Daily Readings from the Works of Swami Venkatesananda


Insights & Inspirations: Do You Want Happiness? Give It!

June 28, 2018

    A young American friend said to me, "I need love, lots of it, to make life worth living." Quite so. But this love is within yourself; hence the eyes close and the mind turns inward when you are in the presence of your beloved or your God (in the temple or in your meditation). The external 'source' was but a provocative agent. He, she or it lifted the lid covering the inner fountain-source: and love flowed - from yourself, towards the other person - and you thought it came from the other person! Not only you, everyone in the world needs love: you have it only when you give it.

   We have all heard and we have all said a million times over that everyone seeks happiness in this world; and the holy ones have reminded us again and again that that happiness is within us, not in the external world or objects. That is what Yoga or Self-realization or God-realization is about. It is possible to look at this question from another angle, as follows:

   I seek happiness. So does my neighbor. If I think that my happiness lies in his (or her) doing what I want, so does his happiness lie in me doing what he (or she) wants! It is at once plain that if happiness is mutual, giving it is easier, more practicable and less of a problem than demanding it. One can certainly go on from there and learn to be happy in making others happy, in giving happiness to others, to all. But this giving must be truly giving and not a forced or a hypocritical giving, with one eye screwed on what it brings.

   Even here, the happiness that one seems to 'get' from outside is truly within oneself and the person who makes you happy helps you in an indirect way to find it. When you discover that you are happiness then you constantly give happiness and thus you are never unhappy. Love and happiness can only be given out, and this is possible only if you are love and happiness.

 

Back to Daily Readings