Is there some way we can remember simple aphorisms/sentences which will transform us into happiness incarnate? I am sure great masters have come up with their own solutions which surely have benefited millions. In all humility, I submit the following 3 golden sentences to understand, reflect and internalize to gain happiness.
1. This too shall pass.
2. Let events happen.
3. I created this situation.
I. This too shall pass
Each of face events in our day to day lives and are affected by it. We buy a brand new luxury car and are thrilled. We lose a job and we are dejected. Do we all not know that change is a fact aof life and anything in nature is dualistic. We have happiness/sadness as two sides of emotions; we have light/dark as 2 sides of visual experience; Do we worry when day turns into night and become super happy when night turns into day? These are just natural events and by themselves have no cause to be either happy or unhappy. Similarly, in all our lives, what we assign as good or bad events will happen, whether we want or not and we have to stoically bear it by saying, "this too shall pass". Statistically, it is proven that most events tend towards a mean and there is almost no exception. It is impossible that someone is always having good events and someone is always having bad events. For everyone measured over a period of time, they will balance out. So, while we may be very happy winning a lottery and bagging the largest contract, it is always good to temper that joy with the realization that, "this too shall pass." Similarly, we may lose a job, get a divorce, lose a loved one and be extremely sad. But even in that darkest moment, we can find succor by remembering, "this too shall pass".
Does this mean that by rote, I keep telling myself the above sentence? It will not help unless we understand the basis behind this sentence. Let's go to basics. Who am I? My readers by now know that the only reality is Brahman or Consciousness or Absolute Truth. There is nothing else other than this reality and each of us feel we exist separately due to massive primordial ignorance. IF my true nature is this absolute reality, then there can be nothing else. When there is nothing else, the dualities cannot arise. Once I know this, whenever an event occurs, it is like an event in a dream. Dream events come and go and I as the sleeper, is not affected by them. Assume if there was some way to get inside my own dream and observe my dreams. When in the dream, I win a lottery ticket and overtake Bill Gates, my dream character will be supremely happy. But I, the observer will smile and say, "this too shall pass". Similarly, in the dream, I lose my job, then my dream character will be very sad. But I as the observer will smile and say, " this too shall pass".
Similarly, when I am the supreme consciousness and due to my "ignorance" I experience good and bad events, it is easy to be an observer and say, "this too shall pass".
II. Let events happen
If there is one major thing that bothers most of us, it is anxiety about the future. I have just given a proposal for a major deal. will I get the deal or not? I have just given an interview. Will I get the job or not? All of us, by and large, are anxious about the future. Some of us may go to astrologers or soothsayers or so-called psychic readers to know what the future will be. But will any amount of my anxiety or visits to anyone change the final result? If I have done badly in an exam, will my being anxious change anything? But in being anxious, what are we losing? We are losing the ability to be happy and enjoy life between the time an event occurs and till the result comes.Even if I have done well in a task, most of us are anxious and in effect, unhappy. I can hear people saying, no, we are not unhappy. Happiness is defined as a state of peace. Obviously, when we are anxious, we are not peaceful and hence not happy.
So, what is the way out? Let events happen ! Again , it is easy to say, let events happen. Does it mean that I do not have any personal responsibility and I am just a twig in a river, being carried around by its currents? An emphatic NO !
I am responsible for the action only. If I have to give a proposal, I am responsible for ensuring that the solution is correct, the price is correct and it fully meets the expectation of the client. Once I have put in my best and submitted, it is pointless to be anxious. Anxiety arises when there is a doubt in what I have done. As several seers have told, the Universe rewards positivity and conspires to make positive things happen if we are resolute. If I have done a good job and I am resolute about it with full confidence, there is no room for anxiety. So long as i focus totally on the task without worrying over the results, I am in a position to put in my best effort compared to another who is always worried about results. A tennis player who just focuses on his shots will easily beat another player who worries whether he will fire an ace or not.
So the golden sentence is, focus on your task and put in your very best effort. After that, let events happen.
