Can Money Give us Real Happiness of Life?

Money is one thing which is required by all of us to live a normal life. We all need money & without it our life seems incomplete. So we have a aim in life to earn money & the more we earn it, the more we feel satisfied in life. But, is money everything in life & can money give us Real Happiness in Life? With money we can buy many things & these things may make us happy for a short while, but such happiness does not last for a long time. If we need only material things to make us happy, then we live a pretty sad and unfulfilled life.

Happiness is not much to do with material goods or high achievements in life, rather it is all about our outlook on life. A poor person can be much happy in life than a rich person. One of the good way to be happy in life is to attain happiness by doing your work in life (whether it is your household duties, office job, teaching, managing children, doing social work etc.). Money that comes from your doing the job is only a fruit or by-product of doing your job. If we hate what we are doing and rely on the money that we earn to make us happy by buying products in the market, then we are living a meaningless life. True happiness in life comes from doing your job / work properly without caring much for the money it earns.

As per Bhagwat Gita also, it is doing your job / duty in a proper manner without caring much for the fruits or the money that it shall generate, gives true happiness in life. As per "Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Two verse 47", Lord Sri Krishna says to his disciple Arjuna:

"karmany vadhikaraste
ma phalesu kadachana
ma karma-phala-hetur bhur
ma te sango’stv akarmani"

"You have a right to perform your prescribed duty, but you are not entitled to the fruits of action. Never consider yourself the cause of the results of your activities, and never be attached to not doing your duty."

So as per Bhagwat Gita, money etc. are just the "by-products" of doing your duty. Main thing is that you do your duty with full devotion in life without caring much for the fruits or money it shall generate.

As per another Bhagwat Gita verse, true happiness of life comes not by hankering after the Material desires. One who is able to control his/her desires, finds peace in life & with peace comes happiness in life.

“aapurya-manam achala-prathistham
samudram apah pravishanti yadvat
tadvat-kama yam pravishanti sarve
sa shantim-apnoti na kama-kaami” (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter II verse 70)

"As the waters (of different rivers) enters the Great Ocean, which though full on all sides remains undisturbed, like wise a person who is not disturbed by the incessant flow of desires - can alone achieve peace, and not the man who runs after these desires & strives to satisfy such desires."

So let’s do our job / duty properly without much caring for, how much money it shall generate. Let’s not hanker after money unnecessarily & do the good work in life. Let’s enjoy our work & that selfless work only shall give us happiness in life. Also Love & appreciate your loved ones, your children, as loving them shall bring peace & happiness in your family life.

Jai Sri Krishna

Emotions Are Tricky

Do you know about emotions? Have you ever got emotional? How many types of emotions there are? How these emotions affect our life?

Emotions are basically the waves of feelings that arise in our mind. Due to these emotions our mind feels happy, distressed etc. There are many types of emotions that arise in our mind like love, hate, anger, jealousy, infatuation, fear, grief, compassion, happiness, distress, pain & pleasure etc. Out of these love, compassion, happiness, pleasure etc. are called positive emotions while hate, anger, fear, jealousy, infatuation, grief,distress, pain etc. are called negative emotions.

Emotions are required in our life as without these, one's life is mere mechanical. The difference between a robot & human being is that humans have emotions, feelings while a robot is not having that. Both robot & human being have intelligence but only humans have emotions, feelings etc. in their mind. Emotions make life pleasant, enjoyable unless until these are sensible and within limits. But when emotions are uncontrollable & beyond limits then mental equilibrium of a person is disturbed. Also negative emotions like hate, anger, jealousy, infatuation, grief, etc. destroy one's mental & physical health.

Bhagwat Gita is a great book which teaches us how to control our emotions & how to remain equipoise, calm when such emotions empower our mind. In ancient times "Arjuna" was involved in a war against his enemies (some of them his own relatives too) but he refused to do his duty of fighting a righteous battle as he got infatuated with emotions & started thinking of his enemies as his own near & dear ones. He told his master "Lord Sri Krishna" that he is going away from the war & do not want to fight on the battle field. Arjuna's mental equilibrium became disturbed due to negative emotions & he got deeply depressed. To overcome his disciple Arjuna's depression & to motivate him to fight a righteous war, "Lord Sri Krishna" gave the great teachings of "Bhagwat Gita" to his disciple "Arjuna". After listening to all these great teachings, Arjuna's mental health became well & he became motivated & energetic to fight the war.

