The Pursuit of Happiness has been the chief motivating force for all human activity ever since civilizations evolved, so much so, that this has been enshrined in the very Preamble of the American Constitution along with Equality and Liberty.
Isn't this strange then that this most important, most cherished ideal of human life remains most elusive as well?
Did Michael Jackson die (or, lived for that matter) a happy man? He had all - talent, wealth, fame, power - a human being could aspire for.
There are numerous, well-known, well documented examples of the extremely rich and famous people all over the world who were/are perhaps the most unhappy also. Thus it is certain beyond doubt that money, power, wealth, fame etc. - the worldly riches - are not sufficient guarantee for ensuring lasting happiness. All these can provide, at best, is transient happiness.
In the present day world almost the entire mankind appears to be chasing a mirage called "happiness", accumulating more and more sorrow and misery in the process. What is the reason behind this paradox? Why do most of us never achieve lasting happiness?
The fact of the matter is that our thinking is not profound and mature enough to understand what real and lasting happiness is. We fail to understand that in this world of dichotomy, every positive has a negative, every action has a reaction and everything has its opposite. Likewise, every quest for happiness has sorrow as the other side of the coin. When we seek happiness, we are inadvertently seeking sorrow also. Both will come as a package. More often than not, worldly riches, which are accomplished to ensure our happiness, end up inviting more sorrow.
All through our lives we keep on acquiring worldly objects to make ourselves happy. We try making more and more money through our chosen occupation, acquiring more and more wealth, fame, power and a host of worldly assets like cars, bungalows, bank balances, ranches, yachts, jets, island/beach properties/mansions and what not. We seem to think that money and everything it can buy, is necessary and sufficient to ensure our happiness. But do we ever get lasting happiness?
Every material acquisition is just an illusion of happiness, no more. Once the acquired object is a few days or weeks or may be months old, happiness associated with it is gone, replaced by indifference, anxiety, concerns of maintenance, loss, damage, theft, safety, security and a host of associated problems. Thus worldly riches and acquisitions may be, if at all, accessories to our happiness, but these can never be the real and lasting happiness. They can, at best, provide a sense of worldly comfort and material well-being, which we mistake for happiness.
To achieve lasting happiness, we have to look beyond material acquisitions - to spirituality. Real pure, and lasting happiness is indeed a state of mind and not a physical phenomenon. That state of mind which helps it perceive and derive happiness from any and every object, event, and situation around us, is not achievable through material riches. It lies in the realm of Atman (the Soul), which lies dormant when the person is on an acquisition spree in the physical and material world.
It is only through spirituality that the soul can be activated and empowered. When the soul is fully risen and in command, our urge to identify (false & transient) happiness with physical and material objects gets curbed and the mind is able to discern between true & false and between permanence & transience.
Samarpan Meditation (SM), propounded by H.H. Shree Shivkrupa Nand Swami, based at Dandi in Gujarat, India, is a unique and simple way of rejuvenating the soul and finding lasting happiness.
For more information on the subject, please visit http://www.samarpanmeditation.org.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ashwani_Chowdhry
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