From the moment of birth, every human being wants happiness and does not want suffering. From the very core of our being, we simply desire contentment. We look for happiness in meeting our emotional needs for love and companionship through our relationships, with family, friends and loved ones. We try to find happiness in worldly possessions and relationships. If we analyse, we find that they do not bring the happiness they have promised. We may derive happiness from them for some time, but the loss of any of our possessions or relations brings untold pain and suffering. If our house is destroyed by fire, we feel as if we have lost everything.
If we are millionaires and suddenly become bankrupt, we become dejected. And if one of our loved one passes away, we are drowned in grief. The happiness we had during the time we had our money, belongings and near and dear ones turns into deep misery from their loss. At some point in the life, we discover that happiness in the outer world is a transitory illusion.
As long as we seek happiness in the world, we will be disappointed, for all matter is subject to decay and destruction. Everything in this world must perish. Ultimately, we too must face our physical end and must leave behind all that we cherished. This is the way of the world. Looking at the realities of life, we begin to wonder if there is any hope for finding real happiness in the world.
How to find lasting happiness?
Throughout the ages, the great teachers, sages, saints and philosophers of the world have been telling us that true happiness does exist. But it does not lie in anything in this world. It can only be found within. There is only one source of happiness, that is lasting, that cannot be destroyed by wind, fire, water or earth. It cannot be taken away from us either in this life or at the time of death.
The only permanent source of happiness is God. Some mystics of the East refer to God as Sat- Chit-Anand. These words translate respectively as truth, consciousness and bliss.
Saints and mystics have been able to realize God within themselves and have shared their knowledge with humanity. They tell us that God is an ocean of light, all love and consciousness. The soul is drop of His essence. Each of us is actually a drop of this blissful awareness. It is only when we identify with our real self that we become moving drops of bliss on earth.
The way to tap into this pool is simple. It is only a matter of our attention. We can direct our attention wherever we wish. We can place it on our body. We can focus it on our mind. Or we can concentrate our attention on our soul. Instruction in how to place our attention on our soul is domain of spiritual teachers. This process of concentration or focusing our attention is popularly known as Meditation. Meditation is focusing one’s attention at the seat of the soul located between and behind the two eyebrows.
If we can stop putting our attention on our outer eyes and ears for a while and concentrate at the seat of soul, we will tap into the source of happiness and bliss Spending two hour concentrating on the eye focus each day will help our attention withdraw from the body. Generally, the sensory currents give us sensation in the body. It is the sensory currents which make us aware of the hearing, smell, taste and touch. It is through the senses that we can see beautiful sights, hearing pleasing sounds, smelling sweet fragrances eating delicious foods and having pleasurable sensation through the sense of touch. If we withdraw our sensory currents from the outside world and collect them at the eye focus, a vista of Divine Light and Celestial Sound opens for us. We witness the light and Sound which emanated from God at the dawn of creation Like a current, this stream flows out from God and returns to Him. When our soul comes in contact with this stream, it can travel back By meditation, the soul begins its voyage to the ultimate source of happiness. We are all conscious, all bliss and in a perpetual state of happiness. Our worldly desires become more trifles when we experience the astounding joy within. Those who learn to meditate can switch their attention to the source of happiness even in the midst of sorrow. True, they still undergo the outer pains and sorrows of life, but they do not affect them. The ecstasy we experience within fill us with happiness and we are able to overcome problems. As we meditate and come in contact with the source of love within, we begin to spread it to others. We will be always in tune with the happiness within and will radiate it to all who come in contact with us. This leads to expansion of self and one becomes a true citizen of the world with cosmopolitan outlook on life.