HOW COME, HAPPINESS IS IN WHAT I DON'T HAVE AND NOT IN WHAT I HAVE?

WHAT SHOULD I DO

IN EXCHANGE FOR HAPPINESS

Last week I had been to a Tea estate on the Nilgiri hills. The climate was wonderful. The bungalow was royal. Views were breath taking. Meandering roads look like pythons in the carpet green tea gardens. Green hills in every direction. The place is a heaven on earth. I felt like never wanting to go out of this place. No body can forego such a wonderful place.

I told the estate manager how lucky he is to be living in this wonderful place. He slowly opened his eyes and told me plainly, “For people like you who come for a few days, this place is a paradise. After a few weeks you will get bored. There are no proper schools here and hence my children are in the boarding. To meet somebody I have to go to the managers club about 40 km. away. My wife and I look at each other and wait for the time to pass by. We are happy today because you are here. Any visitor to this place makes our life cheerful.”

For those who don’t have anything, happiness is everywhere. But for those who have everything, happiness is a rare visitor.

HAPPINESS IS HERE

WHERE IS HAPPINESS ?

WHERE ARE WE LOOKING FOR HAPPINESS?

It is here………..just read on.

If the ultimate physical or material happiness is zero (read the article below) the mental or spiritual happiness is boundless. The law of diminishing utility doesn’t apply here at all. If I do something good for a person the happiness remains with me for ever. If I go on doing good to others, the happiness doesn’t decrease like the physical or material happiness.

So what do I get from life? From the material world what I get is zero. I can get to whatever position I want, economic, social or political. But the happiness level will remain zero. Through out my life I was trying for this kind of happiness which ultimately ended in a big zero.

Another interesting thing in life is habits and addictions. They keep me tied up so that I cannot escape. Addiction keeps up the demand and hence gives happiness or in another sense relief. But this can determine the path I take. Even if I am sure of the end, I am unable to save myself . Good habits are like oiling our vehicle. My life runs smooth with good habits. In other words

Life becomes tension free,
a pre-requisite for a happy life-style.

My happiness depends on my spiritual health, the cleanliness of my mind and the good I do for others. This is exactly what God declared to the Jews, the Ten Commandments. He summed up into two rules. First means hope and the second means doing good to others. The Indian philosophy is one step ahead. Thy neighbours include the earth and all its creatures. My happiness depends on my beliefs and what I do for others.

HAPPIEST PERSON IN THE WORLD

WHERE IS HAPPINESS

WHERE ARE WE LOOKING FOR HAPPINESS?

Who is the happiest person in the world? That is very difficult to say. At one moment I can be very happy but a few moments later I can be very unhappy. Happiness can come from getting what I expect or getting more than what I expect. Here one thing is certain. The happiness depends on what I expect and not on what I get.

Can I judge the happiness of others? I know what they got and I can calculate their happiness according to what happiness I could have got had I got what others got. I view the world with my mind or outlook. I cannot get into others mind to find out how they feel.

Any material or physical happiness or say pleasure depends on the felt need. The food gives me happiness according to the level of my hunger. The old law of diminishing utility applies in all pleasures. So nobody can get happiness or pleasure through the bodily feelings beyond a certain level. That level is fixed for everybody. Happiness does not depend on my economic, social or physical conditions. The pleasure is directly proposional to the felt need. That brings me to the point that everybody has the same level of happiness.

This means everybody is given a certain level of happiness which comes from the degree of need or sorrow, more the need more the happiness when I get it. More the hunger, more the satisfaction I get from the food. More sorrow, more happiness, less sorrow, less happiness. That means the pluses and minuses in life get neutralized and the ultimate is always zero. Then what should I do in life to get happiness more than the sorrows of my life?

HOW TO HAVE A HAPPY AND MERRY LIFE-STYLE

HAVE A HAPPY AND MERRY LIFE-STYLE

BE HAPPY AND MAKE MERRY

YOU CAN DO IT BECAUSE IT IS WITHIN YOU

When I bought my first cycle I was very happy. The first thing I purchased with my own earnings. Till that time I could easily manage with public transport system. Now I have changed my style. Now I cannot imagine living without a bicycle. I was happy with my bicycle. Then I bought a motor bike. Now I cannot go back to my life-style with a bicycle. A bike has become an integral part of me and I cannot think of me without a bike. Again I changed my life-style and bought a car. Now can I think of me wearing a raincoat and riding a bike in a rainy day? I got accustomed to the comfort of a car. Now can I live without a car. That will be devastating. But there was a time I did not feel the need of a car. Now I cannot go on without a car.

I can get accustomed to any way of life, good or bad, economically low or high. The Indian thinking says if you do anything regularly for 21 days it becomes a habit for you and you become comfortable in the situation. So my happiness depends on by habits. In any situation I can be happy. That is the beauty of life.

When I look at the person who is standing on the roadside with an umbrella waiting for a bus I feel he is suffering. But actually he is accustomed to that way of life and he feels happy when he doesn’t have to wait for too long. There also you can find sorrow and happiness. If the bus comes immediately you are very happy but if it is delayed you become unhappy.

