He who has realised the supreme truth wishes the same for everyone. He is experiencing bliss and is surprised to see you drowning in sorrow, suffering, when actually there is no reason to be sad.

Your sorrows rest on your false supports. You are the begetter of your pain. You alone build your own pyre, you alone light it, you alone fuel that fire, and then cry aloud for freedom from pain and yet, you refuse to move away from it!

Check Your Eligibility

The Enlightened Ones may wish, pray and even bless you for happiness, but you will not benefit as long as you are like the pot that lies upside down when it rains. How can it ever get filled if it believes that his is the right way? Even if thousands of clouds pour, it will remain empty.

Some pots may not be upside down but they are cracked. Moreover, they even take pride in being so. If they consider their holes as ornamentation, then even in heavy rain and while facing upwards, they will remain empty. They will get filled but become empty immediately.

A young man goes to a Sufi fakir and says, “I have been to many saints but my problem has remained unresolved. Now, I have come to you with great hope.” The fakir said, “I am going to a well. Come along with me. Your problem may get solved while filling water. But I have a condition. When I am fetching water, you mustn’t speak, even if you see ten million reasons to do so. If you can keep your control, I promise I will solve your problem.” The young man thought, ‘what do I care about filling water? Why should I speak?’ But a difficulty arose when he saw the fakir fetch water from the well with a bucket that had many holes. Once, twice, thrice, … each time he put the bucket into the well and brought it up, it came out empty. The young man couldn’t keep quiet, and blurted out, “Even if you try for lives, this bucket will not get filled.” The fakir said, “You broke the condition. You must leave. You are not eligible to become my disciple. If you knew so much, what was the need for you to come to me?”

The young man left from there, but the words of the fakir haunted him. He realised that certainly, there is some secret message in it. He couldn’t sleep that night. He returned to the fakir, bowed at his Lotus Feet and said, “Please forgive me. I could not fulfil your condition.” The fakir said, “I had just that much to tell you. If the bucket has holes, it can never get filled with water, even if you try for lives and the well is full of water! This you could see. Now, you check yours. Yours is also cracked.” Similarly, if you do not open up to the Enlightened Ones or are filled with strong insistences of your false beliefs then your pot will either not get filled with the nectar like wisdom or even if it gets filled it will become empty in no time.

Stop Creating Obstacles

Nectar is being showered every moment. There is presence of the Divine at all times. There is light all around, yet you are in darkness. Surely, your eyes are shut. You cry that there is darkness, but don’t open your eyes! You must be seeing some gain, some comfort in keeping your eyes closed. You have created a strong bond with suffering.

The Enlightened Ones give blessings. They wish for your spiritual welfare, for your life to become fragrant, and full of music and dance. They want the lotus within you to blossom. But this is possible only if you let it happen. You keep erecting obstacles. No one can forcibly make you happy.

All your understanding is firmly rooted in sorrows. Even though you may say that you want to be happy, your endeavours to become happy end up making you sad. Your life is running on a wrong track. If you want to be happy you will have to show readiness to change your faulty ways. Without your support, the blessings will not bear fruits.

Religion is an Art of Happiness

If you become truly religious, you will surely become happy, for religiousness is to be always happy. But your beliefs about religion are so rigid that there is no scope for transformation. You are ready to become sad, but not prepared to change your perspective. You can neither see a religious person happy, nor can you coin a happy person religious. You have linked religiousness with suffering. However, religion is undoubtedly an annihilation of all sorrows.

You talk of liberation but take the path of suffering. You plan for suffering and hope for happiness. You are cheating yourself; making a mockery of yourself. You throw the banana peel, slip on it, and cry. If you realise that you alone are responsible for this, you can bring about a revolution. You can become truly religious.

The religious one does not create sadness; hence, he is always happy. Religion is the art to stay happy, a means to remain joyful. Religion means cheerfulness, happiness, and joyfulness, always. You do become happy, but only when your desires are fulfilled! Now you must work towards ‘always’. To remain happy ‘always’ is the practice of religion.

Those who are facing failures in the world, who are experiencing mental stress, who are unhappy, restless, or disturbed go to religious places to get rid of their pain and sorrow. Therefore, religious places have become like hospitals. To realise one’s failure and sorrows is the preparatory step to the holy pilgrimage, but if you get stuck there, you will remain unhappy even on the journey. If you have the right understanding of the pain and desire to get rid of it, then it will become possible to be free from it. Begin with the positive resolution – ‘I wish to practice religion, I wish to be happy and peaceful and that is possible.’ Negative attitude such as ‘I am sad, I will remain unhappy’ can never make you free from suffering.

Incorrect Understanding of Religion

Those who always stay happy, their lives become free from sorrows, pain, stress, and suffering. Their personality becomes stress-free, peaceful and joyful. Such people alone get invitation from God. Such seekers alone qualify for moksha. An unhappy, sad and troubled person cannot reach the portals to the Lord’s abode. Then why do the so-called religious people look serious, sad, tortured and tensed? Is being religious synonymous with being sad or are they opposites of each other?

Not understanding the nature of religion from a Sadguru, people have misunderstood it as being sad and serious. It is believed that one who is happy and smiling is superficial; while someone who is sad and serious is profound. But actually, the aspirant who always remains happy is truly religious. His bliss expresses as song, dance, love, and compassion. Religiousness is not the helplessness of the ill. It is an adventure. It is full of zeal, festivity, heroism, and right endeavour.

Today, man thinks twice before he gives a smile. He becomes happy in measured quantity. But happiness should be natural and constant, reflecting the true nature of the Self. Having understood the nature of dharma incorrectly, people behave in odd ways, as though one has taken the vow of ‘not being happy’. Offerings and worships filled with sadness are not at all acceptable to the Lord. Every moment should be spent in happiness and such moments alone should be offered at the Lord’s Lotus Feet. That is real worship.

How Should We Make a Beginning?

The saints guide us –

1. First, begin with wherever you can stay happy.
2. Then, win those events where there are lesser chances of staying happy.
3. After that, conquer those moments where it seems impossible to stay happy.

Embark on the journey of happiness. This alone is the real pilgrimage.