Happiness and what we should really be asking for.
One of the posts on facebook by Eknath Easwaran's page said this recently on facebook:
Happiness has nothing to do with having two cars in the garage, or a terraced swimming pool, or the latest dress from Paris.
"Happiness lies within us, and the more desires we have for this and that, the less happy we are going to be.
"Nothing we can buy, nothing we can own can ever fill the aching void within us, and the restlessness of modern living is really a signal from the Lord that it is time to turn inwards and find the source of all joy, wisdom, and security in our own hearts."
- Eknath Easwaran, from "Like a Thousand Suns", volume 2 of "The Bhagavad Gita for Daily Living"
I realized this every time I've been miserable in America, driving a car I never dared dream I'd drive, driving super bikes I never dared dreamed I would own, talking on the most advanced cell phone I never dreamed I'd be talking on, comfortable in perfectly calibrated temperatures, perfect in health, with not a single mosquito to disturb my thoughts, driving through the most beautiful vistas of America, through snow falling from the skies which made everything around you look divine.
Who would've thought I would be miserable, really miserably deep down in such an external environment. At that point, it didn't matter what the external environment was like.
But something, somewhere deep inside me observed this phenomena, this contrast between my external environment and my internal environment during that time. But didn't know what it meant at that time, I was just aware of the dichotomy, I didn't know what to make of it.. You see I wasn't into spiritual philosophy.
But the wisdom of our ancient Rishi's through my guru, and through the books of writers like Eknath Easwaran, now I know what it meant.
One thing I've realized in my mind for a fact: The next iPhone, the next Audi RS-7, the next million dollar Home are but mere pleasure points. Not Happiness. This "next" is only taking us from one pleasure point to another is it not?
I dont know about you, but, when I wanted to get the iPhone, (ppl who know me, know i am an Indian Jew--Stingy), I ruminated over it for weeks, it was the only thing on my mind.... I got it, and within a few days, I was like.... meeehhh...
Wasn't michael Jackson miserable all his life. Was his life not clear as to how you can be worth hundreds of millions of dollars, be adulated beyond human imagination, more than any human ever was adulated ever in the history of mankind and yet be miserable throughout his life??
The list of rich and famous or no famous miserable people can fill books, just by writing down the names.
Even Ross Perot, in his autobiography challenges us to go stand in the lobby of a seven star hotel and observer the faces of the people who visit there to see if any one of them looks happy. If any one of them is peaceful on their faces. He is tells you, almost everyone there is miserable. Because everyone is worried and looking for the next thing to light up their pleasure zones( well i put it in my own words.)
Is it not like that for EVERYTHING.... lets be honest.
Its a matter of my heart now getting it completely. That is the difficult part. They day I make my heart realize its own stupidity, and listen to my mind, my intellect completely. That day I would be happy forever.
And that is the idea of mind control through meditation, pooja, dhyana, immersion in bhakti.
You see in the Sanatana Dharma, traditionally, our guru's recommend us to pray to the Almighty for only two things; yes ONLY two things, (coz the divine knows what is right for us and what to give us per our karma; different discussion)
1. anayasena maranam (అనాయాసేన మరణం )
2. Vina Dainyena Jeevitam (వినా దైన్యెన జీవితం )
Let me explain:
Anayasena Maranam:
There is a mantra in Sanatana Dharma called the "Mrityunjaya" mantra, or the mantra that can win over death; But if you listen to it carefully and understand the meaning of this mantra, no where does it actually say, that my body should never die. no where does it ask for immortality.
What it does ask for is, O Trayambaka (lord Siva) when the time comes for me to die, I want my soul to leave my body, as easily as the end of a cucumber slices out of the main body when it is sliced with a knife. Smooth!
I went to the doc recently to get a shot and a blood test on the sameday !!!! And my GOD, to have a syringe in side my veins is painful. I hated it. Then it reminded me of all the old people who live on and on and on with medical support and suffer through syringes all over their body to keep them alive. I am abt 30 right now and healthy as a stud, and I know at this steady age and health, I cannot handle one syringe in my body except for those few seconds. I can only imagine the hell old people go through, when their bodies are weak and incapable of handing pain relative to someone like me.
And not syringes, this is true about every thing old people have to suffer through in old age related to ageing bodies. Its hell on earth. వృద్ధాప్యము భయంకరము .
