Be Happy, All The Time.
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| Master |
One of the most challenging battles that we come up against in our daily sadhana, is the choice to turn within when things on the outside have successfully stolen our full attention. Or in other words, we have become enmeshed in the dream again, and forgotten that our true purpose is to wake up, and realize the true Self.
Whether "the dream" be great victories in our mind, colossal upsets and failures, or even a creeping sadness and anguishing monotony of life lived in this world, they all have a way of taking our mental citizens into delusive states of jubilation and defeat. In all cases, the impact is very much the same: That of taking ourselves away from our center of happiness in the true Self.
Recognizing this, and internalizing this realization as our very own, requires steadfast practice and application in our daily life. This is the reason that Papa Ramdas at one point in his sadhana said he simply wouldn’t go to sleep - for the very real concern that if he stopped chanting God’s name, he would forget the Holy presence and become enmeshed in his little self again.
A sincere question surfaces for all of us again and again amidst outward identification with life in the world: Am I able to choose to turn within, and put my trust and faith into God, when things haven’t gone the way I wished that they would? When I am sad? Or when things have gone perfectly, and emotional elation takes me over? Can I choose to turn within?
Even as I may sincerely wish that I had done better in a situation, said something different, or proven more up to the task that I was given - can I nonetheless turn it all over to God, and find solace and comfort in His presence here and now? In this choice - to return within to His Presence - lies the foundation for the solution to every problem we encounter.
It sounds so easy as words typed on a page, or as intellectual-understanding. And yet, all sincere seekers can attest to how extraordinarily challenging this can be at times, as we aspire to rise fully into God-consciousness. To be able to let go at this moment, and let God take the reins. Even as something that has happened upsets us greatly. Or someone has done something which hurts us deeply. Can I, yet and still, turn it over to God, and choose to focus on His Friendship? On His Story, and not my own?
At some point, we begin to recognize that we can spend hours, days, even lifetimes, ruminating on the same problems, without ever getting to the Source of them. That is because often we haven’t recognized that the source of the problems themselves were never on the outside of our life - but always within us. In our emotional state, in our attitude towards life, and ultimately, in the hard-earned ability to choose to be happy. The persons and circumstances which have acted as the conduit for upsets, are the channels-in-Ram to bring out this inner condition, that we may be cleaned up and made whole.
One of the greatest pitfalls of the Path is when we don’t believe ourselves to be worthy of His Grace, or capable of feeling the Divine presence. And so, we instead take on the weight of this world as if it is our own. We take on all of the sadness of this life, as if this is our self.
The solution of course, is to accept that even now, the greatest choice I can make is to renew my dedication to God, here and now. To speak to Him. To tell Him “I Love You.” To ask for his help, in any and all ways. And to start each day anew, in Service to Him, in everything and everyone that He has placed in my life.
We do this, not by continuously tilling up the problems of life. But by focusing on God, and learning to live this life with a kind of quiet trust and humble submission to His will - that which sounds awful to an activated-ego, brings none other than peace and bliss, to the simple Yogi. Calm-Happiness.
This also doesn’t mean neglecting our duties, or ignoring our faults if they be revealed to us. It means rather, doing our best to tune to His will in all ways, and not our own.
When we are able to do this, amidst the gravest hurts and disappointments, and highest peaks of accomplishment and praise, then we know we are on the Home-stretch; the final mile.
Let us reflect then, that no matter what has gone on in this life, I shall keep my remembrance of Your Presence always on my tongue, always pulsing in my heart, and ever-glistening in my mind. For in this knowing alone lives my true-happiness, here and now.
May your choice to be Happy all the time, be ever new, each and every day.
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