In Pursuit of Happiness


As we march on in this world, the pursuit of happiness has always been at the heart of everything we do. We chase the ice cream man through the streets, after having begged for some money to enjoy the ice lolly. Pure Joy! Or the elation as the birthday draws closer, new clothes, gifts and much more. Did I forget, cake? Ahh… Heaven!

Our pursuit of happiness has been tied to basically everything under the sun, except the one thing that matters most. Discontent, fear and loneliness continue to bare their fangs inspite of everything around us being calm and bright.  

What then stops us from achieving the eternal bliss that eludes us every time we reach it? Is it the deep rooted fear of losing it? Is it plain selfishness and desire? Or is it what the priests, swamis, and gurus say, the unsatiated thirst for more? Is there all that is to it?

I am enamoured by the story of the musk deer. I am sure that it is an oft heard story and one which has more to offer than all wisdom combined. It is said that the musk deer chases the enchanting scent all its life, it looks among trees, bushes and everywhere it can think of. Only when it nears its death, does it realise, that all that scent, that enchanting, maddening perfume, was in it the whole time! Yes. Musk is found in the navel of the musk deer in the highest Himalayan Hills of India.

Why do I call this story a gem of wisdom? Well, we have looked for the scent of happiness all around us, all about us, with all things, in all things. Yet, it has eluded us. Why? Because we could not find the one thing that mattered most to make us happy, Me!

Sounds selfish? Of course it does. It sounds like a narcissist talking about himself and loving himself. This classification should not hamper us from reaching out to the deeper recesses of our souls to find meaning to the larger questions of life, What makes me happy?

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Prem ka Intekal

Uski nazrein to kahin aur hai Ab hamara dard unko kya dikhega Mar bhi jayein hum agar Kafan bhi na odhane vo ayega Chalo ab ye gum bhi seh lete hain Zindagi ko vida kar chalte hai In aankhon ne dekha hai Tadap teri us insaan ke liye Kar nahi paaya mai kuchh teri qasam Dil ke haathon majboor the kiye Chale jaana chahtey they tumse door is kadar Ke nafrat me tum dekh , mujhe yaad na karo Kambhakkt yadein itni taazi hain aaj Tere har ghav ki, Pyaar me bas pagal hun,rahunga. Mit jaun aaj mai is qadar is dunuya se Koi hai nahi mera tere siva Tujhe to chahiye us bewafa ka saath Meraa pyaar kahaaan padega poora Faaslon ne mujhe har waqt tadpaaya Khush rehna tum oh meri jaan Teri yaadon me manzoor nahi rona Mil jaaon mai mitti me, qabar ho ya masaan
Read more

FOUR WALLS - 1

Image
Living for years in the solitude of my being, Listening to the jargon of my feud internal, All I want is to break free from the shackles, All I want is to be free, natural! What shackles cannot be broken? What shackles cannot be undone? All that rises in the mist above the earth, Beautiful rainbow, the prism of the sun. The duality of my being, happy painful existence, The rigour of life saps away continually, cruelly, A smile covers the remnants of war raging within, The miscellany of a life lived rashly, dangerously. I hear shrill voices, calling out from the depths of Hades, The bugle within blares, the war cry sounds, With all might, the heart trudges on, The battle is not over, the tussle will go on. How far can I travel, a prisoner of time gone by? The weight of time heavy on my shoulders lies, Winding the clock to the moment of wreckage, Among the strewn ashes of my fate I lie. The Phoenix within reaches out for the sk
Read more