So going back to the meaning of the mantra, would I not want to die in a second, in perfect health, in my sleep when I get old, without troubling my children, my family to having to take care of me and becoming a pain in their lives as well? And that is what we pray for: Anayasena maranam.
Vina Dainyena Jeevitham: :
What we should ask for is, as long as I am alive, please let me have the dignity to be able to live a life where I do not have to go beg for credit for help monetarily from other people. Let there be enough when I truly need it in my life.
How profound is that? No matter how much money one accumulates through one's life, if it doesn't come to your rescue when you need it, what is the use of it? Its use is only when it comes to your rescue when you truly need it, have you not known cases where profoundly rich people, cannot access liquid cash in the times of need and have to go ask for favors from others? I have. And by asking this, we compel the divine to ensure, the universe/divine provides us with what we need, when we need it.
As long as those two are ensured in our lives, is it not enough to seek happiness? Does happiness really lie in pleasure zone amplifying expensive inanimate, soul less toys?
One last thing I want to mention on the same topic is, what is the blessing our elders traditionally give in the Sanatana Dharma:
They NEVER can or should bless you, saying, you will not face any troubles. That is an impossibility. I doubt any one can argue that. Even the richest man in the world will face trouble. Will face tragedy. will face situations in life that money cannot control but bring extreme sorrow.
And having understood the reality of trouble which is unavoidable due to law of karma depending on one's karma ( a larger topic of discussion), out elders in the Sanatana Dhaarma bless us with the following:
May the Lord give you the strength to face your troubles without losing hope/without giving up.
Again, I ask, is that not enough? Is that strength not enough?
Hats off to the brilliant psychologists of ancient India. Our Rishis.
Think.
Updates of Depressed Contemporary Millionaires:
Here is the latest proof from Jim Carey...yes the guy from Mask!
Jim Carey
Here is one of the most successful actresses from India of all time, Deepika Padukone. Notice the timing of her depression.
Deepika Padukone
Here is the greatest most awarded swimmer of all time, notice the timing of his depression.
Michael Phelps
Here is
Wil Wheaton's Blog Post on how accomplished yet depressed he is.
Happiness has nothing to do with having two cars in the garage, or a terraced swimming pool, or the latest dress from Paris.
"Happiness lies within us, and the more desires we have for this and that, the less happy we are going to be.
"Nothing we can buy, nothing we can own can ever fill the aching void within us, and the restlessness of modern living is really a signal from the Lord that it is time to turn inwards and find the source of all joy, wisdom, and security in our own hearts."
- Eknath Easwaran, from "Like a Thousand Suns", volume 2 of "The Bhagavad Gita for Daily Living"
I realized this every time I've been miserable in America, driving a car I never dared dream I'd drive, driving super bikes I never dared dreamed I would own, talking on the most advanced cell phone I never dreamed I'd be talking on, comfortable in perfectly calibrated temperatures, perfect in health, with not a single mosquito to disturb my thoughts, driving through the most beautiful vistas of America, through snow falling from the skies which made everything around you look divine.
Who would've thought I would be miserable, really miserably deep down in such an external environment. At that point, it didn't matter what the external environment was like.
But something, somewhere deep inside me observed this phenomena, this contrast between my external environment and my internal environment during that time. But didn't know what it meant at that time, I was just aware of the dichotomy, I didn't know what to make of it.. You see I wasn't into spiritual philosophy.
But the wisdom of our ancient Rishi's through my guru, and through the books of writers like Eknath Easwaran, now I know what it meant.
One thing I've realized in my mind for a fact: The next iPhone, the next Audi RS-7, the next million dollar Home are but mere pleasure points. Not Happiness. This "next" is only taking us from one pleasure point to another is it not?
I dont know about you, but, when I wanted to get the iPhone, (ppl who know me, know i am an Indian Jew--Stingy), I ruminated over it for weeks, it was the only thing on my mind.... I got it, and within a few days, I was like.... meeehhh...
Wasn't michael Jackson miserable all his life. Was his life not clear as to how you can be worth hundreds of millions of dollars, be adulated beyond human imagination, more than any human ever was adulated ever in the history of mankind and yet be miserable throughout his life??
