Capt Purshottam Sharma (Retd.)
“Doing good to others is not a duty. It is a joy, for it increases your own health and happiness”
-Zoroaster
Eternal happiness is the most valuable attainment achievable by means of following the Shreya Marg (path of goodness or righteousness) as per our Upnishads. It can be perceived only when one ceases to respond to wordly temptations. Eternal happiness lies in the company of elevated souls and obeying commands of holy scriptures. Self-Realization or Liberation or Supreme Wisdom happens in propitiating and serving with unalloyed devotion to the enlightened ones. From the beginning of time, man has been striving to make his life more and more comfortable and happy. Just means in that direction are ‘Dharma, ‘Artha,’ “Kama’ and ‘Moksha’ known as four ‘Purusharthas’ and ‘Moksha’ (Liberation) is the highest among these four.
It is the man alone who is capable of making his life happy by virtuous thoughts, words and deeds. We ought to know that all selves are one. And that feeling will bring selflessness, undivided love and happiness. It is said that which man can do is impossible of achievement by Gods and demons. Real happiness lies in conquering the vices particularly the six foes of man, namely, lust, wrath, greed, attachment, egotism and jealousy.
The major causes those deny happiness to the people and make them miserable are: interruptions in the proceedings of legislature drastically curtailing business hours; growing population with unwanted children particularly among the poor resulting in beggary, crime and mushrooming of ‘jhugies’ and ‘jhonpris’; incitement of innocent people by few culprits to indulge in mass violence and destruction of public property, the bleedings and killings caused by scourge of ongoing terrorism by those fallen prey to fanaticism and fundamentalism, cruelty and sexual assaults on innocent women and children; lack of job opportunities to those who can work to make earning for keeping away starvation; yields not fetching reasonable returns to our farmers (‘Anna-daataas’) thus pushing them in agony; sufferings at the hands of bureaucracy that shows scant interest in the implementation of various welfare schemes/measures legislated with a view to ensure ‘roti’, raiment and roof to all; denial of social justice at various levels particularly to the downtrodden; growing economic inequality due to lack of will power in those occupying high chairs to uplift the under-privileged; robbing people of their hard earned money by some unbridled cheats; the indecency of playing vulgar songs and unpleasant worded writings in public places and mini buses that are forcibly made heard and seen by school-going children and others (including ladies and elderly persons); offending deals and exploitation by pharmaceutical industries and real estate; men enslaved by addiction seen crowding the wine shops causing ruin of many families; brutal behaviour of employers towards their ill-paid employees who are treated like slaves; throwing to winds all ethics by some of the professionals and public servants; delays in delivery of justice due to failures of Panchayats to solve local problems; the perverted and shameful conduct of some so called Dharma-Gurus (Spiritual masters) in whom millions of people transplant their faith and reverence; scams and scandals involving swingling and defrauding of huge sums of national wealth by some depraved minded persons; enormous wastage of hard-earned food grains and heaps of left over precious food we witness in social gatherings; unrest caused by turning Institutions of higher learning into political fields; acute water and power shortages’ poor and unaffordable medicare to common man; money power and muscle power that can do anything; dishonesty by some of the businessmen causing hardships to the poor by their sinful acts of hoarding, adulteration, evasion of taxes, high profit margins and other malpractices; corruption flowing in blood stream that drags people at the helm of affairs to commit corrupt practices in every sphere and our’Neta’ Ji neither delivering good leadership nor aiming at energetic governance thus failing to come up to the expections of the masses who pin high hopes in them and some people quarreling in the name of religions and hurting God.
Every one of us needs to carry out earnest introspection, follow code of conduct enshrined in our holy scriptures, realize our responsibilities towards the society, manifest virtues and shed vices. Spiritually intelligent persons see happiness in enlightenment. These noble-hearted persons derive happiness from selflessness, sacrifice, cordial relationship with all, right livelihood and by appreciating the useful contributions of others for the good of the society. Thoroughly dutiful, they find happiness in excellence of skill in their actions. All their actions are focused on welfare of all and in the making of a healthy and happy society. Vigorous in their understakings, they are absolute asset to the mankind. Treating work as worship, they believe in the dictum “Happiest is the man who goes to his task with his singing heart.” Healthy body, noble pursuits, ethics in behaviour and actions, righteousness and ideal governance make men to live in harmony and happiness by caring and sharing. The wide gap of economic inequality prevalent in the society, however, needs to be brought to the narrowest extent with all vigor and sincerity to ensure all-round happiness if India is to find an honourable status in the world happiness list of countries.
We all need inner transformation to realize splendour of God, realize that only love can manifest divinity, realize that we are answerable and accountable for our actions and deeds. Pledge to be an enlightened soul and preceive the same soul in all men, birds, animals and creatures. Treat our work as divine work and do it sleflessly for the good of others. To bear in mind that purity, patience and preservance will vouchsafe permanent happiness and good health.
“Save Bhavanthu Sukhina, Sarve Santhu Niramaya” (All should be happy. All should be free from sufferings.) Upnishads command us to “Awake! Arise! Stop not till the goal is reached.” And that goal is to achieve happiness.
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