''Happiness is when
what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.
''Mahatma Gandhi
According to yoga philosophy,
our essential nature is not body, nor mind, but being, and
being is inherently joyful.
This is why some
people, even in the most terrible of circumstances, feel joy,
because they’re connecting with the natural joy of
being.
This being, our source of happiness,
is inside of us, is us. Because of this, looking outside of
ourselves for happiness is like the sun looking into space for
light.
Because happiness comes from inside, if we look
for it outside, we don’t find it.
"That's not true", you might
be thinking. "I felt happy when I hugged my
daughter." Yes, true, and that happiness came from inside of
you.
Our brains allow us bits and
scraps of happiness here and there in certain conditions, and there
is a vast ocean of joy within us that we normally do not sense in
relation to experiences in the world.
The whole spiritual
science of yoga is aimed at achieving an ongoing direct experience
of being, and of accessing that ocean of
joy.
The joy is within us,
like a buried treasure, hidden under personality, beliefs, habits,
and emotions. If somehow we can clear all the stuff that's
covering the treasure, we can experience it.
Meditation is a
key to open the locked door. It will show you how are blocking
happiness, and you can begin letting go of the obstacles. It
will also take you deep into the mind, beneath the obstacles, like
one would dig for treasure, where you may begin to sense the joy of
being. If you would begin a regular meditation practice,
you can begin learning how to find happiness inside.
When you find the
inner-source of happiness, you'll still be able to enjoy the world
although you'll be less caught up in it. You'll be less
desperate for things to work out because you'll know where joy comes
from. As this happens, your life will become softer, gentler,
and happier.