As per Bhagwat Gita our true nature is that we are a "Soul" which is beyond mind. "Soul", our true self in this body of ours is a witness to everything while the drama of life with all the emotions in our mind goes on. "Soul" is only a witness & does not take part in this drama of life. All the emotions whether these are positive or negative arise in human mind only & we feel pain, pleasure etc. "Soul" is different from the mind but when we associate our true Soul nature with this mind, we also feel the qualities & emotions of this mind. The real tatva, the "Soul" is Satva & has no body, no mind, no intellect, no ahamkara (ego), no memory & no senses. "Soul" is beyond the body, the senses, the pranas and the four-fold interior substance consisting of the mind, intellect, ego and memory. Emotions are product of Maya; these are simply illusory, transient things & we should not associate our true self ("Soul") with these. We should know ourself to be that "Soul" who is beyond the unreal & should not be affected by the qualities of nature (Maya) which affect our mind.

Below are few verses of Bhagwat Gita which describe the above said:

"na-asato vidyate bhavo
nabhavo vidyate satah
ubhayor api drsto ’ntas
tv anayos tattva-darshibhih" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Two verse 16)

"Sri Krishna said: Arjuna, the unreal has no existence, and the real (soul) never ceases to be; the reality of both has thus been perceived by the seers of the truth."

"maatra-sparshas-tu kaunteya
shitosna-sukha-duhkha-dah
agamapayino-anityas
tams titiksasva bharata" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Two verse 14)

"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, the contact between the senses & their objects, which give rise to the feelings of heat & cold, happiness and distress, etc. are transitory & fleeting in nature, therefore Arjuna, one should not get swayed by these and one must learn to tolerate them without being disturbed by them."

"yam hi na vyathayanty ete
purusham purusharsabha
sama-duhkha-sukham dhiram
so ’mrtatvaya kalpate" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Two verse 15)

"Sri Krishna said: Arjuna, the wise human being to whom pain & pleasure, happiness and distress etc. are alike, and who is not tormented by these contacts i.e. remains steady in both is certainly eligible for liberation & immortality."

So we should not let our mind be swayed with these emotions in our life & in the midst of these emotions we should be rational. It is only when we are carried away with these emotions that we harm ourself or others with anger etc. So let's know our Soul nature which is beyond these emotions. Let's always establish ourself in the Soul nature so that our mind is not swayed with these emotions & is always calm, composed & peaceful.

Jai Shri Krishna

Peaceful Mind Is Key To Happiness

Just do a reality check in your daily day to day life. Check whether you remain stressful, tense, disturbed in mind or you remain calm, peaceful, happy in mind. If you remain stressful, tense, disturbed in mind then it shall lead to unhappiness while if you remain calm, peaceful in life then you shall be happy in life. We see this world through our mind so if our mind is peaceful; we enjoy the beauties of nature & love being born to enjoy this life. But if our mind remains tense, stressful, disturbed; life seems like a curse. We can never enjoy our life if our mind remains in a disturbed state of mind. So the key to happiness in life is that our mind remains calm & peaceful.

To understand your state of mind, you should introspect & see what are the reasons that your mind becomes stressful, tense & disturbed. If you throw a small stone in the calm, peaceful pond of water then ripples are generated in the pond. If you try to stop those ripples with your hand or any other means, more & more ripples are generated. Same is the case with our mind. When our peaceful mind is disturbed due to any reason in our life then trying to undo that situation is very difficult. So we should try to analyze in our life, what was the reason that caused those ripples in the first place in your peaceful mind. Also, in future you should try to stop such situations in your life.

The main reason why our mind remains disturbed is that we are not satisfied with our present state. If you have something, you are not happy with it. In your relations you may not have harmonious relations with your near & dear ones. If you have a particular amount of money with you, it seems less to you & you want more of it. Same is that, you have Greed for other things & don’t know how to enjoy the one’s you are already having.

To be peaceful at mind, the first & foremost thing is to be satisfied with what you have at present & try to make harmonious relations with the people all around you. Once you are able to do that then you shall find that you are better off & much peaceful. Just try to appreciate the positive aspects in your life & avoid pondering over negatives in life & that shall make you more peaceful. Also try to control your desires as unfulfilled desires are the ones which keep our mind disturbed.

