God : Do you want to be happy?
Of course, obviously. Don’t you know that? You are supposed to know everything.
God: Haha. Indeed. I know. But, the real question is: Are you?
Umm….
|| thinking hard ||
I don’t know.
God: Haha. Isn’t “that” obvious? Your goal is obvious. But your position isn’t clear.
|| Avoiding eye contact,smiling in an embarrassed manner ||
God: Relax. I know what it is to be human. After all, you are a part of me. Let me help you.
|| giving a genuinely confused look ||
What are you bluffing? Part of you?
God: Um. That’s not in your ability to grasp for now. Shall we concentrate on the topic of happiness?
|| shrugging off giving a nonplussed gaze ||
Whatever you want.
God: You seem confused. For now, just have faith and listen to me.
|| folding hands across the chest and preparing to listen intently ||
God : So, tell me. What is happiness?
|| With uncertainty ||
The feeling which you get when you accomplish something you want, that makes you want to freeze the moment, that which you don’t want to end …I guess that’s happiness.
God: Not bad for a human being. But it’s wrong.
|| Looking in dismay ||
God: Ha…Am I annoying?
Need I state that?
God: That’s how it works with me. It’s mandatory that one should be confused. It will lead him to search for the truth. Dark clouds gather around casting gloom everywhere, before pouring rain and enriching the life in the world. That’s the way it is………And, I really should stick to the topic. Sorry.
|| nodding enthusiastically ||
God: You said happiness is a feeling which you don’t want to end. Don’t you see a problem with that? Some form of possessiveness?
Yup. True.
God: What’s the nature of possessiveness?
It leads to unrest.
God: Exactly. || smiling || Unrest means, you are not living in that moment. You think about the past comparing your present with that or worry about your future on whether it would remain the same. Familiar?
|| nodding slowly, with a hint of introspection ||
God: Can you tell me some moments where you felt like that?
I remember the time I got an A grade in the final exam in my high school. I also wrote a post on my blog, that gathered a lot of views and appreciation. Then there is the time when I was presented with a high-end smartphone by my parents on my birthday. Umm… Aand..
God: That’s enough.
You are more than annoying.
God: Accepted. But think about the things which you just said. Take some time and think deeply. Tell what you felt after some days or months after these incidents.
|| After thinking for long time ||
The A grade which I got surely made me happy for some time. But it’s also true that it put added pressure on me due to the expectations next time. After the blog post I mentioned, I was always expecting the same thing to happen to all my subsequent posts. It eventually started affecting my writing process. My mind was focused on the number of views, rendering it inefficient when writing something. The phone that I received as a gift got smashed when I dropped it six months later. I kept on fretting over that incident and pressurizing my parents to buy me a new one . It also led to many fights and misunderstandings. || eyes gave a hint of moisture ||.
God: || with a satisfying look at his creation ||
Not bad at all. See? you have determined the root cause of your sorrows.
When did I do that?
God: Don’t do that. Think. Each thing , on which you depended for happiness and tried to possess eventually ended up being the cause of your sorrow and distress.
|| Eyes lighting up ||
True.
God: So, what do you think is the solution?
I don’t see a way out. I can’t stop enjoying things in this world, even if they end up causing me distress. I just can’t do it.
God: Who told you to stop?
|| looking confused ||
God: Do you think the only way to the truth is becoming a monk and not indulging in worldly things? HaHa. I don’t blame you. That’s the mistake of the society.
|| looking enthusiastically ||
That isn’t the only way?
God: No, not at all. If people don’t engage in worldly things, how will the world work and run? My creation will come to a halt.
I understand. But then, what’s the other solution?
God: Have patience. There is no one solution or path even though the truth is the same.
But tell me what to do?
God: Relax. I will. But not exactly. I can only show the way. It is up to you to walk in it and implement it properly, thinking what will work.
Sure. Tell me.
God: We determined that possessiveness or attachment is the root cause of our sorrow, right? So, let’s say you eat a chocolate. You like it very much. But when you finish eating it, you feel a sense of loss.
|| nodding along ||
Please go on.
God: I am not advocating that you should never eat a chocolate again in your life. The key here to grasp is acceptance.
Seems very simple.
God: I know. Life itself is simple. It is your mind that complicates it. Do you know about your mind? It…..
Out of topic, I guess.
God: Oh, right. What was I talking about? Oh yeah, acceptance. Have the knowledge that life is a continuous cycle of ups and downs and there is no escaping it. It’s just the way it is. Accept this fact wholeheartedly. Accept the fact that everything is temporary except life. So, don’t get attached to anyone or anything. Enjoy a person’s company, try to learn from that person, have some moments and memories with him…but never try to possess that person, as the truth is they will leave or will have to leave at some point. The same is with an object. Use it, but don’t let it use you. See things for as they are. Don’t think your life or happiness depends on it.This is the basic truth of life which human beings fail to recognize.Once, you take the dependency factor out of your happiness, you will be fine. Don’t jump in joy over something or wilt in sorrow over something. That something is temporary. Have this message embedded in your heart: This too shall pass on ………. Understand?
Yes.
|| With the excitement of newly received knowledge ||
You have told me how not to get distressed or depressed by depending on external things. But you have not said how to be happy.
God: Haha…You yourself have said that.
I know you are going somewhere with this. Continue.
God: Great, you are already becoming accepting. Anyway, answering your question, instead of depending on external things, turn inwards. When you don’t feel affected by temporary circumstances and not get sad or depressed, it means you are happy. Because the very nature of you is happiness. You are meant to be happy. Be happy for the sake of life itself. Be happy and content with yourself. Traverse through the world, touching everything but not getting attached to anything. Accept everything as temporary.
|| beaming exquisitely ||
Wow. Now, I do feel like I am a part of you. I don’t know why.
God :
|| with a twinkle in his eye ||
Never stop learning, my friend. And remember if anything troubles you, look inwards. I live there.
Sure. Thank you, and sorry for…umm..not believing wholeheartedly.
God: No problems. Blind faith is never the answer. You always have room for introspection. That’s the way I have created you. But always be open to knowledge and truth. You can recognize the truth with your soul, not with your mind….I guess that’s it. Farewell, my friend.
No, I now know you never leave me :).
God: Hahaha…
||Slowly, the sound merged into silence and then became the sound of life itself||
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