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Means of Happiness

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Humans are after all mere humans and both male and female species have their own tendencies, showing their different mind set and attitude at each stage in life, from the time humans came into existence.

If you ask,Whether all FIL have changed for better towards their DILs? Whether all MIL have changed for better towards their DILs? Whether all Husbands have become very great husbands of their wives? Whether all Wives have become the very great wives of their husbands? etc..etc to the fullest satisfaction, the answer would be big NO.

If you ask, are all the girls in all the families, in this present world are given importance in all the matters, including that of property sharing and are happily accepted to be the child of parents? The answer would be big NO.

Both in the past and in the present many negativeness among the so called evolved humans exists and probably would continue in the future too, in some way or other.

If we look into the whole aspect of human life, we can never expect and figure out the absolute goodness and happiness among the humans, at any point of time.


Disappointments, disgracefulness, sorrow, betrayal, enmity, disharmony etc..etc existed in the past among the family members and between the relatives, continues to exist even now and most probably would continue to exist in the future too.


During every phase of time, humans got many tempting and desirable things to acquire. If modern gadgets were not available during those by gone days, jewels, land/property and money were much in attractions and humans wanted them all.

The OP is not about showing how humans mind/psychology was out of the senses of desire and that this senses of desires are "only now" been acquired, from some where and some how, without a clue, much surprisingly.

It is all about the life ideals, mental equilibrium, upright conduct and adherence to aacharam and dharma that are ingrained especially in brahmana genes, with which they lead a peaceful, chaste, happy and healthy life and were respected by all others. And that, loosing such fine qualities are paving way towards getting haunted by sorrow and suffering, having attracted and captivated by the external temptations of this modern world, being into rat race in all the ways and means, ignoring the hidden inner peace of mind and sense of happiness that can be triggered by disciplined & harmonious life, following dharma.

As such, the OP concludes that -


Brahmanyan said:
"Dialogues with The Guru"

 When did the bad days begin? You must bear that also in your mind. They began when the Brahmanas swerved from their achara and Dharma and entered the field of competition in the pursuit of worldly things. They forgot that they were most ungratefully misusing the heritage of ages. The others, who were left behind the Brahmanas in this race, first looked upon them with admiration and later on with envy and now with hatred. Let the Brahmanas withdraw from this race they will once again regain and command the respect which is their due. They commanded respect before, not because they were richer or stronger than others, but because of their contentment, which made them happier than the richest and because of their Dharma, which made them stronger than the strongest. The so-called bad days are therefore only of our own making. We can at any moment put an end to them, so far as every one of us is concerned, by reverting to the simple faith and the upright conduct, the religious fervour and the peaceful contentment of our fathers. I think that the bad days will turn out to be really useful and not after all bad, if they but make the Brahmanas realise the depth of their fall from their true ideal and induce them to make honest endeavour to recover it."
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Means of Happiness.

renuka said:
Dear Brahmanyan sir,

I have a question here..most Gurus always say this:
I don't know why..but I beg to differ cos even in Yesteryugas..people were always having desires which we unmet..mostly never knew even how to spell forgiveness.
Almost everyone was in revenge mode.
Each did some Tapas solely to fulfill some desires.
Many did Yagnas to secure higher heavens and power.
Take Dronacharya for example..why couldn't he just ignore what Drupada did to him instead of going into revenge mode?
What is the use if we spend our life time just trying to get even with another person?
Imagine our whole body system..poisoned with revengeful thoughts.

I don't really think our forefathers were any better than us.
They also had desires which they either fiercely got or became frustrated if they did not secure it.

We can't say we desire a lap top/smart phone and our forefathers did not?
It is becos at that time lap tops/smart phones did not exists.
The mind can only desire what the mind knows.
So our forefathers would have had desires befitting their time...that is the only difference.
Desires have always ruled the human mind.
Even the humble Kuchela was happy when he got wealth.
Click to expand...

Dear Doctor,

Honestly I don't have answers for your queries. It is my view that human nature has not changed much from the beginning,in the past, present and it will continue so in future also. But experience and age has taught me the simple fact that the "law of diminishing returns apply" to our life as well, ultimately we understand a contended mind is the greatest asset. Fulfillment of desire creates hunger for another desire. There is no end for this. There are some finer qualities imbibed in human nature like "forgiveness, compassion and nonviolence", which we can always develop at the time of need.
I agree with your beautiful statement -
"What is the use if we spend our life time just trying to get even with another person?
Imagine our whole body system..poisoned with revengeful thoughts."

Warm Regards,
Brahmanyan,
Bangalore.
 
their contentment, which made them happier than the richest
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The gist of op, there would not be any argument. That is tested and true. I think to assume that all people in some historical time were that contended is a mistake.