Below are few verses of Bhagwat Gita which teaches, how a person of peaceful, unwavering and undisturbed mind behaves in life:

“aapurya-manam achala-prathistham
samudram apah pravishanti yadvat
tadvat-kama yam pravishanti sarve
sa shantim-apnoti na kama-kaami” (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter II verse 70)

"As the waters (of different rivers) enters the Great Ocean, which though full on all sides remains undisturbed, like wise a person who is not disturbed by the incessant flow of desires - can alone achieve peace, and not the man who runs after these desires & strives to satisfy such desires."

"sama-duhkha-sukhah sva-sthah
sama-lostasma-kanchanah
tulya-priyapriyo dhiras
tulya-nindatma-samstutih" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Fourteen verse 24)

Sri Krishna said to Arjuna: One who is situated in the Self (soul) and behaves same during happiness and distress; one who looks upon a lump of earth, a stone and a piece of gold with an equal eye; one who is equal toward the desirable and the undesirable; one who is situated equally well in praise and blame is the one who is of steady mind.

"manapamanayos tulyas
tulyo mitrari-pakshayoh
sarvarambha-parityagi
gunatitah sa ucyate" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Fourteen verse 25)

Sri Krishna said to Arjuna: One who is steady in honor and dishonor; one who treats alike both friend and enemy; and who has renounced all material activities—such a person is said to have transcended the three modes of nature & lives in a peaceful state of mind.

So if you want to have peace of mind in life, you need to be satisfied with what you have at present in life & should not hanker after those desirous objects which are beyond your reach. Just try to make harmonious relations with the people all around you & you shall feel peaceful & happy in life. Other than that turning your mind's attention towards God or Spiritual practices like listening to devotional songs (Bhazans), reading spiritual literature, chanting religious mantras, doing Yoga etc. shall also make your mind peaceful & the "Key to Happiness lies in a Peaceful Mind only".

Jai Sri Krishna

How to be Happy in Life

Happiness is a state of mind. It is a choice that we make in our life. If we choose our state of mind to be happy, then we feel happy, otherwise we feel sad.

In our life we have always options to choose & feel happy in all of the circumstances in our life. So always make a choice about happiness & not otherwise in your life.

We cannot be happy all of the time, but we certainly can be more fulfilled than others if we are having a positive attitude towards life & we handle all of the situations in life with rational & positive attitude. Happiness is not much to do with material goods or high achievements in life, rather it is all about our outlook on life.

Here below are few points which needs to be considered for happiness in one's life:

1) Believe in yourself. Your inner strength is your Soul strength, Mental strength which comes into action in your hard times, which defeats all of your negative symptoms of sadness, depression etc. in your life. In hard times your self confidence builds your low esteem. When you are passing through bad times, you have a feeling of self dejection & a feeling that you have lost all in life. In all such times, your Soul strength comes into play & if you believe in that inner Soul strength then you can easily over come all of your negative traits & can feel happy. Bhagwat Gita teaches us that we are a Soul which is indestructible & is having infinite powers in it. Problems in life, how big these may seem are too small in front of the infinite powers of your Soul. So believe in that Soul & it's inherent infinite powers. As our Soul is a spark of the Infinite, all powerful, all pervasive Universal Soul, so it's powers are also limit less. This soul present inside our human body, in fact gives strength to our mind to carry out all difficult tasks. Believing in oneself is nothing but believing in one's inner Soul. All fountains of knowledge & strength come out of this inner Soul only.

"You really have to look inside yourself and find your own inner strength, and say, "I'm proud of what I am and who I am, and I'm just going to be myself." Mariah Carey
2) Appreciate what you have: We generally do not appreciate the positive aspects in our lives. Our nature is to ponder on the negatives & what we don't have in life. To us others grass always seem greener. In fact we should appreciate what we already have. That shall give you a strength that at least you have been able to achieve that much. Do not compare yourself with someone very rich & with much more facilities & resources than you. Just see how good you are from those who lay a life along roadside without even having a roof over there head. We should be grateful to God for whatever we have in life. If you are able to thank God for, whatever, He has given you in life, then also you shall appreciate what you have in life. We should always focus on the positives in life. So let's start appreciating what we have. Appreciate what you have achieved in life till now. Appreciate your own looks & body. Appreciate the house you live in. Appreciate that you & your family are having good food while there are many who are not just having that also. Appreciate your loved ones, your children. Appreciation of yourself shall bring confidence in you, it shall also bring peace & happiness in your family life.

