Happiness Lies Within Us
by Atman Nityananda
Happiness (peace, fullness, freedom, bliss) is not outside of us — it is always present within.
Happiness is the nature of the sattvic aspect of the mind, and in its higher aspect, it is the nature of our Divine essence.
We fail to experience true, everlasting happiness because we search for happiness in sensory pleasures, possessions, relationships, and achievements.
The pursuit of happiness outside ourselves inevitably leads to unhappiness. We may experience fleeting moments of happiness, but we mostly live in a state of unhappiness.
The egoic self — the “I” or ego identified with the body which we take as ourselves — is the only barrier to true happiness.
The egoic self (rajaso-tamasic ego) constantly chases pleasure, recognition, status, and success, clinging to them in the hope of fulfillment and happiness.
Because of this, the mind becomes extroverted and attached to sensory experiences, objects, and persons, and becomes greedy, lustful, selfish, anxious, restless, distracted, heavy, and dull.
These selfish tendencies and this distorted state of mind prevent us from experiencing the peace, fullness, and bliss of the Soul (Being-Consciousness). They also keep us in a state of unconsciousness, misery, and unhappiness. This unhappiness has as its basis an almost constant state of dissatisfaction, lack, insufficiency, and uneasiness.
Happiness arises when the mind becomes sattvic — calm, pure, transparent, luminous, stable, and serene — and rests in the silent presence of our divine essence (Being-Consciousness).
When the mind is no longer entangled with pleasures, recognition, or worldly success, but remains pure sattvic and still, it naturally abides in the inner silence.
True happiness is deep peace, fullness, and freedom.
True happiness is experienced only in a sattva-predominant mind and in the absence of the ego.
A pure sattvic mind at rest in its source experiences the bliss of our Divine nature — Being-Consciousness.
A pure sattvic mind, free from identification and attachment, experiences peace, fullness, freedom, and joy.
A pure sattvic mind free from “I” and “mine” abides in the freedom of bliss.
Comment
Even in the moment of happiness due to the fulfillment of a desire, happiness comes from within — that is, from the sattvic state that the mind assumes at the moment of experiencing the fulfilled desire. (Sattva is by nature experienced as happiness, and it reflects the divine Bliss, fullness, and peace in the sattvic mind.)
Light, Peace, Love
Topic of my book: ”The Art of Meditation”
- Liberation with the Power of Mantra
- DIE TO LIVE
- The Art of Living Non-duality Moment by Moment – In edition
The ‘secret’ to a plentiful life, a life of harmony, happiness and contentment is to have a sattvic mind free from desires and ego and to live in every moment in conscious contact with our true Self (Consciousness).
🌺 Peace, Love, Harmony
atmannityanada 