My problem was with the time frame a faded memory, to beat todays values.
 
prasad1 said:
The gist of op, there would not be any argument. That is tested and true. I think to assume that all people in some historical time were that contended is a mistake.

My problem was with the time frame a faded memory, to beat todays values.
Click to expand...

If my view is not erroneous, today's value system is based basically on possession/acquisition. And the advances already made, being made have presented man with a myriad things which he/she can possess; and then there are things like jewelry, diamonds, land, etc., which are boundless so to say and the media is constantly projecting the possessiveness as a virtue. All these things may be alright for a (once) prosperous US or the Europe, but today, what is needed is less of this possessive frenzy. The rapid decline in the domestic savings in India is a tell-tale sign of the disease which this country has contracted. And PC is thinking of ways to set right this malady by following US policies like "eeyaDicchAn copy". When we know that even medicines work differently in some physiologies, it should be clear to a good statesman that what works for the US need not work for India. That is the pity.

Anyway, we will soon realize the results of all our follies, imho.
 
It was also a way of keeping the oppressed from rebelling. If you constantly reduce the expectation, the subjects would not demand what the kings had. If the poor people have to be contend with what they got why were the kings waging wars? It was convenient that the poor subjects were ignorant (of what they can have) and in addition they should be content with what they have.

In a consumer society, if there is no wants, there is no progress, no economy.
Wants not have nots.
 
I do not think any society including the US, is bereft of the people who are have nots and people who feel oppressed. The consumerist culture impels every one to ask for more and more, thereby creating more and more people who feel oppressed.

Just as Zamindars are supposed to be feeling nostalgic about their lost glory, for some people, right now, it may be zamindari now but the day is not far off when such good times will become a thing of the past,....and anyway, one can change one's philosophy according to the times!

Brahmins were never the oppressed class/caste in India till EVR came.
 
In a world that changes all the time, one thing remains the same — our pursuit of happiness and desire to avoid suffering.
Ancient ages advocate virtues of humility, compassion, unconditional giving and kindness for lasting peace and happiness.
 
There is more peace and happiness in GIVING than in RECEIVING
(except scoldings and blows of course).

There is more peace and happiness in endurance
than in emotional and sensational outbursts.

There is more peace and happiness in silence than
the vociferous and voluminous speeches.
 
[h=1]குறைவும், நிறைவும்[/h]
குறைவும், நிறைவும் இரு மனப்பாங்குகளே;
குறைந்த, நிறைந்த பொருட்களால் அல்ல;
போதும் என்ற மனமே நிறைவு உடையது,
போதாது என்ற மனம் குறைவு உடையது.

தனக்குள் திருப்தி கொண்ட மனத்தினர்,
நினைத்ததை எல்லாம் வாங்கிக் குவியார்;
தனக்குள் குறையை உணரும் மனிதர், தாம்
நினைத்தை வாங்கி நிறைவு பெற முயல்வர்.

நிறையப் பொருள் உள்ளவர் மேன்மேலும்
நிறையப் பொருட்களை விழைந்திடுவர்.
மனோ வியாதியாகவே மாறிவிடக்கூடிய
மனப் போக்கு அது என்பது உண்மையே.

தினக் கூலியில் பொருட்களை வாங்கியும்,
மனக் கவலை இன்றி வாழ்பவர் உள்ளார்;
அனைத்தும் பெற்றும் அமைதி இழந்து, ஏதோ
நினைத்துப் பொருமும் மனிதரும் உள்ளார்.

தியாகமே அமரத்துவம் அளிக்கும்; இது
திகட்டாது இனிக்கும் ஒரு வேத வாக்கு.
இருப்பவற்றை தியாகம் செய்வது என்பது
விருப்பத்தைத் துறந்தால் மட்டுமே நிகழும்.

மகாத்மா காந்தி ஒரு ஏழைப் பெண்மணி,
மானம் மறைக்க ஆடை இன்றி வாடுவதைக்
கண்டதும், உதறினார் மேலான ஆடைகளை;
துண்டு ஒன்றையே தமது ஆடையாக்கினார்.

குறைந்த ஆடையினால் அவர் பெருமைகள்
குறைந்தனவா? இல்லையே! மாறாக அவர்
தேசத்தின் தந்தையாகி, அமரராகி, உலகில்
நேசத்துடன் இன்றுவரை போற்றப்படுகின்றார்!

குறைவு கொண்ட மனபாங்கை மாற்றி,
நிறைவு கொண்டதாக நாம் ஆக்குவோம்.
தியாகமே மனித உள்ளதைப் பண்படுத்தி,
தீபம் போல் வாழ்வை ஒளிரச் செய்யும்.

வாழ்க வளமுடன்,
 விசாலாக்ஷி ரமணி.


 
gandhi.jpg


SATISFACTION AND DISSATISFACTION.

