HAPPINESS: THE AMBIGUOUS WORD

Happiness is one of the ambiguous words because when you mention happiness you might refer to physical, psychology or spiritual happiness. Physical happiness is known as pleasure: you can experience it through your body, psychology happiness is known as joy: you can experience this through your mind and spiritual happiness is known as bliss which you can experience this through your heart. Another thing to understand is that physical happiness cannot be more than momentary because the body is constantly changing, this is also applicable to psychological happiness it cannot be forever because the mind goes on changing its form every moment; and for spiritual happiness it is not in a momentary way, it is the kind of happiness which comes but never goes. It is not of time, it is part of eternity; physical and psychology happiness has caused while bliss has no cause. Physical happiness is at the level of instinct that is why we see animals looking happier than men. Psychology happiness is at the level of intellect and that is why only men can experience it like listening to music. Spiritual bliss is at the level of intuition while few people have experienced it so far in human history

You have to know this so that you cannot continue living in misery. How?  If your happiness has a cause it is nothing but misery masquerading as happiness because that cause can be taken away anytime, it can be destroyed anytime and it can create a kind of addiction, slavery, dependence, and also a great fear. You can be robbed of it, it can be stolen.  And if you are looking for happiness that should be forever in a wrong direction, it might turn to misery because after each pleasure one falls into a deep depression. After each joy great darkness surrounds one because one is frustrated. One had hoped so much and when it came, one believed that it was going to remain; but it comes from this side and it goes from the other side,  remember that neither the body can satisfy nor the mind. Contentment is possible only when the spiritual bliss has happened because, it has no cause, and it is beyond the chain of cause and effect. It is not dependent on the outside; hence it cannot be taken away. There is no fear of losing it, it is impossible to lose it and it is permanent.

This kind of happiness is not something that we have to seek directly because it cannot be achieved directly: it is something very subtle that happens only when you are completely lost in something else. So whatsoever you do, if you are happy doing it, it is good.  Think of what you enjoy and what you enjoy doing, and get absorbed into it. Happiness will come on its own. If you enjoy swimming then swim if you enjoy chopping wood then chop woods. Whatsoever you like, do it and get absorbed into it. And suddenly when you are absorbed you will find that climate coming to you, that sunlit climate of happiness. People have to get ABSORBED. Happiness is a by-product, it is not a goal. Doing the thing that you want to do brings happiness. Forget about happiness – stop talking about it! Stop seeking happiness – live it! It is not something in the future that is going to happen someday, it can happen right now, this very moment. . But happiness is not to be sought directly. Do something else and happiness will follow like a shadow – it is a consequence, not a result. ’Everybody in the world wants to be happy – but then why are almost everyone, unhappy? Because they want to be happy. Happiness cannot be desired. You desires misery comes; desires brings misery. Happiness is a state of no-desire. Happiness is a state of great understanding that desire brings misery.  When desires disappear, happiness appears. When you are not with ego, jealousy, ambitions or competitions then you can experience this spiritual happiness. Happiness is a shadow of harmony, it follows harmony. There is no other way to be happy. Unless you are the harmony, you can strive and strive then you will get more frustrated and you will get more and more into misery.