starting to get to connected to your higherself

Happiness is a part of our spiritual nature. In Sanskrit, that nature is called sat-chit-ananda. The word sat means eternal. The soul is eternal and its natural tendencies are also eternal. The word chit means knowledge, especially the higher spiritual knowledge that is connected with our eternal nature. In our natural and fully realized spiritual position, we are full of knowledge, and we know what to do and how to do it--in other words, no confusion. The word ananda means full of bliss. Again, the eternal, awakened nature of the soul is to always be full of happiness. It is always within us. The problem with attaining this bliss is that before we are fully connected with our higher Selves, we search for it outside of us. Thinking our inner joy comes from something external only contributes to our confusion and frustration. It adds to our misidentification of who and what we really are, and what we really need. The fact is, our body alone cannot make us happy. It is a machine in which we exist, although we may feel fairly pleased with it when we are healthy and in good shape. Likewise, our mind alone cannot make us happy. What we seek is deeper than that. Finding the happiness within may not always be easy, but it is impossible to find it elsewhere.

To be convinced that our search for happiness should be in things outside ourselves is what shuts us out from finding the happiness already within us. What value is our happiness if we must work hard and struggle for it? That merely means we are looking in the wrong direction. Sure, maybe we do have to work hard, but that should not be the cause of either our happiness or distress. We attain happiness from what we learn, what we accomplish, and the experience or personal progress we derive from it. This is especially powerful when what we do is connected with how our inner Self is revealed.

Our spiritual nature may come out of ourselves and manifest in many ways. For example, on a most basic level, someone may be born artistic, and art may play a great part in the ways one expresses himself and attains happiness. Someone else may be born with a natural tendency for cooking and feel completely content in the kitchen. Another may feel best by learning nursing and helping others who are suffering. There are so many ways in which such inherent abilities and talents may lead us toward what we are meant to do, and the happiness for which we look. Thus, a key to happiness is finding our talents and being able to do them. Without that, we may pass through life lethargically.

An important point is that happiness and enthusiasm come from doing what you like, liking what you do, and feeling that you are contributing to the betterment of others by doing it. Or that you are providing something that is needed by the community which is appreciated. This is connected with feeling happy by serving others, or helping make others happy. As a person matures, he or she will naturally gravitate toward doing something for which he or she has a calling. What may have been done out of duty in the beginning will give way to what needs to be done for fulfillment. And that may very well be an activity that is closer to the natural connectedness or intuitive knowing that is calling the individual from the higher Self. Once a person does whatever her calling is, or incorporates this new activity or lifestyle, she almost always finds that not only is she more inspired [in spirit], but will be an inspiration to others as well. You have no idea how many people are just waiting to be inspired, and you may be the one to provide the example for which they are waiting.



HAPPINESS FROM HELPING OTHERS


To channel your energy toward helping others is a sure way to inspire those around you. This is, in fact, a practical way for you to find happiness. Especially in working to help the poor or those who are less fortunate than you. Helping others who are in need is a positive way to bring about your own happiness because such service is a genuine part of our spiritual nature.

There are many ways you can do this. You can directly work with those in need. Or you can donate the results of your work, either financially or with ready-made products, or with time given to worthy causes that improve the world and help others. And such beneficial acts will leave your mark, however insignificantly, for other's benefit. This is real fame. In whatever way you do this, you can not go wrong. Voluntary service to help others always brings happiness.

Such kindness is of three kinds. One kind is to show compassion to a person's material body through auspicious deeds, such as providing food to the hungry, giving water to the thirsty, medicine to the sick and clothes to the poor. Another type is to give knowledge to benefit one's mind and intellect. The third type is to show kindness for one's soul. This helps relieve a person from worldly suffering by giving him knowledge of his spiritual position and relationship to the Supreme. This actually surpasses all other levels of kindness. This is what is needed most because it can relieve all other forms of suffering.

In fact, it is explained in such ancient Vedic texts as the Garuda Purana that as one makes spiritual progress, if a person does not engage in kindness and compassion to others, one's life is merely superficial. Thus, such people distant themselves from finding true happiness. Such people prove themselves to be primarily interested in their own temporary pleasure of the mind and senses. Thus, they do not take the time to help others, or at least without their own interest in mind. If a person says he is trying to find true happiness yet does not make any attempt to assist others, he is far from understanding his spiritual identity and reaching his connectedness with his inner Self, which is also connected with all other beings. The fact is, we are all spiritual in essence, and on that level we are all equal and related to one another. If one is unhappy to see the distress of others and happy to see their legitimate happiness, he is on the right path toward spiritual understanding. Why? Because when one feels the happiness and distress of others as his own, that is the essence of the principle of real nonviolence and compassion, and practical spiritual vision. As it is further explained, if one has a body, which itself is temporary and may perish at any moment, and does not use it and its possessions and wealth to some degree for the benefit of others, then his body and all that belongs to it is considered to be merely a source of trouble.1

This brings us to our next point, that to be happy you must know how to use wealth properly.



