To Search for a Mirage!

Cover photo painted by my daughter, Riya

“When we are able to stop we can pay attention to everything that is happening in our bodies and in our minds; this way we can begin to take care of ourselves. We already have enough conditions for our happiness. We just need to stop and recognise them in order to touch true happiness. “ – Thich Naht Hanh

Hello friends, I greet you all with a beautiful painting of nature, done by my daughter Riya. You can see a dog sitting silently enjoying the nature by becoming one with it. That’s the real key to happiness and fulfillment, the ability to stop and appreciate what we have been already bestowed with, intead of running after what we haven’t. If we go on lamenting about what we could have been or what we could have achieved, the pain of failure would never allow us to relish what we have actually got in our possession.

The happiness would then become mirage and we the perpetually thirsty travelers in desert, searching for water to quench the never-ending thirst. If one searches sincerely, may find a bottle of water hidden beneath the belongings of the traveler’s own bag. It’s just the simple matter to stop and have a look. In the blind race of amassing as much outward and materialistic happiness, we, most of the time forget to pause and look within. There may be a fountain of happiness within us waiting to be explored and then there might be no point looking for it anywhere else!

Last night , at the dinner all the four of my family assembled to partake dinner which included tasty chicken bharta ( a dish prepared with spices, shredded chicken, boiled eggs and butter), crisp rotis(Indian flat bread ), some veggies and salad. Over the food I casually mentioned that the husband of one of the cousin sister of mine, had posted on Facebook, the photos of their family enjoying the breakfast at Taj Bengal (a five star hotel) on insistence of their little daughter.

Hearing that my daughter, who is now earning her internship stipend,asked, ” Do you too, want to have breakfast at Taj?” I pondered for some moment then shook my head in negative. I told that this simple dinner with them all in attendance, in our very own dining table, brings me much more happiness than the prospective breakfast or any other meal at Taj.

You see, it’s all matter of perspective.To each to their own. Happiness always comes with contentment , a realization of God’s blessing to us. We must all remain thankful to God for his boundless love and kindness for us. Complaining and lamenting about the success and achievement of other’s can only bring sadness, bypassing them mindfully is much more advisable, for our own peace of mind and happiness.

The sincere gratitude to God for his blessings is the surest way to undiluted happiness and contentment. If only, we must stop and look within. All the happiness is waiting for us to be discovered.