Happiness, I now truly know, is an attitude. This attitude
is born in a free mind, and allows one to live more effectively. Freedom, in
turn, is a direct function of one’s ability to think, their commitment to
spirituality (which is not the same as religion), and the intensity of desire
to be self-aware.
What do I mean by the ability to think? Beyond clichés there
is thought: the genuine, actual ability of human mind to create an idea and
express a first-hand opinion. This is, however, hard work for both hard pressed
and ignorant alike. One group is caught in the perpetual struggle to survive
and make it through each day, wondering if there is an end to this winding
road. The other is simply unaware, sleep walking through life. And both are, in
ways, enslaved by their fears and prejudices. Bounded by what they know and
what they don’t know, stuck in the middle of nowhere.
What does thinking do? It simply opens doors and aids the
process of self-awareness. It is one of the key initial tools towards the path
of self-realisation. Humans rule this planet due to their ability to think, and
they can become self-aware because they can think. Thinking is, however, a two
edged sword that needs the guiding hand of spirituality. Spirituality leads thought to freedom and not self-destruction.
But what is spirituality? For me, being a good human being
is the essence of spirituality. Practices that reduce stress without harming
your health, hence allowing you to be a better and more effective human, are
spiritual practices. Vedic breathing techniques (pranayama, Sudarshan Kriya)
and yoga are potent spiritual practices that I have experienced first-hand.
There may be other techniques, but I am not aware about them.
Finally, one needs self-awareness to be truly happy. Without
self-awareness even spirituality can give a false sense of accomplishment, ego,
superiority complex, and illusion of control.
What is self-awareness? For me, self-awareness consists of
understanding one’s conscious self, learning from mistakes, learning the art of
handling the mind, and taking conscious decisions. Art of Living teaches
various techniques to aid this process, though I am sure there will be other
schools teaching similar things. To start on the path of self-awareness,
however, one needs some initial amount of thinking and the realisation that self-awareness
is of paramount importance.
At some point of my life I believed that we also need sufficient
money and good relationships to be truly free. From my experience, I have
learned that pursuit of money can as easily bring in more unhappiness to the
one who does not make an effort to become self-aware. It is the same story with
relationships. As Sri Sri says, to meet your soul mate you first need to first meet
your soul. All in all, without the self-awareness that emanates from
spirituality and first-hand thinking, everything in this world will ultimately
lead to sorrow.
