Happiness, a state of mind
"...happiness is that state of mind, where the inclinations of the
head and the heart are in harmony and the forces inimical to
the tranquility of mind are kept at bay."
Like youth, happiness too is a state of mind
in body. It is neither the handmaid of self and power nor that of
pride and possessions. It is not something cogent or concrete that
one can lay hands on, taste or smell. It is an inner experience,
very close to the thrill of trance that comes about in a state of
mental serenity and emotional equilibrium. The healthier the mind,
the higher the level of ecstasy that one experiences. In their
excessive exuberance, most people confuse happiness with physical
pleasures or loud laughter. Mind travels faster than light and it
requires a Herculean effort to bridle its multi-pronged movements if
the aim is to enjoy some moments of happiness.
In fact the halo of happiness in life does not come by accident. It
is a creative content that has to be cultivated and cultured in the
mind; the center of all our flights and fantasies. It
occupies such an important place in the human psyche that it can make a
heaven of hell and vice versa. Most of the ills of modern life like
mental tensions and traumas, broken homes, violence etc. originate from
the cobweb of illusions that we weave in our minds. The ever escalating
graph of our desires and demands play havoc, not only with the nervous
system within, but also with the fragile ecosystem outside. Since the
mind is the womb of all images, whether worldly or spiritual, it is here
that the crux of happiness or unhappiness lies.
In fact, happiness is that state
of mind, where the inclinations of the head and the heart
are in harmony and the forces inimical to the tranquility
of mind are kept at bay. Forces such as ascending
ambitions and animated aspirations cause incalculable harm
to the human mind and do not allow it to concentrate on
constructive and creative expressions. It is only when the
mind is liberated from the bondage of material pursuits
and egoistic obsessions like conceit and pride, that one
can inhale the fragrance of happiness. Otherwise, caught
in the cross fire of runaway worldly successes and
frustrating failures, both the victors and victims alike
are left in their respective moulds with happiness eluding
both. This is the irony of the age in which we are moving
in a crazy manner without thinking for a moment as to why
our minds are so disturbed.
All said and done, the need of the hour is to strike a balance
between mounting materialism and sagging spiritualism, if
mankind is to come out of the chaos or moral crisis and
emotional emptiness. The fearful forces of paranoia, distrust
and the like are waiting in the wings to sap and swallow the
sources of happiness and leave mankind in a state of perpetual
despondency. Even now it is not too late to mend. Let us chisel
and chasten the corrupted contours of the mind, for it is the
mind alone that is the abode of human intelligence, good health
and happiness.
Senthil Kumar
