Of sorrow and happiness

As human beings, we all want to be happy. We search for happiness through various means. It would not be wrong to say that searching for happiness is our innate nature. Being happy is a state of the mind and a fundamental aspect of life. If we contemplate, we would realize that all our actions are aimed at achieving something in life so ourselves or others around us can be happy. We want to avoid anything unpleasant or a situation that might bring up unhappiness. Well, much has been written on dealing with sorrows, pain, and grief, but do we know how we should confront happiness!!!

You did very well in the exams and you are happy...! Then what!
Do you know how long will that happiness be retained.

We are all overjoyed at achieving any personal ambition or desire. But are we able to retain that happiness forever!!!


If happiness had been a secret potion, everyone would have tried to treasure it, store it somewhere, so that it did not get empty or we could use it some other daywhen we were unhappy. Unfortunately, we cannot preserve happiness that way.

Life is a journey of never-ending desires. Our desires and needs keep changing with time. An object that gives us happiness at one moment ceases to make us happy, the next moment.

We often realize that all the knowledge in the world cannot make us happy. Knowledge has no bounds. One cannot strive to be knowledgeable in all subjects. But one can be a master of his own chosen field. All the money in the world too cannot make one happy. You must have read about the story of  Midas, the King, who wanted gold so much that he even ended up turning his daughter into gold.

Life is unpredictable, with sorrow comes happiness, and success is often preceded by innumerable failures. And the fact that today you are happy does not guarantee future happiness. So what control does a person have over his/her life or mind?

We can only be happy in the current moment, being fully conscious that happiness and sorrow are two faces of life and they are sure to pass away. We can strive to remain rooted to the principles of morality, kindness, forgiveness, and charity. Through yoga, and meditation we can realize the self. This is when we can realize that fear, pain, jealousy, hatred, lust, or anger is controlling our behavior or rectifying it. We can strive to be adaptive to each situation in our lives, be it happiness or sorrow. It has been written that achieving material success and fame makes us arrogant, though it should not be that way. One should accept happiness with the realization that it is a passing phase.

We can pray that as God has given us these happy moments, he will give us the strength to bear our disappointments and grief with grace. We do not curse God when we are happy, so why should we lose faith in him, when we are faced with grief.

Situations such as financial troubles, loss of honor, the behavior of close family members or relatives, other people, or separation from a loved one can make us unhappy. It is quite difficult to overcome the caused by such situations. Some people who have seen many sorrowful moments might even say, I can't bear to be happy! I am afraid I will face sorrow later.

Striking a balance between happiness and sorrow is what has been called the Medieval path, by the great Gautam Buddha. One who can be balanced while being faced with a sorrowful situation or a joyful one is really the one whose inner self has been realized. This state can only be achieved by following the path of meditation. A true follower is one for whom whatever comes sorrow or grief, his faith in the Almighty does not waiver.

Remaining happy also means letting go of our desires - as unrealized desires cause suffering and pain.

In a span of twenty-four hours, we should set aside a period of time, when we are with ourselves. Just with ourselves...! Do not let your aim, ambitions, desires, or hopes trouble you for these moments.

In these moments, one needs to forget that you have to achieve a goal, or you have any problem that is stressing you. Just focus on breathing and exercising the body.

Goals, ambitions, desires, whether to earn money, fame, success, or love. Expectations to receive someone's love, praise, attention, affection, or regard. We work towards these ambitions, sometimes neglecting factors such as health and personal duties. All these cause stressful situations in the mind.

In times of happiness, we can also pledge to ourselves that as individuals, we would put in our best efforts for making the best use of the present situations, utilizing our capabilities to the fullest, for the benefit of our family, our surroundings, and for humanity as a whole.

It is also important to review our expectations and goals in personal life, from time to time. Taking little baby steps toward achieving our goals, will not create stress and will help us achieve them too.

Remaining in a state of eternal bliss is a heavenly quality, capable of only the divine. However, to know about it and strive for it should be our aim.