It is continuous effort of all beings
to be happy and whatever one is doing, his purpose is to be happy. Also one is
not satisfied with short lived happiness. Thus it is our requirement to be
happy always.
Hence it is very important to ponder upon the question “Where
is the real happiness?”
Generally we think that wealth is
real source of happiness and most of our efforts like education, service or
business is aimed at earning more and more money because it is money with which
we can buy and fulfill our various needs. But many wealthy people are also
found unhappy for various reasons, may be because of ill health, or may be
because of family members who do not behave as they wish or may be because of
fear that their wealth should not get lost or stolen. Also wealth reduces when
you spend it hence wealth generated happiness is ever reducing. In case one
does not spend any money, still his life is reducing every second and so also is
reducing his happiness.
We also note that same object, event
or act may make one happy but another unhappy at the same time. Someone may be
unhappy for want of son but someone may be unhappy because of his son. Someone
like a farmer will be happy with rain but a potter will be unhappy as rain may
spoil his pots. The shopkeeper becomes happy when he gets rid of his
merchandise by selling it whereas the buyer becomes happy by acquiring it. Same
is true about money, someone is happy in saving it for future whereas someone
may be happy in spending it.
Satiating the various needs of our
sense organs like having tasty food, listening to music, smelling good scents,
watching nature’s beauty, sleeping or sex also gives us happiness. But all this
happiness is short lived and makes us happy only till we actually need it. If
your stomach is full, eating will make you unhappy and same is true with all
other sense organ generated happiness.
Our sages and saints also pondered
over this question and came out with conclusion that the real happiness cannot
be found outside but it is inside us. In fact “Anand” or real and everlasting
happiness is our true nature and we do not have to find it or acquire it but
just be it. We are really happy when we get detached with outside world and
come within ourselves. After a day’s hard work we have to go to sleep to find
rest and energy for next day’s work. In deep sleep we are one with our soul but
as our mind is asleep we do not remember after we get up. Hence our sages and
saints taught us the methods of Meditation whereby we can have a wakeful
awareness of our true nature. The more and more we are aware of our true
nature, we give less and less importance to desire for outside objects. This
help us in keeping our mind grounded to our true self which leads to real and
permanent happiness.
What keeps us away from the real
happiness? It is only our ignorance of above truth which keeps us away from
true happiness. Who can remove this ignorance? It is only a self-realized
person who has himself found his true self and is always grounded in his true
self or “Ananda”, who can remove our ignorance. Hindu scriptures name such
person as “Sadguru”. The word “Guru” is made by combination of “Gu” meaning
darkness and “Ru” meaning light. Hence “Guru” is the one who takes us out of
darkness or ignorance and establishes us in light or knowledge. “Sadguru” is
the Guru who helps us attaining our “Sat” or true being which is also true
knowledge and everlasting bliss. This is why our scriptures glorify Guru so
much that he is considered even higher than God because even God takes shelter
of Guru when he reincarnates in human form.
From time immortal there had been
saints on this earth who have been imparting this knowledge but still there is
so much of ignorance in this world. The reason for this is that generally we
are happy with small short lived happiness and do not have a craving for the
everlasting happiness. The hindu scriptures say that only human beings are
capable of realizing this and the main purpose of human life is to attain this
realization. If one does not attain this in present life, he will have to pass
again and again through the cycle of life and death till realization of one’s
true self is attained.
Scriptures and saints say that there
are very few fortunate living beings who get a human body and among them there
are very few who have craving for true happiness and among them there are very
few who have faith in “Sadguru” and also among there are very few who continue
and persevere on this path of Self-realization.
A person having no craving for real
happiness will have no knowledge, need or faith in Guru. For him a Guru is just
like any other person and he is unable to fathom why he is so deeply loved and
respected by his disciples. It is only the true disciples who understand the
kind of divine experience they have in company of their Guru and they will not
leave him under any circumstances.
In all ages the Self realized saints
and sages all over world have been misunderstood and troubled, tortured and
even killed by non-believers. The present time also is no exception where we
find that Sant Shi Asaram ji Bapu, a self-realized saint of India, who has
millions of disciples all over world, is charged with false allegations and put
behind bars. However such attempts are never successful as sooner or later the
truth prevails. If the non-believers could succeed, today there would have been
no religion in this world. The true disciple who knows his Guru is never swayed
by such attempts because he has experienced the divinity of his Guru. And also
it makes no difference to others as they never had any interest in seeking the
benefits of Guru and are happy in their deep slumber of ignorance.
Please visit the website www.ashram.org
to know more about Saint Shri Asaram ji Bapu, my spiritual Guru whose satsang
forms the basis of my blog.