USING WEALTH PROPERLY


The desire of most people is to acquire money. With money, so much can be done. It may be needed to buy food, pay rent, or take care of one's family. Yet, what most people want is to engage in less than virtuous activities. So how can money bring true happiness if it is used incorrectly, or for the wrong reasons? In such a case, it is better not to have too much money.

Though wealth may help bring an ease to life and freedom from certain problems, it is never the cause of real happiness. Even the wealthy have their share of anxiety and fear, sometimes more than those who are not so wealthy. Thus, real happiness is beyond all that. After all, as we look around we can plainly see that all men, no matter whether they be of high or low positions, experience great labor, fear, and anxiety in their attempt to attain, increase, protect, or enjoy their wealth. Even if a person who has grown up with easy money should ever lose his wealth, he will find that those who have become attached to him, such as brothers, wife and friends, may even break off their affectionate dealings or even abandon him. They may even squabble and become angry with him over small amounts of money. So we should ask, how much happiness can there be in such endeavors?2

One reason why this happens is that out of all that attracts a person in this material existence, wealth and riches bewilders one's intelligence more than anything else. It can become like an intoxicant. Even having a beautiful body or being born in an aristocratic family, or being greatly learned does not invoke the bewilderment and false pride that comes from having wealth. The biggest problem is that when one is not morally sound or spiritually motivated, he will use his wealth in wasteful ways, spending it not on altruistic or beneficial projects, but in enjoying intoxicants, women, gambling, and other frivolous activities. Thus, not only is one's wealth wasted, but also his life.3

From this point, a man may engage in violence, thievery, duplicity, enmity, and other malevolent activities because of his concern for protecting or acquiring more and more money.4 Because of this kind of greed, even the famous and virtuous lose their credibility and good qualities.5 So, actually, the wealth of such misers allows them no happiness. In fact, by accumulating money by questionable means, it is the cause of their own self-torment, although they may be so self-absorbed that it may be oblivious to them. In spite of his wealth and opulence, a rich man who is controlled by his mind and senses, greedy to attain more power and money, suffers from unnecessary labor, insomnia and fear for various reasons. They suffer anxiety and problems due to government laws, police, or the threat of thieves, enemies, cheating family members, and time itself.6 Furthermore, when he dies, his nefarious activities and wasted lifestyle gives him nothing but a journey to hell. He may think he is enjoying now, but it is for naught.7 This is obviously not the direction that anyone should go if they want real happiness.

Basically there are two ways of using money--materially or spiritually. Money is naturally required. You cannot live without it, at least not in our present society. If one has enough money to maintain body and soul together, lives by an honest means without unnecessary efforts, and keeps his life honest and simple, he will find that happiness is not difficult to achieve. He has what he needs and time to enjoy life, too. Furthermore, if such a person can also use a portion of his or her money for spiritual purposes, or to help alleviate the problems of others, that will make one's life even more complete. Otherwise, it is said that money will simply become a burden that pays the way to a lower existence in the future.8 However, if a person is spiritually oriented and knows how to use money for the spiritual benefit of him or herself and others, then there is no amount of money that is too great. Yet, such a person is rare. Even those with the best of intentions can be inappropriately swayed when too much wealth is accumulated.

Therefore, it is advised that a person should divide his or her money into five parts--one part for their religion and spiritual growth, one part for their own good character, one part for material necessities, one part for enjoyment, and one part for maintaining family.9 According to preferences, these may be divided in different ratios. If one has few needs, or a small family, then larger portions can be used for spiritual pursuits or helping others. By this means, a person can be happy in this world and in the next.

If one is born in an especially auspicious and materially opulent situation, such as in an aristocratic family, or with wealth, beauty, etc., but is not proud, and uses his or her life and wealth properly, that person is considered to be favored by God. Because he realizes that all he has are the gifts of God, he uses his possessions in the service of the Supreme and for the spiritual well-being of all. Such a person is never disturbed even while surrounded by great opulence. However, if such a person becomes arrogant over his possessions and property, and uses his money with selfish intent, then he will join the ranks of those heading downward as described in the few previous paragraphs.10 One must know how to use money in the right way if he or she wants real happiness, and not merely for the easy and temporary stimulations that money can buy. For these often merely pave the way for distress, anxiety and future problems.



