HAPPINESS
Happiness is a word referring to a state of inner being. It is not transitory. Being happy is a state of external, momentary being. True happiness comes from inside a person. Our teacher, Sardeshmukh Maharaj gave a delightful parable one day on the home of happiness, and I quote:
“Where is the home of happiness for a three-month-old child?
Answer: His mother, the source of comfort and sustenance
Where is the home of happiness when the child grows into a toddler?
Answer: His home, his relatives and some material things such as toys, chocolates, etc.
Where is the home of happiness when the child reaches the age of five or six?
Answer: His school and children in the school, school activities, games, play and food.
Where is the home of happiness when the child reaches seven or eight?
Answer: In the study of books, discipline, excursions.
At twelve the child goes to high school. Where then is the home of happiness?
Answer: In serious study, in achieving good marks, in following outstanding teachers and in the ambition to be a great person.
At eighteen, the young man goes on to university and higher education. Where is the home of happiness?
Answer: In studying specialised subjects with the expectation of name, fame, honour and money by his special efforts.
At twenty-one, the young man has completed his studies. Where then is the home of happiness?
Answer: In obtaining a good job, in owning material things: in acquiring a his own place.
When the young man reaches the age of twenty-four or five where is the home of happiness?
Answer: In finding a wife, a wonderful woman with whom he can share his married life. Hence his happiness is in marriage.
What happens when the young man reaches the age of twenty-eight or so?
Now he wants a child in the house and by the grace of God, he and his wife are blessed with a child. They share the happiness of their child’s growth, his birthday celebrations and so on.
See how the focus of happiness has shifted during the man’s life. One day, the man works happily in his office. He receives a phone call from home. Tragedy starts. When he receives the phone call, he runs to his house. Just as he was leaving the building someone thrust a telegram into his hand saying the man had just won first prize in the lottery. Only the other day the man had wanted some extra money for a special project – now this happy news was of little consequence to him. He races towards his home, crumpling the telegram into his shirt pocket.
When at last he reached his home, he saw to his horror that his house and all his worldly goods were going up in flames. On running up to his wife, he discovered the worst was still to come: his child was caught in the fire.
In desperation, the man and his wife offered the onlookers all their money if they wanted to rescue the child. Why didn’t the parents themselves rescue the child?
The bitter truth was that they considered their own lives, and bodies were more precious to them than that of their child.
But is the real happiness in one’s body. Different people may have certain parts of their body missing but are still happy.
When a man has chronic pain, he prays to God to release him from his body, so this proves the body is not the source of happiness.
Where then is the home of happiness?
Answer: True happiness lies within: It is not on the outside. We do not need to run after happiness here and there. It does not belong in any part of the world. Happiness lies within our souls. As we open our souls to inner peace, we find true happiness at last. We find true happiness from within, the universal happiness and eternal peace of God.”
To feel the sense of peace is to create roots of happiness.
Sweet night of dreams;
what friend are you
the messenger,
or the piper who calls
my awakening to the
sweet dawn of happiness?
from Sweet Night of Dreams, Collector of Words Bk2
Kelvin Brown
Peace is echoed
by happiness from Echo, Collector of Words Bk1
Kelvin Brown
Peace and Happiness
Kelvin S Brown
Happiness
Salute the skies.
Salute the warmth of sun.
Salute the kiss of moonlight.
Salute the earth in your hands.
Salute the garden of beauty.
Salute all creation.
Salute the soft temple bell.
Salute the suffering of need.
Salute the peace of refuge.
Salute the teachers of peace.
Salute the dawn of your beginning.
Salute the light of inner presence
Salute the smile you are.
Salute the love of your heart.
Salute eternal presence.
© K.S. Brown 2/9/2024