3) Have positives in your life: Just have positive traits in your life & you shall feel happy. Having a nature of Forgiveness shall remove unnecessary tensions in your life. Showing Gratitude towards others is also a positive aspect in life as it makes you humble & creates an environment of peace & harmony in your life. Have smile on your face & laugh a little in your life as it makes your mind cheerful. Don't be dormant in life & be physically active as active people are the one's who feel happiness in life.

4) Be peaceful in mind: To be peaceful at mind, the first & foremost thing is to be satisfied with what you have at present in life & try to make harmonious relations with the people all around you. Once you are able to do that then you shall find that you are better off & much peaceful. Other than this do little prayer daily to God & if you are able to find time then do little meditation daily, as meditation makes one's mind peaceful. Here below is a verse of Bhagwat Gita & as per that let's control our desires & let's not hanker after these desires. One who is able to control his/her desires finds peace in life & with peace comes happiness in life.

“aapurya-manam achala-prathistham
samudram apah pravishanti yadvat
tadvat-kama yam pravishanti sarve
sa shantim-apnoti na kama-kaami” (Gita: Chapter II verse 70)
"As the waters (of different rivers) enters the Great Ocean, which though full on all sides remains undisturbed, like wise a person who is not disturbed by the incessant flow of desires - can alone achieve peace, and not the man who runs after these desires & strives to satisfy such desires."

Happiness

Here below is a story from "Chhandogya Upanishad" where a son is questioning his father regarding happiness:

"Father, everyone is looking for happiness. But what is meant by happiness?" This was one of the questions a wise boy in India, Sveta-ketu, put to his father many centuries ago.

"Son, one of the signs of happiness, is that a person who has it becomes active in life. A person who does not find happiness does not feel like being active in life. His mind is cramped, his will is weak. What is vast and infinite brings happiness. There is no true joy in what is small or finite. I can tell you that the Infinite alone is happiness; but you must desire to understand this Infinite, my son."

"I want to understand it, Father," said Sveta-ketu.

"Good," said his father. "Then you must listen carefully to what I say and think deeply about it:

"When a person sees that Brahmn/God pervading everywhere and that no one is separate from Him, that he is one with all the people, animals, and objects in the universe, when a person sees and hears and knows nothing else -- that is the Infinite.

"But, if one sees or feels some other thing, obstructing him, separating him, then that is the finite. He has not yet found the Infinite.

"The Infinite never passes away; it lasts forever; but what is finite will pass away."

In the above story, father is teaching his son to realize that he is a soul & that soul is present in everyone & everywhere. This infinite Super Soul is called Brahmn. God himself is called Brahmn. Whole world dwells in Brahmn. Whole world comes from Brahmn. Whole world goes back in Brahmn. Whole world breathes in Brahmn. Let's worship that Brahmn, the God. Finding & realizing one's identity with the infinite Super Soul is finding the real happiness.

Below are few verses of Bhagwat Gita where God is also telling of His nature to be as described above only:

"maya tatam idam sarvam
jagad avyakta-murtina
mat-sthani sarva-bhutani
na chaham tesv avasthitah" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Nine verse 4)

"Sri Krishna said: By Me, in My unmanifested form, this entire universe is pervaded. All beings are in Me, but I am not in them."

"athakasa-sthito nityam
vayuh sarvatra-go mahan
tatha sarvani bhutani
mat-sthanity upadharaya" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Nine verse 6)

"Sri Krishna said: Understand that as the mighty wind, blowing everywhere, rests always in the sky, all created beings rest in Me."

"prakritim svam avastabhya
visrijami punah punah
bhuta-gramam imam krtsnam
avasam prakriter vasat" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Nine verse 8)

"Sri Krishna said: The whole cosmic order is under Me. Under My will it is automatically manifested again and again, and under My will it is annihilated at the end."

"aham atma gudakesha
sarva-bhutasaya-sthitah
aham adis cha madhyam cha
bhutanam anta eva cha" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Ten verse 20)

"Sri Krishna said: I am the Super Soul, O Arjuna, seated in the hearts of all living entities. I am the beginning, the middle and the end of all beings.

