THE
SEARCH FOR HAPPINESS
©
Dick Rauscher
When
we begin the search for happiness, there are two old sayings that can
be very helpful. The first says that we will become what we think about..
If we are dissatisfied and unhappy with our present life, it means
that we need to begin thinking about the life we would like. However,
the second old saying reminds us that we must either accept the responsibility
of designing a life we want, or be willing to accept the often unhappy
reality of living a life that someone else has designed for us. We
can blame others for our present situation, or we can take responsibility
for our present situation.....but we can’t do both. We must choose
our path. We cannot change that which we refuse to accept about ourselves.
This means that if we are going to design a new and happier life for
our selves, we must we willing to take full responsibility for the
life that we have consciously or unconsciously created for ourselves
up to this moment. Most of the unhappiness and stress in our lives
comes from each of us thinking that we are the center of the universe
and each of us is trying to change the reality of our world from what
it is, into how we think it should be. But the world is a pretty big
place, and it’s saying no to us. Creating a happier life requires a life long commitment of developing the skills and spiritual disciplines
needed to live each moment of our lives with what is.
One
day a young fish wanted to find the ocean. He had been told that if
he could find the ocean, he would discover happiness and the very meaning
of life itself. Every one he asked told him that to find the ocean,
he would have to study, work hard, be very good and faithful, obey
all the religious rules, and pray very hard. For years he studied,
worked hard, prayed hard, obeyed the rules and tried to be a good and
faithful fish. After many years of struggle he still had not found
the ocean and he was very unhappy and discouraged. Some said he was
having a mid-life crisis when he set out on a spiritual journey one
day to find the oldest and wisest fish in the sea. Everyone assured
him that the oldest and wisest fish was very knowledgeable in such
spiritual matters. It was said that the oldest and wisest fish lived
at the very bottom of the sea. It was a long and difficult journey,
but after many days he came upon the wise old fish. He approached the
enlightened one and asked him how he could find the ocean. The wise
old fish simply laughed and took him in as a student.
The great teachers of every religious and spiritual tradition have taught that
peace and happiness are like love and wisdom, they can never be found out in
the world because they are not of the world!. Thus they cannot be earned and
we cannot work to get them. In fact they laughed and told us we already possess
all the peace and happiness there is! They urged us to remove the veils of
our own ego driven beliefs and desires so we could discover the simple truth
that happiness and peace are simply experienced, but only when we turn our
focus inward thru self awareness.
All of creation is sacred. We cannot create a spiritual life. We are already
living one. We cannot find happiness. We already have it. Is it possible that
we can develop the ability to see clearly the sacred that surrounds us? Is
it possible that we could learn to remove the veils of our own egos that keep
us from experiencing the happiness that we already possess? Could we learn
to live gently and peacefully with what is? If so, the spiritual teachers remind
us that it is a work that we can do only for ourselves.
|
|
