Answers to some questions have such far-reaching implications, they fundamentally change the way we live and, consequently, the world around us. With incisive analysis and methodical reasoning, Swami Swaroopananda pulls back the layers to reveal, in the simplest terms possible, the amazing reality at the heart of our existence and the corresponding potential this holds out to each and every one of us, in the book ‘Who/What am I’. In this blog we look at one such important question – ‘Where to look for Happiness?’

If we owned a precious, priceless object, where would we hide it? There is an interesting story about an accomplished thief who tailed a wealthy old man into the first-class compartment of a train for a three-day-long journey. Every evening, while the robber pretended to sleep, the elderly man would pull out and count his money, then put the notes back into a bulging purse, go to the bathroom, return, lie down and proceed to sleep soundly. Later, under cover of darkness, the thief would get up and rummage through the rich man’s luggage. 

Each time, he searched and searched, but failed to find the money anywhere. After three nights, before exiting the train, the rich man looked at the exhausted thief and said, “Young man, you have not slept for three days. Now go home and rest.” “You knew what I was after?” the thief cried. “Yes, of course!” “Please”, implored the thief. “Tell me the secret. Where did you hide the purse? I looked for it everywhere!” The rich man smiled and said, “One has to hide things in the right place – that’s the secret. I hid my money under your pillow.”

There is a certain wisdom in the story above. Not that we are thieves – even metaphorically, much less literally–but like the character desirous of something and looking for it ‘outside’, we live mostly unaware that true wealth is already with us, in us. What is the most precious thing in this world? Who is the most precious person in this world? Some will say, “God”; others will say, “My child”. But do these replies have any meaning without you in the picture? Indeed, who else can be dearest to you? Everybody is dearest to themselves only. We try to learn about everything in the universe, but how much do we know about ourselves? Thus, having experienced the entire world and tasted success, certain great thinkers began to enquire about the purpose of life: 

What am I doing here in this world? Why am I here? What am I living for? Where is Happiness, Really?

The bottom line is: in everything that we do, in all our efforts, we seek only happiness. Then, why are we miserable? People dream of retirement, of going on cruises and playing golf as often as they like. But after retirement, they ‘retire’ themselves – they just cannot stop. Why are we so compelled into action? Why do we want so many things in life? And even after gaining all those things, we are still not happy! We must realise that the happiness we seek is not in things. 

Our illustrious ṛṣis recognized that there can never be permanent happiness in this ever-changing, logic is that impermanent things cannot offer anything lasting. The mind, deluded by its own likes and dislikes, constantly craves enjoyment through objects and beings, in the false hope of gaining happiness from them. This extrovert mind is constantly tāmasic or rājasic. However, enquiry begins in a relatively sāttvic mind. 

Through this, we try to understand the objective of our actions… What are we doing? Why are we driven to act? What is the goal of life?… It is then that we concede all our actions are for happiness; everything we do is for peace; all we want is love. Let us enquire: Are the joys of the world, really in the world? If happiness resided in objects, then every object should give happiness and the same quantum of happiness to everyone at that. 

For example, a person thinks he or she gets joy from eating chocolate. But upon his or her becoming diabetic, the same chocolate becomes a cause of pain and suffering! Hence, if happiness were the fundamental nature of objects, they should be able to give us happiness at all times – just as sugar, the nature of which is sweetness, is sweet at all times. Clearly, happiness is not the nature of objects. Yet we live under the illusion that we can become happy when we obtain the desired object. 

This is the root cause of our confusion and misery. In actual fact, whenever we desire something, the mind gets agitated and we experience sorrow. When we acquire the desired object, the is in that quiet, unruffled mind that we experience the reflection of Bliss, which we recognise as a feeling of joy and satisfaction.

Reference: Who/ What Am I by Swami Swaroopananda