Guest guest Posted September 17, 2002 Report Share Posted September 17, 2002 Happiness is our real nature. That happiness does not depend on our possessions or achievements. Existence is the same as happiness and happiness is the same as being. That which is called happiness alone exists. Knowing that fact and abiding in that state of Self enjoy bliss eternally. Perfect bliss is the absolute. Perfect peace is the Self. That alone exists and is consciousness. Self is not other than perfect happiness. That which is called happiness is only the nature of Self. One's own reality, which shines within everyone as the heart is itself the ocean of unalloyed bliss. Hari Aum !!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 20, 2002 Report Share Posted September 20, 2002 Dear SVCS, Thank you for posting this beautiful message. If happines is our true nature, why do we humans feel so unhappy most of the time? Do we forget how to be truely happy, or is it something we have to learn? Can we be truely happy here on Earth? Is happiness something we must practice, or does our sadhna lead to happiness? Anxiously awaiting... With love, Erica , s_v_c_s <no_reply> wrote: > Happiness is our real nature. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 22, 2002 Report Share Posted September 22, 2002 There was once a man who lost his beautiful ring on a dark night. Grief stricken on losing the ring he started to search for it frantically. A passer by on seeing the pitiable plight of this man enquired the matter. On learniing about his lost ring, he too joined the man in his search for the ring. Some time later, another man was passing by and he too enquired the matter. On learning what had happened, he asked, as to where exactly the man lost his ring. To this he pointed his finger to a nearby tree and said, 'There'. The passer by was aghast and exclaimed, 'What there? Then why are you searching here?" To this the man replied, 'Because, there is no light there. Here only there is a streetlamp, and I can see smething, so I am searching here". So too happiness is our true nature, but we humans feel unhappy most of the time, for we do not look for it in the place it belongs. Due to our extreme attachment to the external evanescent objects, we think them to be real, and seek for happiness in them, as it is easier to look outside rather than inside. We chase happiness in places they don't exist, and on not finding them, we get stricken with grief. If only for a moment we stood back and analysed what we are actually doing, and look inside ourselves rather than outside, we too will find everlasting happiness. There's another story that elucidates on how while forgetting one's nature, one assumes a different personality, and on realising one's true identity, the personality changes again. There was once a pregnant lioness which was escaping the cruel claws of a hunter. In its fright it delivered a baby cub behind the bushes, and ran out and was ultimately shot by the hunter. A farmer witnessing the entire episode felt sorry for the newborn cub, and in his kindess brought the cub home. He had a huge flock of goats, and started growing the lion cub along with the other goats. The cub grew with the goats, and thought itself to be a goat, and bleated like a goat. It ate grass, and behaved exactly like a goat. one day a lion came to the farm to hunt a goat. On seeing the lion, the goats ran in fright, and alng with the goats, the lion cub too ran. Shocked to see a lion cub run away from a lion, the lion sought the cub, and asked the cub,"Why are you running away?" The cub replied, 'Because you are a lion, and I'm a goat, and u'll eat me up." The lion cudn't believe its ears, and said," No you are not a goat, you are a lion. So I will not eat you." The cub was skeptical to what the lion was telling, as it thought it might be some kind of a trick to fool the cub into being a prey. Frustrated with the cub's disbelief, the lion dragged the cub to a nearby well, and asked the cub to look at its reflection in the water. It saidn "look at my reflection, and now look at yours. Don't we look alike? So now do you believe that you are a lion?" The cub nodded and was happy to discover that it was a lion, and immediately it roared like a lion. So too we are all Divine by nature, and our eternally happy. But owing to our false identification to this body, we forget our true nature, and chase fleeting pleasure thinking to find happiness in them. Just like how the cub thought it was a goat, and bleated and ate grass like a goat, so too we identify ourselves with this body, and perform all actions to gratify the senses/mind. The lion that came and pointed out the true identity is our Guru. All along the cub had been a cub, but owing to its false identification it was stricken with fear for lions. But on realising its identity, there was no more fear. So too, identifying with this body, we are grief stricken, but thro' rigorous sadhna, if we identify our true identity, we have no more sorrows or grief. Realising our Self is not a transformation, for we are the 'Self' all along. It's only the misidentifcation that is being removed. It's like searching for the ring in the place where it was lost rather than in a place that is convenient. Thus if we dive within ourselves and find our lost identity, through sadhna we'll surely find happiness. >>Can we be truely happy here on Earth? << Once the misidentification is lost, it doesn't matter where one is, one will always be happy. The one who has found his identity and still retains his body is called a 'Jivan Mukta', and the one who has cast off his body is called a 'Videha Mukta'. Hari Aum !!