Blog

February 2019

Love of God is the highest and the best means to a person’s happiness here and hereafter. –Swami Tapovan Maharaj

Why a worldly person can never be happy in this world?

How a spiritual person is ever happy in this world?

The reasons can be many.

1) Complex nature of the world

Everything in this world is complex. The more we enquire into the nature of this world, the more confused we become. Whether it is peeping deep into the atom or exploring far beyond into space, the end result is only confusion. How can a worldly man attain peace in such a mysterious unknowable world?

But a spiritual person has nothing to worry. He is like a child in mother’s lap blissfully unaware of the complications of the world! He knows that he is taken care very well even without his knowledge! A child of God joyously wonders at the omniscience and omnipotence of God. For him, not able to understand God itself is the right understanding of God!!

 2) Impermanent nature of the world

Everything in this world is impermanent – whether it is the body, or the relationships, possessions or positions. This can be a major cause of grief for a person who leans on the worldly crutches for happiness.

But a spiritual person knows the one permanent thing – God. He is our very Self. Thus holding on to the permanent God, a spiritual person lives a life of happiness even in this impermanent world.

3) Uncertain nature of the world

There is no guarantee that we will get what we desire even if we work hard for it. Since the results are uncertain one goes through fear, worry, anxiety and stress.

But a God-lover knows that though things are uncertain here, whatever happens, happens for the good. We are ever under the protective hands of the Lord and He knows what is best for us. God is not our wish-fulfiller, but our well-wisher. Thus even in this uncertain unpredictable world, he remains happy and content.

4) Unending nature of our needs

Our needs are unending whether it be at the physical, emotional, intellectual or spiritual level. But the lover of God knows that the One who has created the needs in us will provide us with the means also. Therefore he is absolutely carefree.

5) Complex nature of our body and the mind

Just like the external world is complex, our internal world constituting our body-mind is also equally complex. How it works, God alone knows!

When a worldly person is not able to understand the head or tail of its functioning, he becomes miserable. He becomes disturbed when there is some health issue or when there are negative mental moods.

A God-dependent person, on the other hand, knows that body-mind equipment works most efficiently when it is surrendered unto God. To follow the instructions of the manufacturer is the best way to use any device efficiently. A surrendered mind is peaceful and cheerful, efficient and obedient.

6) Sense of loneliness

A worldly person, deluded by the sense of ‘I’ and ‘mine’, lives only to take, and not to give. This selfish attitude creates a psychological wall cutting himself off from the rest of the world. In this self-created psychological prison made out of the bricks of selfish acts, the worldly person suffers unbearable pain of loneliness. Even in a crowd, he remains lonely.

But for a spiritual man, his dearest and nearest God Himself has become everything – from the plants and the animals to the stars and the galaxies. How can you be alone when all are you alone!!

7) Confusions regarding the purpose of life

Self-ignorance expresses as all-round confusion – confusion regarding the profession, finance, family etc. A worldly person is confused regarding the very purpose of life. Not knowing what to do with his time, he wastes his life in useless pursuits.

On the contrary, a spiritual man, through the company of the sages, through satsangs and through the study of the scriptures, gains perfect clarity with regard to the purpose of life. Hence he makes use of every situation to evolve spiritually. In every challenge of life, he sees the blessing and guidance of the Lord, and advances towards liberation.

 8) Misery born of comparison

A worldly person cannot but compare himself with other more successful people of greater talents and abilities. This only leads to misery and discontent.  

On the other hand, a spiritual man enjoys total contentment.  He knows that for peace what is needed is not great skills, but the right attitude. Moreover, all skills and abilities belong to God. As no one is superior or inferior, he is able to love all and accept all. 

9) Attachments and addictions

For a worldly person, the world is the source of happiness. Hence he gets attached to the world. Any attachment is slavery.  Through attachment, he loses his freedom.

A spiritual person considers God as the source of his happiness. Hence he never gets attached to the world. For him, attachment to anything other than God is an insult to the love for God. Any other attachment is ignoring God. As he never wants to weaken his relationship with God, he remains unattached to everything other than God. Thus he remains a master of the world, the mind and the senses.

10) Mistaking egoistic joy to be the real joy

For a worldly person, the real joy is of indulgence, of extroverted pleasures, of name and fame, of egoistic satisfaction born out of taking revenge, defeating others etc. But all these joys ultimately end up in pain alone. How many have ended their lives only because their ego could not face defeat, insult, or humiliation?

For a spiritual person, the real joy is born out of egolessness. Ego means the absence of God. Therefore wherever ego is, misery surely is.

11) Craving for respect and love

This is a psychological need. All want to be loved, valued and respected. A worldly person seeks it from the outer world. How many people have lost their lives in trying to get noticed, to be in the limelight? How many have perished in trying to win the attention and admiration of others?

For a spiritual man, this need is fulfilled through the Lord. The Lord gives us the greatest love we can ever think of. This love is unconditional and infinite. He loves us as though we are the only one in this world, says St Augustine!

And when we know that the all-powerful Lord resides in our heart, we are filled with self-respect. We stop craving for respect from others since we know our self-worth.

12) Fear of death

The one thought which bothers a worldly man is the thought of death. This thought remains in him throughout his life as constant background music. Death means forceful separation from his near and dear ones, from his hard-earned money, from his fame, power and position. Death means a travel to the world of unknown. Death means going to a world of uncertainties. Thus it is but natural that one is scared of death and its consequences.

But a spiritual man has no such fear. He knows what death is. It is nothing but the dropping of this physical body. He knows that he continues to exist as the Self and that there can never be a state of non-existence.

To conclude:
No God, no Peace. Know God, know Peace!

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