"In Search of Happiness" discourse, full-text

"In Search of Happiness"

Talk by Shri Siddeswara Swamiji on 8th September 2007 at the Meadowvale Community Centre, Mississauga

What is happiness? Has any body found happiness? These are the main questions, we will try to answer today.

Story of the dog:

A puppy dog was trying to catch its tail. It was going in circles for a long time without any success. The big dog was watching this. He asked the puppy what he is trying to do. Well, let me explain, said the puppy. I am trying to find happiness. In the process I have become philosopher. I have discovered that happiness is in my tail and every dog should find happiness. The big dog said, well I agree you are a philosopher. Only a philosopher can make that kind of statement. But if you listen to me you should just keep going your way and happiness will follow you. You know happiness is in your tail.

Pleasure and Happiness:

So for humans: Where is Happiness and What is Happiness?
We see a flower and we appreciate its beauty. That is pleasure. Pleasure is agreement between mind and eye contact with the flower. This pleasure can't exist for long time. It is momentary. It depends on the existence of object and mind. As long as the contact is established, it exists and the pleasure exists. Pleasures are like waves. They come and they go. If you are hungry and you find food you get pleasure. As soon as you are full, food can't bring you pleasure. Pleasure makes life beautiful. Fragrance of a flower, Coolness of a breeze make life rich. Pleasures don't cost much. There is no big pleasure or small pleasure. You can find pleasure in sunrise, sunset, and songs of birds. They fill life with joy. These small joys make life wonderful, but they are momentary.

Happiness is state of mind. Pleasure is not happiness. Pleasure is related to the sense organs, whereas happiness is related to the mind. If you have no worries in the mind; no pain in the body, then there is happiness. To be happy you don't need to depend on any external objects.
Happiness is a wonderful state of the mind. It lasts a long time. Nobody can give you happiness. It has to come from within yourself. Happiness is absence of physical pain in the body and absence of mental worries. Pain in the body creates mental pressure. Happiness is within us. Happiness is also not permanent.

Peace is what we need to yearn for. When mind becomes silent, it has no feelings, no thoughts and nothing to remember and then you can say you have got peace of mind. Mind's silence is experienced as peace.

Patanjali defines in Yogasastra, "restful state of mind,or the silent state of the mind as "SAMADHI" as that peace. "vihaaya kaamaan nispRuhah nirahamkaarah yOgaah ciththavRuththi nirODhah"

Narad, the great musical teacher asks Sanatkumar why can't he find peace, despite him being involved so much in the music. Sanatkumar replies, reach the mind via the heart.

As long as the mind can differentiate things, you can't be happy and peaceful. As long as mind
tells you this is either greater than or bigger than something else, you can't be happy. Don't ask for the cost of the flower. Flower is Nature. Just enjoy it. To enjoy life get into the heart. Intelligence creates division. The Heart doesn't make any distinction.
Love doesn't see any differences. Love the Nature. Peace is the god. God is within yourself.

Socrates once told his friend, that he is neither living nor dead, I am neither body nor mind. I am myself. I am the supreme. Upanishads emphasize, the TRUTH. Truth is supreme.It is more important than anything else. No finite number is absolutely bigger or smaller than the Infinite.Spiritual existence will make human beings infinite.

Alexander conquered the king Porus, He remembers Aristotle's advice that he need to talk to the great Indian philosopher at Taxila University Damdami. He sends his soldier to bring him. When soldier asks Damdami to walk with him, I have nothing to do with the rulers of the world. Soldier reminds him king can kill him, he responds He knows how to kill people. But I can't be killed, I am not the body. I am the infinite.

Nature is great. Infinity reality exists everywhere and we are also part of the infinite. The next stage is I am the infinite. Like several circles together, some circles are big and some are small. But each circle has the centre point. Human beings are also different externally the central point for all of us is the same. In spirit we are same, with equal desire for pleasure, happiness and peace.

Sant Tukaram was poor he had no shelter. The king Shivaji Maharaj sent him some gold coins. Sant looked at gold coins and replied to him, probably your king thinks I am poor. Poverty and richness are not measured in terms of how much money I have. As long as there is food and air within the nature, and life within me,I am the richest of the rich.

Shakespeare once says to his friend, I am also a king, my kingdom is my heart. Therefore nobody can invade me, my crown is within me. My crown is made from "contentment". I am the king till last day. Contentment makes me the wealthiest man in the world
With this I offer my Namaskars to everybody.Now,I can take some questions.



Note: Above text is based on notes from Yuvaraj Patil and Sim Murthy. Comments are welcome.