2. Is there any object through which you can
extract same amount of happiness continuously?
Of course not! It only
means that no material object has capacity to satisfy you completely,
however coveted the object may be! In whatever large amounts may it
be available! The happiness derived through any object gradually
diminishes as you continue your association with it. So why not try
to seek that happiness which will stay with you forever? You must
realize that, “Unless the happiness that lives with you
permanently is attained, you can never come to rest. The truth is,
your objective has always been to seek such happiness only. You
never, never wanted to have the enjoyment that is short-lived. It’s
just that because you can not lay your hands on everlasting
happiness, you claim you are happy with your lot even though
consciously you’re confident that there cannot be any thing
like everlasting happiness.” This jinx must be broken and only
you can do it for yourself.
Illustrations to
justify that happiness is not the attribute of any outside object nor
of any outside person, but it is the attribute of mind
A student, who is
non-smoker, comes in contact with friends who smoke. One of them
offer him smoking stick. Before deciding on to accept the offer, the
non-smoker thinks, “Cigarette smoking could be enjoyable. Let
me try.” Thus, prior to smoking, he assumes certain amount of
happiness in it. He might have thought that the happiness could be
derived from style of smoking or that smoking is considered to be
adopted by people having modern thinking or owing to any other view
point. While smoking, he receives that happiness which he has
conceptualized in smoking and naively thinks, “Smoking is
really enjoyable!”
There are a husband and
a wife. Wife is exceptionally beautiful and has excellent figure.
Husband loves his wife in and out. He is sure that his wife is loyal
to him. If conditions permit, he wouldn’t want to live without
her even for a moment. One day he comes to know that his wife is
flirting with one of his friends. He gets disturbed. His love
reduces. Another day he receives information that his wife is
colluding with her lover to murder him so that both of them can avail
his property and live happily together there after . He decides to
kill her. He pulls his revolver from drawer and aims it at his wife
with his finger on the trigger. At this very moment, her lover drops
in. To save his darling, he fights with her husband.
The object, which is
wife, is still the same as she was earlier. There is no change in her
beauty. She is equally charming. Her husband can no more derive any
delight through her. Her lover finds her most appealing. Husband’s
concept of his wife has taken a drastic turn from the best to the
worst. Where lies the happiness? In husband’s mind not in the
beauty of wife!
That is happiness is
not the attribute of any living or non-living object, but it is the
attribute of mind.