Joy of being: The Final Goal

December 06, 2012 05:52 pm | Updated November 13, 2021 10:22 am IST - MADURAI:

This will be the last article of this series. I had started at first by writing about how a relaxed, attentive and absorbed life enables one to be relatively happy. Then we tried to unravel the seeming complexity which is the Life around us. In order to do that it became essential to move above the Mind and other faculties and try and decipher the Spirit within us.

Once even a ray of understanding of who one is arises, then holding on to that one could logically answer most questions which arise in our Mental thought process. The few which cannot be understood by the finite Mind have to be answered through one’s experiences and faith on others words or experience. Then one moves from Happiness in everyday life alternating with moments of the opposite to an aspiration to have that Happiness always. Then practical life and Spiritual Life merge together. It does not matter what is one’s vocation or calibre in Life. Nor does it matter what is one’s tendencies in the past. What matters is the strength of one’s Desire to pursue True Happiness. That brings a discipline and determination of its own. Like a horse blinkers hides out other sights except the road ahead for the horse, similarly one’s desire for Happiness alone will bring one to Happiness at the end of the road. What is required is that nothing is allowed to divert one from that pursuit. A single choice needs to be made, i.e. that one wants permanent Happiness at all costs. An Awareness will slowly be experienced that outside circumstances while seeming to aid one to attain a relaxed state leading to Happiness cannot and will not always guarantee that. Then finally one is left with no alternative to fulfil that Desire, but to become more Inward and seek Happiness within, i.e. ‘The Joy of Being’.

Man has ‘become’ the Mind when he identifies with his thoughts, fears etc. He ‘becomes’ the Prana or Vital Force when he identifies with his Desires. He ‘becomes’ the Body when he identifies with his bodily needs or wants. He even ‘becomes’ the Intuitive or Knowledge element in himself when he starts proudly taking ownership of his intuitive abilities and proclaims his knowledge (which anyway shows it is limited i.e. when one has True Knowledge, one will not take ownership of anything even the Knowledge one has obtained). But even if not proud when identified with the intuitive faculty he still ‘becomes’ that.

Only when he identifies with who he is really – i.e. the Self, he does not become but he is being himself! The moment that identification starts, then there is only Happiness. Through that identification, he then realizes All is His Self. A complete broadening of the narrowness he had become happens. Then everything ‘becomes One.’

This realization does not mean one deserts an active or regular life. In fact it becomes the opposite, once one knows the Truth, then one willingly cooperates with the Truth. But then life is not one of pain or a mix of pain and joy instead it becomes joyful in itself. What needs to be understood is the actions of the world or the circumstances of the world around one may not change. But the enlightened one will be able to accept the seeming vagaries of the world as the events unfold since one understands what is meant to be. If you recall the earlier quotation from the previous article, the line in the Savitri reads – “This transient earthly being if he wills can fit his acts to a transcendent scheme”.

This quote applies when one has ‘become’ a Man but when one identifies with ‘Being’, i.e. Himself, then he does not need to fit his acts, instead He knows why He acts thus. The result will be perfect but the ‘transient Man’ will label as bad or good.

Thus it is always a one single masterful action of ‘not becoming’, but ‘Being’ which matters. Then all actions flow as His actions and the perfect result arises. Then Life is full of Joy, may be even to marvel at how the perfect negative result has arisen!

Typically, when one reads such articles (at least in my case), a few questions or thoughts arise . First is that; this is all above one’s understanding or even capabilities. Therefore I want a simple solution which guarantees me success in whatever I do (or what I deem success) or at the very least I don’t want to be unhappy or face pain which is too severe. In many cases, the thought would be it is better to wait for a saviour who is around the corner who will lift all to a state of unparalleled happiness. Therefore till that happens, one must earnestly search for the saviour and continue as one is.

The fact is forget what one reads or writes or even perceives. What is possible to understand logically must be pursued logically. As we saw earlier in order to try and understand the purpose of this creation, the finite Mind has to use logic as the first step. When that happens, it becomes clear that what cannot be changed or controlled has to be endured. But effort has to be made to change that state. Whatever be the effort, the result does not seem guaranteed, however the more the resolve and determination to put in the effort experience shows the greater the possibility of success.

To be continued ...

(This is the first article of a four-part series titled “The Final Goal)

Feedback and questions may be e-mailed to: joyofbeingrd@gmail.com

(The writer is the Joint Managing Director of TVS & Sons Ltd., and MD, TVS Logistics)

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