Of joy and contentment
It has been a rollercoaster week for me emotionally. But sadly the rollercoaster didnt seem to reach its apogee. But along with it there is this huge sense of relief when it comes to certain issues. To an extent, I am glad that things have worked out the way they did. Thanks to the people who were there for me. I guess if you are reacding it you shall know. And just to point out, there are bloggers in the list.
Happiness, is something we all cherish and yearn for. Yet, seldom do we realize that happiness stems from within and not from environmental factors. External factors do play a role, but they are not something that charter your emotional sojourns. At most they give you choices that you should make to keep yourself happy.
I have greatly believe that happiness stems from contentment. Only when you are happy with yourself, shall you enjoy the thrill of living. Contentment stems not from achievements, but from realization. Realization shall dawn only when you look at the world through unbiased eyes. We get too tangled up in our quest for various things that we never realize that we werent actually born with them. They are something that we got. Not always had.
Materialistic poeple, generally, are the ones that experinces a gamut of emotions. Principally because of they are always in the quest or hunt for something. And as Gautam Buddha says, "From expectation stems sorrow and disappointment". I have never been a materilist in any sense. There has never been a yearning to possess something. Here, may I add, that being materilast transcends the domain of yearning physical possessions. Relationships are not exempt from this. Contentment here would be to see the other person happy. But let me add, that there are exceptions to every set.
Heres a poem that I found on the net:
I am happy, I truly am,
But Spartan too, devoid of glam.
MY heart glows, inn the most beautiful flame,
Disappointment and joy, I take it, just the same.
Women I love, but do not yearn,
Gizmos I enjoy, but do not discern.
Join me, live unattached this way,
You will be happy, and forever remain that way.
This poem has been the inspiration for the post.
Happiness, is something we all cherish and yearn for. Yet, seldom do we realize that happiness stems from within and not from environmental factors. External factors do play a role, but they are not something that charter your emotional sojourns. At most they give you choices that you should make to keep yourself happy.
I have greatly believe that happiness stems from contentment. Only when you are happy with yourself, shall you enjoy the thrill of living. Contentment stems not from achievements, but from realization. Realization shall dawn only when you look at the world through unbiased eyes. We get too tangled up in our quest for various things that we never realize that we werent actually born with them. They are something that we got. Not always had.
Materialistic poeple, generally, are the ones that experinces a gamut of emotions. Principally because of they are always in the quest or hunt for something. And as Gautam Buddha says, "From expectation stems sorrow and disappointment". I have never been a materilist in any sense. There has never been a yearning to possess something. Here, may I add, that being materilast transcends the domain of yearning physical possessions. Relationships are not exempt from this. Contentment here would be to see the other person happy. But let me add, that there are exceptions to every set.
Heres a poem that I found on the net:
I am happy, I truly am,
But Spartan too, devoid of glam.
MY heart glows, inn the most beautiful flame,
Disappointment and joy, I take it, just the same.
Women I love, but do not yearn,
Gizmos I enjoy, but do not discern.
Join me, live unattached this way,
You will be happy, and forever remain that way.
This poem has been the inspiration for the post.
posted by Sunil Natraj at 2/09/2006 08:10:00 AM
15 Comments:
That's a nice post there friend, especially the quote. It makes perfect sense, that must be the reason why most people get diappointed.
Hmmm including me...
More power and keep on blogging
I am touched dude. Multifaceted and multilayered, i must say! Well done. Cheers!!
Happiness is when you feel a sense of possibility and purpose. ( the idea is borrowed from a movie, i think). It is that thrill and excitement you feel when you know something can actually be done.
contentment, I think kills the thrill.
glad you are happy, even if your idea of being happy is different from mine :D
Hey Ranj,
Being contented doesnt imply that one puts his feet up and doesnt move a muscle. Without effort there shall always be sorrows, irrespective of how contented you are. The idea is to be contented after putting in your effort. From the Bhagvad Gita, "Kaam karo, par phal ki ichcha na rakho" from which steps in the concept of duty. (Read duty... not work)
hmmm...
happiness does come if you're contented for some people...
but, for some it comes by helping out...
and that has a different feeling altogether that transcends all levels of contentment...
even if you're not in a good mood, seeing others happy just makes your day...and believe me, it's helped me a lot...
and do agree with you when you say, materialism is one thing that acts as the penultimate roadblock...
@humbl:
You cant believe how much I agree with you. The joy of seeing someone happy is something that words cant express.
I was, at a point of time, greatly influenced by a chapter in my English Text book, the first one in my Tenth standard text book. I even tried following it, and do even till today, to whatever extent I can.
Nice post...
The key to hapiness is the Lack of expectation. If you dont expect anything in return, ur happy even if you get something. Ofcourse, its hard to implement but works out for the best..
Worked for me atleast.. U know that from my result day...
btw, forgot to add...
the one thing that makes me happy anytime would be my dame's smile...
:)
@humbl:
All of us are the same :P
A beautiful post. I am in complete agreement with you when you say that happiness stems from contentment. Indeed, sorrow emanating from the absence of something often messes up the joy of possession of the most beautiful thing, life itself. Although I am of the opinion that people who are contented are more able to appreciate emotions in their purity because they, as you say, are unbiased and have no second thoughts as to how experiencing such and such emotion would affect their quest for something.
You mentioned relationships and how contentment in such cases emanates from the very sight of seeing one's beloved in joy. Robert Heinlein very beautifully put it as 'Love is that condition in which the happiness of another person is essential to your own.'
Thanks Vivek :)
Sense of possibility and purpose...I like that Ranj.
Anywas Sunil, I'm glad ure ok...(and back to ur irritating self) *Hug*
Hey Rach,
Thanks a ton!!..By the way, I am irritating? Hmmm.... well, your opinion doesnt count :P Hehe
P.S: The last week had nothing to me being sober.
Hey, Sunil. Just dropped by to say hello, but really liked the poem, too.
nice one... but the human mind is incapable of being content and sufficient . the craving has to exist.. thats what makes us human..... the idea that we shud practise contenment is more apt... wht say??? the devil
Post a Comment
<< Home