The Art of Happiness

Among so many arts, the one which is mostly needed at this time is the art of happiness. Do not talk about the poor, even the rich are hungry of happiness. In rich countries people spending on tourism increased rapidly. It gives input how thirsty people of happiness. In the past many people believe, success that makes a person happy. Recently many begin to be aware, happiness that makes people successful.

The Art to Stop

Keep running, that is the dominant feature of modern life. In order to pass the exam as quick as possible, students keep running at school. In the workplace, employees, entrepreneurs, government officers keep running to chase the target. Even at home people are in a hurry. As a result, people can easily get tired. More than just being tired, many person experience deficit of energy which in turn can be the source of illness and suffering. Creativity and vitality of life disappeared in many places.

In the past, many people assume the harder they try the better the results. This is the main reason of chasing and running in life. Nowadays, after mother earth is seduced by extreme weather, rising rate of suicide everywhere, World Health Organization predicted that mental illness will be very alarming in 2020, it is the right time to evaluate the habit of running. At the same time also learn the art to stop.

The art to stop does not mean that we do nothing, rather to explore the deeper layers of happiness. In the level of running, happiness means the fulfillment of desire. Since the desire keep running then life also running. In the art to stop, happiness means developing an inner sense of contentment. Inner contentment makes person easily well-connected. And connectedness is the fountain of abundance.

The Art of Flowing

Once upon a time, a student of meditation got tired and boring, then he did the daily chores of shopping at the store nearby. To the owner of store he asked the best materials, the owner replied spontaneously: "everything is the best". Upon hearing the answer that everything is the best, this student experienced deep insight.

This is the deeper layer of happiness. While the suffering beings assume that life is a scarcity, that's why they keep running and chasing, on the deeper level, life is a flow complete with its best blessings. The singing birds, the green mountain, waterfall, blooming flowers, jumping fishes, the singing children all keep whispering that everything is the best.

Pain is an inner messenger that there is life style that need to be improved. Failure is a lesson about the limits of oneself. Blamed is feed back to live in a more humble way. In other words, everything is the best. In this point of view, the art of happiness is the art of flowing. When one flows perfectly as a matter of time he/she attains the experience of oneness. At this level, happiness is the aroma of coffee for the one who is drinking coffee, beautiful sunrise for those who are enjoying the sunrise, singing children for children lovers.

The Fruit is The Path

Disciples who flow perfectly in the long time, one day will attain a deep understanding that there is no path to happiness, happiness is the path. Happiness is step, step is happiness. While suffering beings put happiness at the end of endless tunnel, at this stage happiness is available in each step. Commoners use to split between the step and the fruit. Once arrived here, step is the fruit, the fruit is step.

Let's contemplate deeply one of the beautiful poems in Mundaka Upanishad: "From joy springs all creation. By joy it is sustained. Toward joy it proceeds. And it returns to joy". In the light of this poem, joy is the nature of life. Humans do not need to manufacture joy, simply eliminate the clouds that obscure joy. Like seeing the light in the sky, as long as the sky is cloudless, light is naturally shining.

On the path of meditation, these clouds are simply witnessed as what the sky does to the clouds. Glad is witnessed, sad is witnessed. Praised is witnessed, blamed is witnessed. The simple meditative steps are as follows: "accept, flow, smile". One who diligently practice these steps, as a matter of time these clouds will disappear. As soon as the clouds vanished, meditator will understand through direct experience, happiness is life which is gently embraced by the smile of thankfulness.