III. I created this situation
If there is one major thing that bothers most of us is, " why did this thing happen to me?". Even though I am a better performer at work, why did I not get a promotion? Even though I sent my child to the best school, why did my child not make it to an Ivy league? Why am I stuck in this loveless marriage? So and so forth. Each of us if we are honest, have asked some such question always, as to why I have been unjustly subject to bad events.
Well, if there is a consolation, this feeling is not unique. Almost everyone feels the same. So logically if almost everyone feels that they have been unjustly targeted by events, it means that there is equality for all!
Assume that I have a beautiful garden with lovely roses and other flowers. Some day unknowingly, I brought a parasitic creeper from somewhere and it started growing. Before I noticed, it had engulfed the plant. This is not fiction. This actually happened to our rose plant. The point is, did the rose plant die on its own? Can I say, I was unlucky? Well, I put the creeper there. Take another example. Suppose I plant seeds of tomato, can I harvest apples? So anything that we see or experience is only a reaction to some action. Nothing happens in isolation.
In exactly the same way, any situation that I face in life is not due to bad luck or being unjustly targeted. It is because I have done something in the past and put the seed for that reactionary event to materialize. So, whenever I face any tough situation, rather than end up blaming my staff, my family or bad luck, let me tell myself calmly, " I created this situation". Does this mean that every situation is pre-ordained and I just am powerless? It is important to know that every situation is pre-ordained. But what I do in a situation is left to my own free will. During a bad situation, I can shout, rant and turn the world upside down or realize, "I created this situation" and calmly handle it.
Summary
Each of us is born to be happy. But we end up being tense, anxious or blaming someone for all our troubles. Instead if we remember and inculcate the principles in the abobe 3 sentences, our lives will be peaceful and we will be on the path to ever lasting happiness.
------------------------------------------------------------------
As readers may be aware, 3 of my books on spirituality are available on Amazon.com.
I invite readers of my blog to try any of the books and give me feedback so that I can make changes in the next edition.
1. My Humble Understanding Of Spirituality
My Humble Understanding Of Spirituality
2. Attain Infinite Bliss
Attain Infinite Bliss - A Spiritual Guide
3. The Spirit Of Spirituality
The Spirit Of Spirituality
1. This too shall pass.
2. Let events happen.
3. I created this situation.
I. This too shall pass
Each of face events in our day to day lives and are affected by it. We buy a brand new luxury car and are thrilled. We lose a job and we are dejected. Do we all not know that change is a fact aof life and anything in nature is dualistic. We have happiness/sadness as two sides of emotions; we have light/dark as 2 sides of visual experience; Do we worry when day turns into night and become super happy when night turns into day? These are just natural events and by themselves have no cause to be either happy or unhappy. Similarly, in all our lives, what we assign as good or bad events will happen, whether we want or not and we have to stoically bear it by saying, "this too shall pass". Statistically, it is proven that most events tend towards a mean and there is almost no exception. It is impossible that someone is always having good events and someone is always having bad events. For everyone measured over a period of time, they will balance out. So, while we may be very happy winning a lottery and bagging the largest contract, it is always good to temper that joy with the realization that, "this too shall pass." Similarly, we may lose a job, get a divorce, lose a loved one and be extremely sad. But even in that darkest moment, we can find succor by remembering, "this too shall pass".
Does this mean that by rote, I keep telling myself the above sentence? It will not help unless we understand the basis behind this sentence. Let's go to basics. Who am I? My readers by now know that the only reality is Brahman or Consciousness or Absolute Truth. There is nothing else other than this reality and each of us feel we exist separately due to massive primordial ignorance. IF my true nature is this absolute reality, then there can be nothing else. When there is nothing else, the dualities cannot arise. Once I know this, whenever an event occurs, it is like an event in a dream. Dream events come and go and I as the sleeper, is not affected by them. Assume if there was some way to get inside my own dream and observe my dreams. When in the dream, I win a lottery ticket and overtake Bill Gates, my dream character will be supremely happy. But I, the observer will smile and say, "this too shall pass". Similarly, in the dream, I lose my job, then my dream character will be very sad. But I as the observer will smile and say, " this too shall pass".