HAPPINESS IN KNOWING YOUR SELF


On the most elementary basis, you must know yourself: You must know what you want, what you need, what you desire, what you love, and what you are stuck with and what you can change. Some of these may be more practical than others. I mean you may want and desire to live in a multimillion dollar mansion, but you may have to settle for less. Besides, you must decide how that would benefit you. A multi-storey mansion may be too big, require too much labor, cleaning, and expenditures than a smaller house. So work with what is most reasonable. Change what you can if you feel you must change anything, and accept your limitations and work with them rather than try to avoid or hide them. In other words, don't make things difficult for yourself by unnecessarily trying to be more than you are, or have more than you need. Be practical, and then grow and develop at your own pace. Nonetheless, don't be stuck with what you feel you can outgrow. What you feel is holding you back may be nothing more than life requiring you to develop the means which will catapult you to higher potentials, and closer to your spirituality and inner connectedness with God, rather than leaving you stifled by restrictions. Once you get more connected with your higher Self, you will realize that you, or your mind, are your own worst limiting force. The real spiritual you is beyond material limitations. If you think otherwise, it means that you simply have not yet discovered your true, dynamic potential.

To put it another way, life may force you to get out of your comfort zone, or out of the box, so to speak, in order for you to test your limitless nature. Most people can only do this to a certain degree in any one lifetime. But don't hold yourself back when it comes to discovering your real spiritual identity. Once you do, it's a whole different world. You may be ready for it, or maybe not. Don't worry, it's not scary. You are not limited by age, race, sex, your physical condition, your mental or educational abilities, or whatever. But once you enter that doorway of truly recognizing your spiritual Self, the possibilities are endless. You never knew you had so many beautiful facets of your Self. You cannot even fathom them all. Nonetheless, that is where you want to be. I'll explain more as we proceed through the book.

Following a spiritual path to perceive our higher Self is one of the most unique adventures life has to offer. On this quest one can understand that there is a divine order to things--everything is happening for a reason. What may be reversals in life now may be only preparations for the better things yet to come, which may not manifest unless you were to experience whatever trials are happening now. When you look at life as a spiritual unfolding, then everything in life has a reason, a purpose. And that purpose is for your ultimate good, your ultimate development. Or it is to help you find your full potential, at least if you don't miss the message. In that light, no matter what happens, you are always getting better, wiser, higher, and closer to who and what you really are.

In the meantime, God and the spiritual energy that originates from Him is always supporting you. You simply need to be open to it and let it in to help you with any difficulties. With this point of view, even difficult times become easy. Unfortunately, if you are too egotistical, if you try to be too self-indulgent, too in control, you can miss it. You can fail to get the message. It's still there, but you will miss the opportunity to accept the support that is coming from God. Every situation gives us an opportunity to make it the most we can, to make ourselves the best we can.

In attaining happiness by knowing your Self, you may also begin to recognize that such feelings as sadness, disappointment, fear, anger, guilt, etc., are all temporary states of mind, and are minor obstacles. There may be so many reasons for such feelings, but don't listen to them too much. And even though they must be acknowledged and dealt with, you still need to rise above these to reach a state of constant happiness, or the state of tranquility and spirituality. If the mind is too busy telling you what it wants and what you should do and how you should feel, you cannot be receptive to inner guidance, or hear the voice of God, so to speak. Absorbed in your adverse feelings, you may think that life is unfair and that no one cares for you, not even God. Your mind may create a whirlpool of downward emotions. But how is God supposed to cut through all that without taking some drastic measures that may force you to sit down, take a look around, and reevaluate things? Such lessons may be required to learn points the hard way. This is why many yogis and spiritual teachers explain how we need to rise above the dictates of the mind, or quiet the mind, in order to connect with the soul, our real identity, which is beyond the body and mental platform. This is important to help perceive who we really are, and what we really are meant to do with ourselves and our real position in the universe. Only by understanding this can you make a connection with the Complete Beingness of the creation, and connect with your true destiny. Then you can know your purpose for being here and be truly happy and feel fulfilled in what you do in life. We must remember that spiritual growth is primarily an internal journey, but our progress can manifest externally in so many ways. And one of those ways is to invoke peace and happiness into our lives from within, regardless of our present situation.

So another key point is to learn your soul's purpose and then follow your destiny. This destiny is like flowing with the river of life which will take you where you need to be at the right time, and when you need to be there, even though there will be challenges. Things that come easy often do not give as much happiness nor provide the means to develop ourselves as something that requires a challenge. Remember, anything requires a little austerity or self-sacrifice, no matter whether it is starting your own business, raising a family, or even getting connected to your soul or going to heaven. Don't be afraid of the hardships. Actually, they are only lessons trying to show us something within ourselves that we haven't gotten right yet. Now is our chance to get it right.

So in spite of whatever difficulties we go through, we can rise above it. That is our challenge, or our life's lesson. Don't fail the classroom by begrudging it, no matter what it may be, only to have a similar test later on. The challenge is our experience, it is not our identity. We have to begin to separate our identity from whatever may be happening around us. They are two different things. We are still able to be independently happy if we want to be.

