HOW TO LEAD A HAPPY LIFE
MANNADY HARI,
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM
ALL are in search of a happy life;
but are confused, as to how to carve out an effective way for it! Let us
venture for an answer. What we are looking for is happiness. If so we
should ascertain where it is. Usually people believe that he who is rich
is happy. If so the “richest” man in this world should be the
“ happiest” man! Even the most foolish man in this world
would never say that. If so what else can make you happy forever?
Can
the charm and health of your physique make you happy forever? They
invariably vary from time to time. After some 10 or 15 years you may not
be that healthy and handsome as what you were at the age of 25 or 30. So
it confirms that physical health also is not a permanent parameter to
keep you happy forever. In this manner, carry on with several
considerations. All would eventually take you to the conclusion that no
physical parameters of any sort can be counted on for permanent
happiness.
Here comes the relevance of Indian ways of search for a happy
life. In Upanishad it is clearly told -
YENNATMA JITHAMAAYAATHI
SA EVA SUKHAMAARJJATHE
He
who conquers his own soul (self) alone is attaining the absolute levels
of bliss and everlasting happiness. He finds his own pure self as the
sole seat of eternal happiness. Just examine this statement in the light
of our daily experiences. Whatever physical property we acquire it will
give us pleasure for a specified time only. Later on it becomes a burden
to all of us. Think of one’s own body. When one is happy, healthy
and wealthy all are fond of him. But when the same fellow reaches the age
of 85 he never gets the very same respect, love and regard even from his
own relatives. All are eagerly waiting for fixing the date of sending him
to the old age home.
In
a majestic situation of MAHABHARATA, Mahatma Vidur told Dharmaputra -
“O King! You may be rich, you may
be handsome, erudite, generous, well-known and virtuous on several other
scores. But see, if your mind bends before your own conscience like a
culprit standing before a police man, you are nothing before your
conscience”.
We also should bear it
in mind for ever. If only we are conquering the high peaks of virtues of
human life where we become competent to stand before our own conscience
undauntedly, we will be able to lead a life free of guilty conscience and
self contempt. Such a life alone can be christened as happy and
contented, in the real and strict sense of the term. Any other concept
contrary to it may make us live as mere money making machines, child
bearing machines, house making machines, car driving machines, food
making machines, fast dining machines and ultimately machine making
machines! How shameful and worthless would be such a life?
The
Great Indian Scriptures and Achaaryaas can save us from the current
impasse in to which most of us have fallen. We should purify our lives,
making use of something that is really powerful.
BHAGAVAD GITA says -
NAHI JNAANENA SADRISHAM PAVITHRAMIHA VIDYATE
Nothing is as pure and
powerful as Jnaana (spiritual knowledge), to purify our lives. If so the
attainment of that also, in addition to the materialistic education that
we acquire usually, will add "fragrance to Gold”. We should separate out a minimal
time from our hectic schedules, to think about our own upliftment from
the current savagery. We have got Vedas (Srutis), Upanishads, Itihaasas,
Bhagavad Gita, Ramayana etc for life long spiritual education. God, while
He is the powerful parent and ruler over all things, is also the friend
of man. God is never separable from man's welfare, Krishna never forsakes Arjuna. Many a time, man
himself does not know that he needs help from God, but God knows it even
beforehand. This is the intimacy and compassion which characterizes God
as highlighted in the Epic and Purana texts. The comradeship of God and
man is the special touching feature, as distinguished from the majesty of
the Brahman proclaimed in the Upanishads.
Not
only our Indian minds, learned ones from the West also had accepted these
realities, and have gone deeply into our spiritual treasury, during the
past several centuries. Europeans like Father De Nobili and a few other
early missionaries acquired knowledge of Sanskrit and allied
tongues in which the sacred literature of India was preserved. The extensive commerce which
the English developed in Bombay and other parts of India gave occasion to English scholars to make
exhaustive studies in this field of Oriental research. Sir William Jones
was one of the first European scholars to master Sanskrit and to give
translations of Sanskrit texts. The first important study of Indian literature
and rites was made by Henry T. Colebrook. His "Miscellaneous Essays
on the Sacred Writings and Religion of the Hindus", first published
in 1805, became a classic in this field of research. Several other
distinguished scholars of England also contributed to the knowledge of Hinduism.
In
America Professor William D. Whitney made valuable
contributions to the understanding of the Atharva Veda and other Brahmin
texts. His labors have been ably supplemented by the studies of
Professors C. R. Lanman, M. Bloomfield, and E. W. Hopkins. Among those
who have made valuable contributions to the study of Hinduism are a
number of Catholic priests also. Many of them have practiced Yoga also for physical fitness and
mental sharpness.
Many
more amazing works are available. Though several drawbacks can be seen
in the works of the
Westerners, none can ignore the services rendered by them in bringing out
very large works of Sanskrit, translated and printed in English, before
the World intellectuals and World famous learning centers and libraries.
What we have to do now is to get ourselves convinced of the greatness of
the Indian Culture through the works done by great men of letters hailing
from both Indian and non-Indian bases. Great works in World languages, contributed
by Swami Vivekananda and other enlightened souls also are available in
plenty. Throw away the rubbish garbages in your hands !! Make reading of
the great works mentioned above, the real “MINES OF WISDOM”, an
integral part of your life, and identify with the virtues inherent in
them. Make it a matter of intentional citation for your thirsty brains
and never ending energies!! Elicit the nectar of happiness from the great
ideals contained in them all. See that you will be able to lead a
worthwhile, pure and happy life mentally, with all the physical gadgets
you need as well.
OM SHANTHI
- SHANTHI -- SHANTHI