Satisfaction and dissatisfaction are merely two mental attitudes and do not really depend on the wealth or status of a person! He who is contended with what he has is satisfied while he who is not contented with his possessions is dissatisfied.

The satisfied person does not indulge in the ‘no-expenses-barred’ shopping spree and buy everything in sight. The dissatisfied person does exactly this! There is an emptiness in his heart and in all probability he is trying to fill it up by hoarding on the earthly possessions.

“The more you have , the more you want!” For some people shopping and hoarding things have become mental obsessions. Person living a hand – to – mouth existence on an uncertain daily wage may be perfectly contended with his lot while a rich man may spend sleepless nights – tossing on his bed.

‘Veda’ says that Thyaagam is the secret of Amruthatvam and Amarathvam. Thyaagam involves in giving up voluntarily and willingly one’s pleasures and possessions.

When Mahatma Gandhi saw a poor wretched woman with not enough clothes to cover her body, he gave up his sophisticated dresses and switched over to dress of the majority on the poor Indians. This did not reduce or diminish his name or fame since he was loved even more after this transformation.

He became the idol of Ahimsa and is remembered fondly as the Father of our nation. True happiness lies in reducing our needs an sharing the excess we have with the less fortunate people around us.

Thyaagam tones up the heart of a person and makes him glow like a deepam which is known to exist in order to give light to the world.

கà¯￾றைவà¯￾à®®à¯￾, நிறைவà¯￾à®®à¯￾ | எணà¯￾ணஙà¯￾களினà¯￾ வணà¯￾ணகà¯￾ கலவை
 
There is saying that goes:

Men live for hundred years.Half of it is spent in sleep,half of the remaining time is spent in childhood and old age.
The remaining twenty five years are spent serving others and suffering due to sickness or separation from dear ones.
Thus when life is as unsteady as waves in water,where is any happiness for beings of this world?
 
There is an assumption that Brahmins were Happy and Contented in the past.

Were they?

I do not think that the Brahmins were Happy and Contented being Slaves in their own country. I do not think they were happy that Mother India was under the yoke of White men.

They were exploited by the land owning classes.

The fight against slavery was started by the Brahmins and not the land owning class.

என்று தணியும் இந்த சுதந்திர தாகம்

என்று மடியும் எங்கள் அடிமையின் மோகம்

We got independence because some Brahmins were not contented being slaves.
 
We are always talking about Materialism and how it has ruined our society.

But how has the society changed in the last 50 years.

The good things which have happened.

There is more equality now than ever before. All are considered equal before Law.

Less exploitation than ever before. The classes which have been oppressed for thousands of years by the society have a better deal.

Law and order better than ever before. The land owner can not kidnap the daughter of a poor Brahmin without any one asking any question.

Life in general is more comfortable for all.

Poverty has come down. People have clothes to dress. The days when people did not even have clothes to cover their nudity are over.

I can go on and on.

Yearning for the so called good old days we do tend to forget how horrible the society was then and how the Majority of the people were very poor. We also tend to gloss over the exploitation of the poor whether he be a Brahmin or a Dalit.
 
:welcome: back dear sir!

I am enthralled to see you back in the forum and a huge weight has been

lifted off my conscience since I had a doubt that I had done something-

unintentionally though - which lead to your disappearance from the forum.

Oh boy! I am relieved today. This is the best gift you could have given me on my 44th wedding day sir. Thank you very much! :pray2:
 
renuka said:
There is saying that goes:

Men live for hundred years.Half of it is spent in sleep,half of the remaining time is spent in childhood and old age.
The remaining twenty five years are spent serving others and suffering due to sickness or separation from dear ones.
Thus when life is as unsteady as waves in water,where is any happiness for beings of this world?
Click to expand...

dear Renu!

Deep sleep is the closest we can get to Atman and pure bliss! :sleep:

We are separated or freed from all the constraints of Time, place, abilities etc.

Why do you think most people will sleep on unless they have to earn a living???

Oru JaaN vayire illaattaa :hungry:

ulagaththil Ethu galaattaa?? :sleep:
 
These questions came to my mind:

1)Why do we make a virtue of contentment? Is it because we are afraid of the failures and the accompanying pain? Or is it because we feel inadequate to the task/situation and it is difficult to accept? Why not have a healthy desire for everything and try to achieve them? If we fail in achieving some of the goals let us accept that it is in the very scheme of things nurse our wounds and move on.

2)People who were apparently contented might have anxieties deep inside which they did not want to allow to take over. So the contentment was a facade after all.

3)Continuous failure and pain some times have a numbing effect and others may take it for contentment.