The list of rich and famous or no famous miserable people can fill books, just by writing down the names.
Even Ross Perot, in his autobiography challenges us to go stand in the lobby of a seven star hotel and observer the faces of the people who visit there to see if any one of them looks happy. If any one of them is peaceful on their faces. He is tells you, almost everyone there is miserable. Because everyone is worried and looking for the next thing to light up their pleasure zones( well i put it in my own words.)
Is it not like that for EVERYTHING.... lets be honest.
Its a matter of my heart now getting it completely. That is the difficult part. They day I make my heart realize its own stupidity, and listen to my mind, my intellect completely. That day I would be happy forever.
And that is the idea of mind control through meditation, pooja, dhyana, immersion in bhakti.
You see in the Sanatana Dharma, traditionally, our guru's recommend us to pray to the Almighty for only two things; yes ONLY two things, (coz the divine knows what is right for us and what to give us per our karma; different discussion)
1. anayasena maranam (అనాయాసేన మరణం )
2. Vina Dainyena Jeevitam (వినా దైన్యెన జీవితం )
Let me explain:
Anayasena Maranam:
There is a mantra in Sanatana Dharma called the "Mrityunjaya" mantra, or the mantra that can win over death; But if you listen to it carefully and understand the meaning of this mantra, no where does it actually say, that my body should never die. no where does it ask for immortality.
What it does ask for is, O Trayambaka (lord Siva) when the time comes for me to die, I want my soul to leave my body, as easily as the end of a cucumber slices out of the main body when it is sliced with a knife. Smooth!
I went to the doc recently to get a shot and a blood test on the sameday !!!! And my GOD, to have a syringe in side my veins is painful. I hated it. Then it reminded me of all the old people who live on and on and on with medical support and suffer through syringes all over their body to keep them alive. I am abt 30 right now and healthy as a stud, and I know at this steady age and health, I cannot handle one syringe in my body except for those few seconds. I can only imagine the hell old people go through, when their bodies are weak and incapable of handing pain relative to someone like me.
And not syringes, this is true about every thing old people have to suffer through in old age related to ageing bodies. Its hell on earth. వృద్ధాప్యము భయంకరము .
So going back to the meaning of the mantra, would I not want to die in a second, in perfect health, in my sleep when I get old, without troubling my children, my family to having to take care of me and becoming a pain in their lives as well? And that is what we pray for: Anayasena maranam.
Vina Dainyena Jeevitham: :
What we should ask for is, as long as I am alive, please let me have the dignity to be able to live a life where I do not have to go beg for credit for help monetarily from other people. Let there be enough when I truly need it in my life.
How profound is that? No matter how much money one accumulates through one's life, if it doesn't come to your rescue when you need it, what is the use of it? Its use is only when it comes to your rescue when you truly need it, have you not known cases where profoundly rich people, cannot access liquid cash in the times of need and have to go ask for favors from others? I have. And by asking this, we compel the divine to ensure, the universe/divine provides us with what we need, when we need it.
As long as those two are ensured in our lives, is it not enough to seek happiness? Does happiness really lie in pleasure zone amplifying expensive inanimate, soul less toys?
One last thing I want to mention on the same topic is, what is the blessing our elders traditionally give in the Sanatana Dharma:
They NEVER can or should bless you, saying, you will not face any troubles. That is an impossibility. I doubt any one can argue that. Even the richest man in the world will face trouble. Will face tragedy. will face situations in life that money cannot control but bring extreme sorrow.
And having understood the reality of trouble which is unavoidable due to law of karma depending on one's karma ( a larger topic of discussion), out elders in the Sanatana Dhaarma bless us with the following:
May the Lord give you the strength to face your troubles without losing hope/without giving up.
Again, I ask, is that not enough? Is that strength not enough?
Hats off to the brilliant psychologists of ancient India. Our Rishis.
Think.
Updates of Depressed Contemporary Millionaires:
Here is the latest proof from Jim Carey...yes the guy from Mask!
Jim Carey
Here is one of the most successful actresses from India of all time, Deepika Padukone. Notice the timing of her depression.
Deepika Padukone
Here is the greatest most awarded swimmer of all time, notice the timing of his depression.
Michael Phelps
Here is
Wil Wheaton's Blog Post on how accomplished yet depressed he is.
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