HPPINESS AND SORROW IS EVERYWHERE.
WHAT I GET DEPENDS ON WHICH WAY I LOOK AT THINGS.

If Iam expecting the bus to be late, I will be happy when it comes early and if I expect it to come immediately I am bound to be unhappy when it is late. It all depends on how my mind works. Understanding I can control my sorrows and increase my happiness.

THE CHANGING MOODS OF LIFE

I AM A PUPPET IN THE HANDS OF MY MOODS

A SIMPLE TABLET TO ADJUST YOUR MOODS

How come life is full of ups and downs. Even on a single day there is high and low. Situation can change at any time. Moods can change from second to second. What is happening? Even I find my mood changing without any apparent reason. Read a book and my mood changes. Think of anything and the mood changes. How come I am a puppet in the hands of my moods? Anybody and everybody can change my mood. Even a news item in the news paper can upset me. Every thought can manipulate my mood. I am being thrown around by my moods.

Is it because I am too sentimental? Is there a medicine to remove sentimentality? No, that does not work. The beauty of life is in sentiments. That is the life giving drug. I can never part with it. My temperament only induces feeling into my heart. Life without feeling is like food without taste. So sentimentality has to remain with me. How to get out of the bad moods, blues then?

I pray and my mood changes. I talk to my friends and my mood changes. I understand one thing for sure. My thinking can change my moods. Can I not change my thinking to change my moods? Ah, that looks promising. Change the thinking to get the right mood. Instead of situations changing my moods, I can change my moods according to the situation by adjusting my thinking. That is fantastic. If everything that happens to me is for my good, why should I worry? Enjoy the situation and allow nobody to play with my moods.

HOW COME PEOPLE SAY LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL?

THEY DON’T UNDERSTAND THE SITUATION I AM IN

They can neither understand nor even imagine the problems I face

That is true. My problems are mine only. But why can’t others understand me? Nobody seems to understand my feelings. How can they understand? They can understand the situation but not my emotions. Emotions are created according to my thinking.

I remember my football games. When the opposition was strong I enjoyed the game better. Actually I enjoy the way I tackled difficult situations, how I managed to score or how I saved a sure goal. Some slight shadow of brilliance showed by me in a few important matches I still remember. I feel good whenever I think of it.

That is life.

What I enjoy is the way I tackle my difficult situations. To enjoy life in full I may be needing difficult situations. I see to it that they don’t disturb my mind. I think about the best way to handle the situation to my advantage. Every situation has more advantages than disadvantages.

Once I was posted away from my place. I had to make long train journeys both morning and evening. That was tiresome and opposite to what I was accustomed to. But that gave me back my reading habit. That gave me a lot of wonderful friends. After retirement they are still my friends. Everything that happens in my life should be for my good and when I actually think of it, it is true. That is life.

LOOKING FOR HAPPINESS IN FUSTRATION ?

WHERE SHOULD WE LOOK FOR HAPPINESS ?

WHERE DOES HAPPINESS COME FROM?

If it is from outside, we are the pawns in the hands of external forces. Our life will be governed by the outside forces. We have to dance with their tunes. We just cannot be happy when our life is not what we want.

We have to decide what to do with our life.

If we don’t decide, others will decide for us.

If we decide others will follow.

We have a right to say ‘no’ at any given situation. Our actions should not be because of the situation. Our action should be what we want under the situation. That is differtent. We have a right to decide our actions. When we decide our actions we will feel strong and content. Happiness and wellbeing will follow. They come not from outside but from within. The outside world can disturb our body only. Our mind is our possession. Nobody can disturb that without our permission. Dont allow external forces to disturb your mind.

ENJOYING RELATIONSHIPS IN LIFE

ENJOYING LIFE THRoUGH RELATIONSHIPS,
RAINBOW IN YOUR HAND


One alone is nothing , at least two to make a world. We have to be part of a world to live. Relationships maintain our world. The magic of relationship is that it shows the beauty of life. Through relationships we enjoy our life to the fullest.

It certainly feels great to know that you are being liked, loved. When you find that you are needed by somebody you understand your worth. You are worth the relationships you can generate. Relationships are prisms. If kept at the correct angle, rainbows are the result. If you want to enjoy the colours of life you have to maintain good relationships.

PURPOSE OF LIFE

TO ENJOY LIFE WE NEED PURPOSE,

SACRIFICE FOR A PURPOSE BRINGS HAPPINESS.

Getting up in the morning is a troublesome process. It is too cozy under the blanket to get up. How can anyone get up in this situation? When you want to sleep your mother comes to wake you up. Morning cores like brushing the teeth, shaving, taking bath are all bringing only sadness and mood-offs to us.

But what happens when you want to go and watch the Cricket match between India and Pakisthan. Every action in the morning is enjoyed. Even if you have overslept, when your mother wakes you up , you thank her, give her a kiss and fly off enthusiastically for the morning chores.