Money & Happiness of Life

What do you think, how the happiness in life comes to you? Is it earning lot's of money in life & enjoying it or is it doing your duty without caring much for money & taking the life & money as it comes? As per Bhagwat Gita, it is doing your duty in a proper manner without caring much for the fruits or the money that it shall generate. As per "Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Two verse 47", Lord Sri Krishna says to his disciple Arjuna:

"karmany vadhikaraste
ma phalesu kadachana
ma karma-phala-hetur bhur
ma te sango’stv akarmani"

"You have a right to perform your prescribed duty, but you are not entitled to the fruits of action. Never consider yourself the cause of the results of your activities, and never be attached to not doing your duty."

So as per Bhagwat Gita, money etc. are just the "by-products" of doing your duty. Main thing is that you do your duty with full devotion in life without caring much for the fruits or money it shall generate. Here below are comments on money of a Singapore’s Youngest Millionaire Mr. Adam Khoo (Adam Khoo is an entrepreneur, a best-selling author and a peak performance trainer. A self-made millionaire by the age of 26, he owns and runs several businesses in education, training, event management and advertising, all with a combined annual turnover of $30 million.).

As per Adam Khoo in one of his Blog Post reproduced by Mr. Amitabh Bachchan in his blog:

"Recently, someone came up to me on a plane to KL and looked rather shocked. He asked, ‘How come a millionaire like you is traveling economy?’ My reply was, ‘That’s why I am a millionaire. ‘ He still looked pretty confused. This again confirms that greatest lie ever told about wealth (which I wrote about in my latest book ‘Secrets of Self-Made Millionaires’ ). Many people have been brainwashed to think that millionaires have to wear Gucci, Hugo Boss, Rolex, and sit on first class in air travel. This is why so many people never become rich because the moment that earn more money, they think that it is only natural that they spend more, putting them back to square one.

The truth is that most self-made millionaires are frugal and only spend on what is necessary and of value. That is why they are able to accumulate and multiply their wealth so much faster. Over the last 7 years, I have saved about 80% of my income while today I save only about 60% (because I have my wife, mother in law, 2 maids, 2 kids, etc. to support). Still, it is way above most people who save 10% of their income (if they are lucky). I refuse to buy a first class ticket or to buy a $300 shirt because I think that it is a complete waste of money. However, I happily pay $1,300 to send my 2-year old daughter to Julia Gabriel Speech and Drama without thinking twice.

When I joined the YEO (Young Entrepreneur’ s Organization) a few years back (YEO is an exclusive club open to those who are under 40 and make over $1m a year in their own business) I discovered that those who were self-made thought like me. Many of them with net worth's well over $5m, traveled economy class and some even drove Toyota’s and Nissans (not Audis, Mercs, BMWs).

I noticed that it was only those who never had to work hard to build their own wealth (there were also a few ministers’ and tycoons’ sons in the club) who spent like there was no tomorrow. Somehow, when you did not have to build everything from scratch, you do not really value money. This is precisely the reason why a family’s wealth (no matter how much) rarely lasts past the third generation. Thank God my rich dad (oh no! I sound like Kiyosaki) foresaw this terrible possibility and refused to give me a cent to start my business.

Then some people ask me, ‘What is the point in making so much money if you don’t enjoy it?’ The thing is that I don’t really find happiness in buying branded clothes, jewellery or sitting first class. Even if buying something makes me happy it is only for a while, it does not last. Material happiness never lasts, it just give you a quick fix. After a while you feel lousy again and have to buy the next thing which you think will make you happy. I always think that if you need material things to make you happy, then you live a pretty sad and unfulfilled life.

I think the point I want to put across is that happiness must come from doing your life’s work (be in teaching, building homes, designing, trading, winning tournaments etc.) and the money that comes is only a by-product. If you hate what you are doing and rely on the money you earn to make you happy by buying stuff, then I think that you are living a life of meaninglessness."

So the above views of Mr. Adam Khoo clearly say the same thing what "Bhagwat Gita" teaches, that money is not what gives you the real happiness of life, rather it is doing your duty in a proper way. Money is just the by-product of doing your duty. So do your duty efficiently without much hankering for the fruits or money it shall generate.