Actually, why shouldn't the world be a difficult place? It is meant to give us the lessons for us to get closer to learning what we really are, until we eventually find out. The world is not our real home, and the only reason why life may seem challenging is that we want so many things that the world actually does not provide, or it provides them for only temporary lengths of time. For example, don't look for security in a world that offers only insecurity through constant change. This is common sense. The world, and everything in it, is always changing. All great sages, wise men and scripture will tell you to be detached from the temporary. Why do you think they are teaching you that? Because you cannot be happy while being attached, or identifying with, that which constantly changes through ups and downs, life and death, beginnings and endings. This duality is foreign to our spiritual nature, which makes it obvious that we will never be truly happy while trying to make arrangements for it within this temporary world. It just does not work. Sure, we can be happy in between the problems and tribulations. That is what so many are forced to contend with, feeling whatever temporary relief there may be between problems, until they again are dealing with dilemmas while hoping things will improve. But who wants to downgrade to that if there is something better? Believe me, you have no idea how much better it can be until you have personally perceived your own spiritual nature. That's when the fireworks go off. Then you'll wonder, "Why didn't I ever see things this way before? What's been wrong with me? Old too soon, smart too late." Well, folks, we don't want to get stuck in these limitations. And how to be free of that is what we are revealing.



HAPPINESS IN LOVE


This is another kind of happiness, being in love with someone, which is essential for most people. Do you ever notice that when people are in love with someone special, who reciprocates their love, they seem to be in a better mood, like they love the whole world? In our search for happiness, a major motivational factor is that we all want to love and be loved. Loving is a natural state, a part of the eternal nature of the soul. However, while thinking we are this body, we often look for love through bodily affection. Thus, we try to be happy by attempting to satisfy the body or mind by finding someone who will give us the affection we desire. We figure once we find that other person, then everything will be great.

One thing we need to understand in our search for happiness is that you don't need someone else to make you complete. The key is to know that you already are a complete person. Don't depend on others for your self-esteem and happiness. You don't need to expect that from outside yourself. But, of course, you can let someone you love add to the joy and happiness you already have. Nothing wrong with that. But, if you don't have it on your own, don't think that merely by having another person will fill in the emptiness. That is expecting too much, especially if the person you are with is desiring the same from you. Such a partnership or marriage will never last. Have you ever noticed that just as relationships between people can be a source of happiness, most of the problems that people have come from relationships?

The point is that your life and happiness do not actually depend on anyone else. This sort of happiness that is dependent on others is based on the illusion that you are your body and you are not complete without another body to keep you company. If you are not happy with yourself, you cannot be happy just by being with another man or woman because your real identity is not being half a person, waiting for the other half to show up.

Some people have been waiting a long time, and they still have not found that special person. Or they thought they did and learned they made a big mistake. So they're still waiting and still searching for the happiness. But no, you have to be happy with yourself before you can be truly happy with anyone else. Then when you are happy with yourself, you will be much more selective about who are your friends and who you are with. And you'll be much happier and fulfilled just by being with yourself. Then if you do meet someone special, the joy, love and happiness between the two of you will be much more fulfilling and mature. You will be a complete person meeting another complete person. What does that mean? It means there will be two, that's right, two complete persons coming together, instead of two halves of a whole, even though some people like to say that because it sounds romantic or something. To me it sounds more problematic. It means without one the other is not complete. Right? Now who wants that? If I want to be with someone, I don't want them to be half a person. Then you'll be trying to figuring out which half you want, top or bottom, right or left. . . No, I'll take a whole person please. I think that would be more fun anyway. Ok, ok, I'll get serious again.

Yes, the ultimate happiness is to love and be loved, but higher than a personal relationship is the love for the universe, or God, and knowing that all things are a part of that. In this way, your universal love encompasses all beings and all parts of God. All other kinds of love are merely leading up to that, or are instruments that direct us toward that kind of all-inclusive and spiritual love.

We are all looking to give our love, to give our Selves, to an all-loving person. But such a lover, such a fulfilling and never-ending relationship can only be found on the spiritual level of existence. Everything else, all other relations come and go, or end with death, bound by the restrictions found in bodily relations. However, Truth is the divine and eternal knowledge of the soul. All relations that are based on this Truth are also eternal, though the form of the relationship may change. Thus, as we become closer to truly understanding our higher Selves, we are all the wiser not to compromise our relations to anything less than that which is spiritual. Or at least we can gradually raise whatever we have to the spiritual level. In that state of being, all of our relations take on new meaning and reach a higher purpose, a higher sense of stability, wherein there is also a higher state of happiness.

That ultimate state of loving happiness can only be attained within a relationship centered on the Complete, the Complete Person, the Supreme Being. Once our relations are centered in that direction, there will be no other love that can compare. It is, indeed, the happiness for which we are always seeking