II. Let events happen
If there is one major thing that bothers most of us, it is anxiety about the future. I have just given a proposal for a major deal. will I get the deal or not? I have just given an interview. Will I get the job or not? All of us, by and large, are anxious about the future. Some of us may go to astrologers or soothsayers or so-called psychic readers to know what the future will be. But will any amount of my anxiety or visits to anyone change the final result? If I have done badly in an exam, will my being anxious change anything? But in being anxious, what are we losing? We are losing the ability to be happy and enjoy life between the time an event occurs and till the result comes.Even if I have done well in a task, most of us are anxious and in effect, unhappy. I can hear people saying, no, we are not unhappy. Happiness is defined as a state of peace. Obviously, when we are anxious, we are not peaceful and hence not happy.
So, what is the way out? Let events happen ! Again , it is easy to say, let events happen. Does it mean that I do not have any personal responsibility and I am just a twig in a river, being carried around by its currents? An emphatic NO !
I am responsible for the action only. If I have to give a proposal, I am responsible for ensuring that the solution is correct, the price is correct and it fully meets the expectation of the client. Once I have put in my best and submitted, it is pointless to be anxious. Anxiety arises when there is a doubt in what I have done. As several seers have told, the Universe rewards positivity and conspires to make positive things happen if we are resolute. If I have done a good job and I am resolute about it with full confidence, there is no room for anxiety. So long as i focus totally on the task without worrying over the results, I am in a position to put in my best effort compared to another who is always worried about results. A tennis player who just focuses on his shots will easily beat another player who worries whether he will fire an ace or not.
So the golden sentence is, focus on your task and put in your very best effort. After that, let events happen.
III. I created this situation
If there is one major thing that bothers most of us is, " why did this thing happen to me?". Even though I am a better performer at work, why did I not get a promotion? Even though I sent my child to the best school, why did my child not make it to an Ivy league? Why am I stuck in this loveless marriage? So and so forth. Each of us if we are honest, have asked some such question always, as to why I have been unjustly subject to bad events.
Well, if there is a consolation, this feeling is not unique. Almost everyone feels the same. So logically if almost everyone feels that they have been unjustly targeted by events, it means that there is equality for all!
Assume that I have a beautiful garden with lovely roses and other flowers. Some day unknowingly, I brought a parasitic creeper from somewhere and it started growing. Before I noticed, it had engulfed the plant. This is not fiction. This actually happened to our rose plant. The point is, did the rose plant die on its own? Can I say, I was unlucky? Well, I put the creeper there. Take another example. Suppose I plant seeds of tomato, can I harvest apples? So anything that we see or experience is only a reaction to some action. Nothing happens in isolation.
In exactly the same way, any situation that I face in life is not due to bad luck or being unjustly targeted. It is because I have done something in the past and put the seed for that reactionary event to materialize. So, whenever I face any tough situation, rather than end up blaming my staff, my family or bad luck, let me tell myself calmly, " I created this situation". Does this mean that every situation is pre-ordained and I just am powerless? It is important to know that every situation is pre-ordained. But what I do in a situation is left to my own free will. During a bad situation, I can shout, rant and turn the world upside down or realize, "I created this situation" and calmly handle it.
Summary
Each of us is born to be happy. But we end up being tense, anxious or blaming someone for all our troubles. Instead if we remember and inculcate the principles in the abobe 3 sentences, our lives will be peaceful and we will be on the path to ever lasting happiness.
------------------------------------------------------------------
3 of my books
I invite readers of my blog to try any of the books and give me feedback so that I can make changes in the next edition.
1. My Humble Understanding Of Spirituality
My Humble Understanding Of Spirituality
2. Attain Infinite Bliss
Attain Infinite Bliss - A Spiritual Guide
3. The Spirit Of Spirituality
The Spirit Of Spirituality
No comments:
Post a Comment
Please leave comments for me here.