Where is True Happiness?

Part-1

Man ransacks thousand and one ways for attaining true happiness and peace. He thinks by accumulation of wealth he could become happy. He aims at a status of authority and power believing that by obtaining it he could be happy. Then again he strives to be learned and well-versed in modern and ancient lore expecting thereby he would reap happiness. Again, he provides himself with the various objects of sense enjoyment with a view that he would derive from them the happiness he is in search of. Thus, he cuts out innumerable avenues of approach to happiness. After all, even when he has gained all the things which he desired and has fulfilled all his ambitions, he finds that he is where he was, or even far lower than where he was, when he started on the quest.

Divinely illumined seers of old who have plumbed the very depths of life and have completely mastered the secrets of it tell us, with one voice, that for the pursuit of true happiness man must take his thought and vision away from the evanescent objects of external life, and going deep beyond them into the recesses of his own soul find there the immortal source of self-existent and everlasting peace and happiness. He who has discovered this mysterious source looks upon with wonder, not uncoupled with pity, on the world in general which is mad after possessions, riches, authority, name and fame.

Now, what is this Divine source which is by its very nature pure peace and happiness? It is a Truth which is indescribable. But then, our seers have given us some indications of its existence. The Truth is an invisible power that permeates through the entire universe uniting and harmonizing all things into one homogeneous whole. In the light of this great Truth, the diversity seen on the surface of universal life is realized as the variegated expression of the underlying Reality. To know that we are this Truth – this comprehensive, all-inclusive and all-embracing Reality means to experience a state of bliss, peace and freedom which is simply ineffable. This way alone lays the right endeavour for eternal happiness. All the sages and saints of every age and clime have striven and are striving to awaken mankind to the consciousness of the supreme happiness which is man’s real quest and goal.

To be continued in Part- II