Thursday, January 28, 2010

The seeking of joy

Some days one feels unhappy and miserable. What causes this misery? Frustration, anger, jealousy, greed make one feel low and unhappy. If one was satisfied with life, how could he/she be frustrated, angry, jealous or greedy?

All these emotions are associated with dissatisfaction. But what lies at the core of these feelings is the same as what lies at the core of happiness, harmony, empathy and love - eternal peace. For example, one is greedy because he/she feels that getting that object of desire would make him/her satisfied and content. One is jealous because one feels that getting a particular person/object/skill that someone else has will make him/her more joyous and peaceful.

The need for being self-content makes one go into lower emotions as the person believes he or she is not content right now. On the other hand, the highs are expressions of inner peace. When one is really happy or in love, he/she can hardly find faults with the other because he is so content with his/her own self. The emotion of caring and understanding arises when one is content with his/her own inner emotions and is open to listening to others.

Thus, every low represents the need for inner peace and every high is an expression of the same. Furthermore, there are some highs which represent immediate gratification which represent contentment for a temporary period in time. But, what we seek is of an eternal nature - true solace.

And such solace does not lie in sporadic highs and excitements. That which gets one excitedly happy is what is capable of making a man miserable. Excitement is an expression of a fulfilled desire whereas misery, an expression of an unfulfilled one. They are but the same. True inner peace does not lie in a few moments of excitement and pleasure but is long lasting and is definitely a function of the decisions one makes in life in the longer term.

Thus, the seeking of joy is nothing but the seeking of inner peace which is eternal in nature. To avail of this peace, let us look beyond desires as they can bring misery or temporary bouts of joy, but not ever lasting ones. Let us find true inner solace by looking within and realizing that we need to make decisions for long term peace and yet, be happy in each instant that passes by - irrespective of all the mundane things that go around us! We lie beyond them.