By Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
Once there was a congregation of fish, who got together to discuss who among them had seen the ocean. None of them could say they had actually seen the ocean. Then one fish said, ‘‘I think my great-grandfather had seen the ocean!’’ A second fish said, ‘‘Yes, yes, I have also heard about this.’’ A third fish said, ‘‘Yes, certainly, his great-grandfather had seen the ocean.’’
So, they built a huge temple and made a statue of the great-grandfather of that particular fish, saying, “He had seen the ocean. He had been connected with the ocean.’’ In life, our search for happiness is like that.
You wait for happiness to arrive at your doorstep. Instead of preparing to be happy, be happy now and resolve to remain naturally happy. God is trying his best to see you happy. But God only helps those who help themselves. So everyday make a resolution. ‘Today, I am just going to be happy come what may. I will not let anything disturb my happiness. I am going to be contended, happy.’
Even happiness is a habit, as is sadness. Surprisingly, some people cultivate a habit of being miserable. Putting on a long face and noticing only the negative aspects of everyday life, they would only focus on what doesn’t work. Then their mind gets used to those patterns, and eventually misery becomes a need for them.
Maharishi Patanjali, propounder of Yoga Sutras, says Santosha or contentment and happiness must be cultivated, like cleanliness. It is something that needs practice.
Mental hygiene is what meditation is all about. So meditating for a few minutes keeps your slate clean to write new things.
When people are stuck in ‘I…Me…Mine’ (meaning one’s personal desires or material gains), they distance themselves from happiness. People attached to wealth and fame can never be happy.
Take a few minutes and reflect on the impact of desires in your life and how they have put you through a roller coaster. It is your desire, your wish, which has compelled you to do things that you never wanted to do; it has muddled your feelings in so many unimaginable ways; and it has triggered host of negative emotions like anger, jealousy, greed and frustration in you. Behind all those emotions that you never wanted to have in your life, there is desire. Behind your sadness, there is desire.
To come out of this cycle of misery what can you do?
Once, a wise teacher drew a line on a board and asked his students to make the line shorter without touching or erasing it. A student had the answer. He drew a much longer line underneath that line. So, the line drawn by the teacher automatically became shorter.
Similarly, look at the world – there are greater and bigger problems than ones that exist in your life, then yours will appear smaller. The moment you realize your problems are insignificant, you will get the energy and confidence to deal with them or solve them. Do you want to know how to go one step further?
Focus your energy on something that you find useful. To me, the most meaningful thing is bringing happiness to the lives of people, instead of running after happiness.
Dedicate your life to a larger goal. Serve those who are in greater need. Then you will find that only happiness flows through your life.
Emotional hygiene is just as important as mental hygiene for happiness. Even if you want to get angry, get angry about something fresh. Don’t dig up something that happened 10 years ago, or 15 years ago. It is okay to show anger sometimes, but it should last for no longer than a line drawn in water.
When the storms of emotions come, be solid and centered like a rock. Know that they are not who you are, they cannot cause any harm to you. Your nature is joy, bliss and peace.