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 26, 2002 Report Share Posted September 26, 2002 Subject Re: What is Happiness? Dear Devotees, Radhe Radhe !!! A seeker has written with the question about the nature of happiness. Thus, a brief description follows - Real happiness exists in the divine realm of Shree Lord Krishna. This happiness which is real happiness is called divine happiness. The happiness which we experience in the world is known as worldly happiness. Divine happiness and worldly happiness are two completely different things. Never think that they are simply a single reality with different characteristics. Divine happiness is big to begin with. It is defined as, "yo vai bhuumaa, tat sukham". In other words, divine happiness is very very big to begin with. The second quality of divine happiness is that it is, "pratiks.ana vardhamaanam". In other words, divine happiness is increasing at every single second. Divine happiness is always happiness, unmitigated by any sorrow. It is pure, deep and wondrous. Let us look then at the happiness of our experience. This is called worldly happiness and it is a completely different energy than divine happiness. Will they happiness is small to begin with. It is, "pratiks.ana ghatamaanam". In other words, it is decreasing at every moment. Real experience of this fact is available to each of us. Just eat a rasgulla. Ah! What joy. Now have a second, a third, a fourth. The joy in the fourth rasgulla is very much less than that joy that we experienced in the first rasgulla. Now eat some more. By the seventh rasgulla, you will notice displeasure, and by the 10th rasgulla, you will notice sorrow. Here we can really see the difference between divine happiness and worldly happiness. The divine happiness has no transformational value. Yet worldly happiness can then does change into sorrow. Or it may simply disappear. Take the example of the couple who experience such great worldly happiness at the time of their marriage. But 50 years later, where has that happiness gone? Worldly happiness is being conditioned by an external worldly factors. We are spirit soul, a part of God. Therefore it is our nature to experience unconditioned happiness, but we have become contaminated by matter. Thus we are experiencing only temporary worldly happiness. To experience worldly happiness means that we are experiencing unhappiness also. There is absolutely no doubt in this. The ancient sages have gone so far as to declare, "kutraa'pi ko'pi sukhi tadapi dukhashabalamiti dukhapaks.e niks.opanti vivecakaah.". Wherever you see someone who is experiencing even very great worldly happiness you can know that 100 percent for sure, that person is also experiencing unhappiness. This is because unhappiness is hidden within worldly happiness always. In other words, a worldly happiness may be defined as a combination of happiness and distress. Why then do we perpetually strive after worldly happiness? The answer is this, that we do not believe in real happiness. We do not believe that real happiness exists. If we believe that real happiness exists, then why would we be striving day and night to attain worldly happiness? For there is unhappiness inherent in that attainment. This is not an intelligent thing to do. We should be striving after real happiness, but we do not believe in real happiness. This is a crux of the problem. "Raso vai sah". Please meditate on this. The Veda declares that the real happiness, the divine happiness, for which our soul is craving, is none other than the supreme Lord Krishna. The Holy Veda is declaring, "God is happiness." Thus, our problem is that we do not believe in real happiness, which is to say that we do not believe in God. For to believe in God is to believe in real happiness. The first step on the real path of spirituality requires true faith. Faith, faith in Lord Krishna, faith in real happiness, this is essential for the aspirants. Never underestimate the importance of the topics discussed here. Good Lord Krishna declares, "na hi kashcit ks.anam api jatu tishthati akarma krit." Every person is engaged in action at each and every second. Further, the Veda declares, "prayojanam anuddishya mando'pi na vartate." Every action of every person is done for a purpose. That is each action has a cause. In a world where every leaf, every blade of grass is unique, it is wondrous that each action of each person is done for only one purpose, the attainment of happiness. Examine your actions and your motives and you will find this to be true. It is most important then that we begin to act with greater consciousness. This means that we have a choice. Instead of acting only for our happiness, we must realize that we can dedicate our actions either for the attainments of worldly happiness or for the attainment of divine happiness, real happiness. Offering each action to the lotus feet of the supreme Lord will be a great help. Even breathing is action. How can we offer even our breath to the supreme Lord? By taking the name of the Lord in each breath. Ultimately, it is your love that will take you to the lotus feet of Lord Krishna. Bhakti means love. Bhakti is the greatest power of all. As with any power however, it must be utilized properly to have proper effect. When you practice bhakti with the world, the result is worldly happiness. This means you will attain sorrow. When you practice bhakti with the supreme Lord, the results are eternal and divine. Such an aspirant will rise above sorrow, and attain real happiness. Jaya Shree Radhe !!! Radhe Radhe !!! Swami Shreedharanandaji Sanyasi Pracarak and desciple of Sri Kripaluji Maharaj http://jkp.org/home/home.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 3, 2002 Report Share Posted October 3, 2002 Jaya Sri Radhey! Namaste all. Another article about 'Happiness' by Sushri Siddhesvari Didi ji is available on the web at the link: http://www.hinduismtoday.com/1999/3/1999-3-18.html MINISTER'S MESSAGE That New Car Won't Bring You Happiness The whole cosmos of beings is driven in a search for happiness that God alone fulfills Jaya Sri Radhey! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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