What is the difference between the above two situations. The first has no purpose and hence troublesome and begets sadness whereas the second has a purpose and hence enjoyable. So to enjoy life we need purposes. Getting up in the morning is a troublesome process. It is too so cozy under the blanket to get up. How can anyone get up? When you want to sleep your mother comes to wake you up. Morning cores like brushing the teeth, shaving, taking bath are all bringing only sadness and mood-offs to us.

But what happens when you want to go and watch the Cricket match between India and Pakisthan. Every action in the morning is enjoyed. Even if you have overslept, when your mother wakes you up , you thank her, give her a kiss and fly off enthusiastically for the morning cores.

What is the difference between the above two situations. The first has no purpose and hence troublesome and begets sadness whereas the second has a purpose and hence enjoyable. So to enjoy life we need purpose.

HAPPINESS DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM

HOW HAPPINESS IS DISTRIBUTED

What is happiness, joy, contentment, satisfaction, ………?

It all started in the year 1965 when I was a Pre Degree student at St Bercumans, A simple problem came up during the casual discussions with my classmate John.

When he got first class in his SSLC exam he ran home and told his mother. She gave him a banana and that was all. But in the evening his neighbour invited him and all the children nearby for a dinner to celebrate the passing of SSLC exam by his son. John got a first class and he got a banana and the neighbour’s son merely got through his exam and it is being celebrated in a grand style. Is it not an injustice or a paradox? We all had got first classes and we also felt that it is an injustice to us who got higher marks in the exam.

This remained in my mind ever since, churning at different intervals. Slowly it dawned on me that actually his passing created more joy and happiness to him, his parents, friends and relatives than the first classes others got. If others got first class it was expected of them. In case they had not got first class, people would have asked as to what happened. There is nothing to celebrate. But for the boy who could not pass SSLC previous year, this year’s passing is a great achievement and everybody concerned are happy and that happiness turned into celebration. His achievement created more joy and happiness around than the other first classes.

What does it mean?

It means a lot of things. It changed the way I look at the world.
-thonakarajoy@gmail.com

LIFE - A BURDEN? FEAR IS THE KEY

LIFE A MEANINGLESS BURDEN?
'FEAR IS THE KEY'
REALISE THE HAPPINESS AROUND US
All tensions vanish from our life
when we realise the Happiness around us

Once sure of the existence of God, the fear vanishes. Why fear, if everything is handled by God ? Why sad ? God can never go wrong. At that point we start to enjoy life. We see beauty in everything around us because no fear troubles us. We starts to recognize and appreciate the beauty hidden in every one around us. Each karma has hidden pleasure.
When you do karma, you discover and enjoy pleasure, Get close to nature. A farmer is very happy when he sees a new leaf on his plant. Working with and for human being is pleasure . That ‘kind of’ happiness cannot be attained by working on a lifeless computer.
Many people worry finding the meaning of life. Solution is first experiment to affirm faith. Once assured of the presence of God, without fear discover the pleasure hidden in 'karma'.

HEALTHY LIFE STYLE - INDIAN WAY

WATER THERAPY

"Most logical, natural and simple medicine for all diseases
Water, The Vital Component

Water is the most abundant element in our body constituting 73% of our body mass. This means a 200 pound (100 kg) person really has 146 pounds (73 kg) of water. Like the Earth which is three-quarters surrounded by water, the body is three- quarters water. So, quite literally, all the cells in our body are floating in an ocean of water. The water in our body contains different types of salts.

We do not even realize the fact that this earth is identical to our bodies in this respect. All the five elements of Earth are present in the body. Like marine animals and land animals cells are present in the blood and in the organs. It is fascinating to relate different aspects of the Earth to the body.

Like the geochemical processes that occur on Earth, where the oceans regulate land temperature of different landscapes, water in our body distributes heat in the body. It is the vital medium in which all chemical reactions of the body occur. All the processes of our body occur due to enzymatic reactions. The zillions of reactions that occur in our body every second are promoted by water. Most of the reactions of the body either involve taking in or giving out of water. Just like the ocean is the medium for bulk transportation, water, in the form of blood circulates nutrients and hormones both within and between body cells.

Earth is the only planet we know which has life and that is because of water. Similarly we can live without food for many weeks but without water we cannot exists beyond a few days. Keeping this in mind, we will discuss the purpose of water for the detoxification of the body and mind.

Generally, people have the idea that drinking plenty of fluids is sufficient to replenish water in the body. The water that is taken along with the fluids are adequate for maintenance of the body. But we are concerned about cleansing the body for health.

"Usha Kaala Chikitsa" is the Sanskrit coinage for water therapy. According to this ancient system, 1.5 liters of water should be drunk without even brushing the teeth. It is very essential to note that no drinks (like tea, coffee, and milk) or any form of solid food should be taken within half an hour to one hour before and after drinking 1.5 liters of water. Using any form of alcoholic drink the previous night is strictly prohibited. "