Chasing Happiness

What is happiness? Am I happy ? What should I do to be happy forever? In what way I can actually attain happiness. Does true Happiness exists? These are some of the questions that we all ask ourself.

No man is happy, who does not think himself so. A wise person says “Happiness at best, can be understood as a state of mind”. To be happy we do not need to look here and there. It is something that exists within all of us inside. If one really wants to be happy, it is necessary to abstain oneself from complaining about the past, or the present and the future. If one can’t overcome this habit, he/she ruins their past, present and the future. And this becomes the major reason for not being able to enjoy all three of them.

We ourself are the best source of happiness. What matters the most is not what matters to us, what matters is how we actually perceive the matters that happens to us.

To be very true I think happiness cannot be achieved through wordly comforts. We can only attain happiness if we over come all our desires and sorrows.

As well said “ Happiness is not the station you arrive at, but a manner one travelers”. Happiness is everything and above all. Who would not like to make his happiness eternal? But for that, man will have to give up running after transient goals and seek the eternal one. That is not easy in the face of wordly temptations.

For different people Happiness has different meanings. For me Happiness is liking what to do as well as doing what you like. It lies in finding something positive even in something negative. Pure and complete sorrow is as impossible as pure and complete happiness. One can be happy in his life, if one uses his capacities and capabilities to the greatest extent.

Aparana Chauhan

The Triumph of Risks

There are three caterpillars on the leaf of the tree. If one of them decided to jump off the leaf, onto the ground, how many caterpillars are left on the leaf?

The answer is THREE!

Shocked….
Thinking Why?

Simple that’s because caterpillar decided to jump! But it didn’t!

Don’t you think we are exactly the same as the caterpillar. Who decides to this, do that, make plans, but finally ends up doing nothing?

Be True to yourself, and most of you will find the answer YES!

In day to day life, we make out so many decisions. Some Hard ; Some easy.

If you think silently you will come to know that “Most mistakes are not made by wrong decisions”.

“But most mistakes are made because of the indecisions”.

We have to live with the consequences of our decisions and that is Risk !!

• To laugh is to risk appearing a fool.
• To weep is to risk appearing sentimental.
• To reach our to another is to risk involvement.
• To expose feelings is to risk exposing our true self.
• To place your ideas and dreams before a crowd is to risk the loss.
• To love is to risk not being loved in return.
• To live is to risk dying.
• To hope is to risk despair.
• To try is to risk failure

Bur risks must be taken because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing.
The person who risks nothing, does noting, has nothing, is nothing.

He may avoid suffering and sorrow, but he cannot learn, feel, change, grow or live. Chained by his servitude he is a slave who has fortified his freedom. Only a person who risks is free.

In the end, “The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist is to open change; the realist adjusts the sails”.

Aparana Chauhan

Globalization

With the spread of Globalization, Information Technology is passing through the superhighway serving as a base to the endless innovative stations. And yet there is no sign that this growth will become obsolete in the next many many years to come. Latest inventions and technologies have brought revolution in the IT world. Just like the newspaper you have the new technology every day.

Users of information technology make up the majority of the world’s population with no obstacles to access anywhere. And all this has made the whole world a better place to live. With the explosive growth of internet and world wide web, IT has become global in character. Early inventions in the computer software, hardware and telecommunications have caused widespread access to the information. Information about any phenomenon that takes place anywhere in the world is made known to a person at any time.

IT today provides the strong communication network that has further leads to the expansion of the global market that reshape the economies and social life of the countries. On the other hand advances in IT have revolutionize the life of the society. Information when processed gets converted into the knowledge. Knowledge is the power in the modern intellectual society. Knowledge leads to wisdom and brings in prosperity, creativity, and the best of health, plenty of wealth and a comfortable life. Therefore in society’s life change is the only constant and if today it is the information society, tomorrow it becomes knowledge and the wisdom society later on.

Aparana Chauhan

Thoughts of Enlightenment

“Everyday, think as you wake up,
Today I am fortunate to have woken up,
I am alive, I have precious human life.
I am going to use
All my energies to develop myself,
To expand my heart out to others,
To achieve enlightenment for
The benefit of all human beings,
I am going to have kind thoughts towards others,
I am going to get angry,
Or think badly about others,
I am going to benefit others
As much as I can”.

This was Lord Buddha’s parting message to his disciple, Ananda. ‘Budh’ means to awaken or to acknowledge. Buddha was greatest quester ever born on earth. He was the one who never bowed to anything. He intrepidly reasoned as far as the reason could take him. This type of fearless and impassioned search for the enlightenment is never been seen in the human history.

The four truths that were recited by the Lord Buddha were - He argued that the mundane life we lead is nothing but suffering as all things are ephemeral. Even what we apprehend as pleasure or privilege are not sustainable. The second truth is that the cause of pain is our desires to dominate, to impose, & cause discord. The third one is he the need to over come this self centered delusion of ourself. The fourth one chalks out the eight fold path as the way out of this self seeking cycle.

Mindfulness is what will help us to distinguish between the permanent elements of life and the trivia our mind is used to. Buddha’s only perception for mind clutter is self examination. The story of life is the reminder that one needs to separate the abiding principles of life from trivia. You need not to go any way but be the lamp unto yourself.

Self enquiry ultimately leads to the knowledge of truth. And we are all seekers of truth in one or the other way.

Buddha taught that all the struggling was the characteristic of false pride. All desires are dust and ashes. He thought that Trishna was the root of world sorrow, Stress and strain, noise and pollution, hatred and violence were wreaked havoc. The men of today must take refuge in Buddha, the saviour.

Aparana Chauhan

Follow Your Passion

What do you do? Most of the people ask you the same dull question when you are introduced to them and more often than not, you are talking about your work profile, your work place, future plan etc. but there are few people who think different and duck the trend and react by unfolding their passion, not their job. I have seen people who worked overnight and spent most of the time practising music. There are people who are blissfully unaware of their surroundings but lost in some kind of work that never drain them. This is actually a passion. A person with a passion takes more from life each day and give back more to life as well. It is sheer ecstasy that gives a fresh purpose to life.

People have misunderstood passion with hobby. Passion is one step ahead, it is an obsession. I knew a person who loved angling. Every Sunday he spent 4 to 5 hours in fishing. I have one friend whose passion is politics. He takes out time from his professional life and dedicates himself in party work. We all love to travel but very few of us are passionate about that. One of my friends, who is in well settled job, is planning to leave his job and join as a tour guide. This is passion!

There are people whose profession itself requires constant creativity; a passion helps to tap the creativity. Passion could be anything, even self contemplation and quest for spiritual fulfillment can be a passion that helps to broaden one’s outlook. Passion is actually to satiate senses and when you satisfy some part of your life, only then you will start to look beyond biases and accept people and life better.

Passionate people do not look for excuses, they look for opportunities. No matter how late they are in office or other work, they magically take out time for their passion. Another thing I have noticed that there are people who are dream stealers –who will either dissuade you or discourage you from following your passion. Simple advice is to keep a distance from them. It’s important to find like minded people to share. Even if you aren’t Charles Dickens, your ‘awful ‘write ups could win you friends. No one is perfect. This fact has to be remembered.

In today’s complicated world passion instill energy and keep you charged up. After all passionate people are the ones who stand out in a crowd.

By - Shubhajit