Peace and happiness

In previous articles, we talked about lasting peace and happiness, and we explored paths leading to inner peace and happiness. However, we may have different understandings related to what this 'peace' and 'happiness' mean.

We define happiness and peace in different ways, depending on our perceptions. Therefore, the author felt it would be beneficial to elaborate a little bit more on what it means when we refer to peace and happiness on this blog.

For some of us, happiness could mean abundance in health, wealth, and relationships. Therefore, we may feel that we do check up, but still, we do not find the happiness that we are looking for. We may feel that we meditate, but still, where is my big house? Where is my good health? Where is my beautiful partner?

In addition to that, we may also think that peace means that we have no more accidents, no physical pain, or no financial shortcomings. The idea that when all our desires are fulfilled, then we shall have peace.

So, let's look at what is actually meant by having peace and happiness when we discover our True Nature. 

True Happiness

The happiness we are discussing here, does not imply that we are dancing around from one point to another, constantly laughing, singing, and so on. If we do this, we may just end up in an asylum! 

We are talking about inner fulfillment. It means that we found what we were looking for. Thus, we are not seeking anything, we are not lacking anything. This 'not lacking anything' does not imply that all our worldly desires are fulfilled. It implies that we know who we truly are, and through this, our desires for the world dissolved. 

The lack of fulfillment comes from the absence of Self Knowledge, or overlooking the presence of God in our lives. Only God can offer us true and lasting happiness. Yet, we seek fulfillment in everything we can lay our eyes or hands on, and every object our attention can focus on. Stuff. More and more stuff.

Needless to say, we remain unfulfilled.

When we realize the presence of God in our lives, or when we start to understand who we truly are, we know that happiness is our Nature. Non-contaminated happiness, lasting happiness. Real happiness. 

Sure, we can still have a hard day at work, we can still be caught in big traffic jams, we can still have a toothache, but inside we remain fulfilled. No longer are we grasping at more and more objects to fulfill us, to make us happy, and accordingly, attachments and desires to objects fall away. Even the 'one' that apparently desires, dissolves.

See, the knowledge of Self fulfills us. Or rather, it makes us realize that we are already fulfilled, we were just not aware of it.

True Peace

By knowing who we are, we know that we are not this body, this mind, these thoughts. So, we are free from the inflictions of the mind. We are free from concepts such as birth, old age, sickness, death. We know that these mental concepts cannot touch us. 

We know that everything keeps changing all the time, so we do not cling to anything. We do not have this constant desire to try and hold onto something that we believe will make us happy. We let go.

Therefore, nothing can disturb our peace. Death can come, sickness can come. Our peace is unshakeable.

After discovering our True Nature, for some period, the mind may continue with its tricks and habits. Thoughts of the future may come up which usually creates anxiety. Even so, it does not affect us. Guilty thoughts about the past can come up, thoughts of insecurities may still arise, but see, they are nothing but clouds of smoke. They mean nothing, they cannot touch us, and we know this.

Thus, we still go to work, we still experience hunger, we still experience illness, disease, and eventually the cessation of a physical body, but throughout all of this, there is peace.

Life is experienced without any aversion towards any situation, we accept life as it unfolds for us, in peace.

When we know that we are free, infinite and that we do not lack anything, what is there that can disturb our peace? When we know that everything exists or appears in us, through us, how can we be concerned about loss and gain, when there is nobody and nothing to win or lose?

See, this is the peace and happiness that is inherently ours. Lasting peace, lasting happiness. This is what we discover when we know the Self.

Please note that we are not giving our True Nature the characteristics of peace and happiness, but we are saying that in relation to our usual unhappiness and suffering, our True Nature is peace and happiness. Fulfillment, and absence of suffering or lack.

This is already ours, this is already what we are. Not tomorrow, not after meditation, not after death, or after 'enlightenment'. It is here, now.

There is nothing to gain, nothing to lose. When we drop the idea of a separate 'me' existing, the Universe automatically becomes ours. 

Related articles on this blog:

Life, the main event - 08 November, 2020
A deeper sense of life - 08 October, 2020
Life, a cup of tea - 27 September, 2020