4)Brahmins were contented because they were not in active pursuit of goals which involved conflict, struggle,combat or risk. They were after spiritual goals which involved a struggle of a different sort. Their worldly needs wee taken care of by an economy which was a barter economy. Just 4 bananas a day are enough for a human being to live in this world with adequate energy to carry on life and its demands. The barter economy took care of that need very well. But the civilization moved from that to monetised economy. There was no way of monetising the services and the knowledge that brahmins possessed and offered. So whatever monetary/physical assets they had slowly melted and evaporated in course of time due to the family needs and they woke up to the reality late in the day. They started acquiring knowledge, skill etc the earnings from which can be monetised and thus they became a participant of the rat race.

5)Brahmins could have remained whatever they were earlier but the environment completely changed and that made them nay compelled them to change and adapt.They have partly won and partly lost in that process-won an enviable place in the new scheme of things and lost the old world charm/beauty/contentment/peace or what you call it(I dont get an apt word to express it here).

People may differ with my assessment of the situation. I am only eager to know different views.

Cheers.
 
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Nacchinarkiniyan said:
There is an assumption that Brahmins were Happy and Contented in the past.

Were they?

I do not think that the Brahmins were Happy and Contented being Slaves in their own country. I do not think they were happy that Mother India was under the yoke of White men.

They were exploited by the land owning classes.

The fight against slavery was started by the Brahmins and not the land owning class.

என்று தணியும் இந்த சுதந்திர தாகம்

என்று மடியும் எங்கள் அடிமையின் மோகம்

We got independence because some Brahmins were not contented being slaves.
Click to expand...
hi nachi sir,

MUDAR KAN VANAKKAM.....உங்களுக்கு முதற்கண் வணக்கம்.....மகாகவியின் முத்தான வார்த்தைகள்......british mutiny

started by brahmin soldier....MANGAL PANDEY......
 
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Deep sleep is the closest we can get to Atman and pure bliss!
Click to expand...

If Atman is the object to which we can get closest who is the subject who gets closest and who is the subject who speaks about this getting closest? And who enjoys this "pure bliss" the Atman or the "we"?
 
suraju06 said:
If Atman is the object to which we can get closest who is the subject who gets closest and who is the subject who speaks about this getting closest? And who enjoys this "pure bliss" the Atman or the "we"?
Click to expand...

You may not be subscribing to advaita view point, but what Smt VR said is quite correct. When "Atman" is viewed as an object, it is explained so from the view point of the "experiencer" - the "jeevan" which identifies itself, because of ajnaanam with the body, mind etc. though its natural identification should be with the brahman itself.

It is just like us telling that "Chennai has come" when our train reaches Chennai station, although Chennai has not moved
an inch, but it is we who are the one coming closer towards the Chennai station. Human being always talk from the self perspective.
 
renukaji

Here is Nice story from Sri. Sathya Sai Baba about Happiness, you will surely Enjoy reading it as i did.

Happiness comes from Giving.. Read on..

A rich lady went to visit a counsellor to seek out happiness. The counsellor instead of counselling her directly, called over the old lady who cleaned the office floors. The counsellor then said to the rich lady “I’m going to ask Mary here to tell you how she found happiness. All I want you to do is listen to her.”

So the old cleaning woman put down her broom and sat on a chair and told her story: “Well, my husband died of malaria and three months later my only son was killed by a car. I had nobody.. I had nothing left. I couldn’t sleep, I couldn’t eat, I never smiled at anyone, I even thought of taking my own life.

Then one evening a little kitten followed me home from work. Somehow I felt sorry for that kitten. It was cold outside, so I decided to let the kitten in. I got it some milk and the kitten licked the plate clean.


Then it purred and rubbed against my leg and for the first time in months, I smiled. Then I stopped to think, if helping a little kitten could make me smile, maybe doing something for people could make me happy. So the next day I baked some biscuits and took them to a neighbour who was sick in bed.

Every day I tried to do something nice for someone. It made me so happy to see them happy. Today, I don’t know of anybody who sleeps and eats better than I do. I’ve found happiness, by giving it to others.”

When she heard that, the rich lady cried. She had everything that money could buy, but she had lost the things which money cannot buy.



Happiness comes from giving | Bhagawan Sri Satya Sai Baba
 
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Dear Mr.Zee!
Thank you sir! :pray2:

I could not have explained it better myself!!! WOW!!!

What a cute simple example to drive home the point. :thumb:

My laptop would not get connected to the Internet till now.

Good that it did not, otherwise we all would have missed your brief,

beautiful and befitting reply!

Can I say one more time " Gee! Zee!! Thank Yee!!!" :yo:

P.S

I am reminded of the loottee/naughty college students who sang in chorus

(quite well too) the popular song modified as

"Kaatrinile varum naaththam " as the train approached Chennai a few years

ago. To this day I do not for sure whether it was their regular song or an

extempore! :first:
 
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