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The text Silent Happiness and Longing is a continuation of the text on how to change old and create master habits.
Read on in this article about the differences between euphoric and quiet happiness, basic human needs, how one can win the battle with ego, where people’s insecurity comes from, whether desire brings anything good, about self-control, whether craving for food and quiet, calm happiness in the relationship.
Each of us met at least one person in life who euphorically jumps around telling us that he is perfectly calm and happy.
Many of us saw so called spiritual people, usually these are Westerners, who will move through the air like a ghosts having a faraway look in their eyes but looking down on everybody who does not.
Nothing is bad. Neither jumping around nor the faraway look, both can be very tender even sexy.
What matters is the scenery of the ghosts in mind.
We have exactly the same basic biological needs like animals. We have to breath, to eat, to drink water, to exercise prolongation of our species, to sleep, to relax and we also have to move around.
Now, even if we all often have wish to escape from other people because they make us unhappy – so we think and act – we cannot live without other people because we are social beings. And we have our social needs. Even animals in some variations have social needs.
Our social needs are to be recognized and appreciated in the society, a need for security, a need to love and to be loved or to belong somewhere, to someone. The inner drive or that what is motivating us in life is a need for achievement.
The inner drives vary from person to person as well as from one social system to another. There are people who have need to get into the last model of Mercedes from the year 2023 but it is not, really, a need for achievement.
Real inner drives in humans are need for independence and, the most essential and wonderful features of man, a need for self-realization and creativity in all aspects of existence.
No one needs to flinch hearing the word Ego. On the contrary, the Ego could be helpful in attaining the goals but one should set the goals wisely otherwise the dark side of the Ego take it over and then comes the never-ending circle of misery and suffering over and over again.
If you don’t harmonize yours desires with reality you will not reach inner peace.
Certainly there is a way how to organize thoughts, that electrochemical impulses in the brain.
You certainly can get rid of those silly things like fears, complexes, false identifications, doubt, but you have to do something yourself. These things will not leave you even you have a dog, huge house, children, massive bank accounts or academic education. They will not leave you even if you have the last model of Mercedes from 2023 or if you can flight around the Globe. The bound of silly thoughts is always with you.
Both silent happiness and longing are in you. One just need to make order.
It comes from the division between logic and emotions.
We all know people who do incredible things to be liked. Those people need to understand one simple truth and that is that no one is still born who will be liked by everyone.
Another confusion in mind which needs to be purified is that however good things one is doing one will never be enough good for other because human mind is a philistine universe programmed for never-ending expectations. Life is understood as a competition, a battle for success at any cost.
You will post (on facebook or instagram, for millions, sadly, it is today the only reality) the best pictures of food you lately eat, last shoes you got or scenery from your last holiday. People will like you and like everything you do and suddenly then they will stop liking. Their minds suddenly spotted something what does not fit in their pictures about your life and everything is over. They will discard you like you never really existed. (Facebook, is, yet, a huge space for a trade. Certainly it is not a measure for sense of life.)
drawing: yogajagat.com
I have to tell you one very short story from my private life on the topic about the mind confusion.
Even me, I am still getting Email invitations for yoga classes. Under the tree. Even for a walk in the woods. In a raw.
If you read any of 200+ pages (2019) I wrote on this Website you will not get idea to call me for a walk in the woods (in a raw) or to invite me to your or other person’s yoga class.
But it happens. It is because man’s mind is lost in division between logic and emotions, perception and action. The inputs and outputs are in total confusion.
If you ever took a yoga class anywhere in the World you have probably noted how comparative approach to life sadly can be. That kind of approach is not really useful for anyone because how ever hard we try there will always be someone who can do it better than we so our ego sense (asmrita) will arise even more.
It is like with successful athlete, with every next win his ego will arise higher and higher. If he has luck he will someday transform his ego sense and become maybe less material rich head but more successful heart.
The purpose of life is yet not to expand the ego-feeling be that on facebook, in a yoga class, game, highway, plane or in a simple street walk but to open the heart and therewith the higher centers in our brain.
Accepting own possibilities of body and mind on the highway, yoga class, plane or game is a good start.
In Yoga it is call Vidya, a knowledge which is intuitive not intellectual.
Happiness is, just like belief, a state of mind.
This is a fast era. A technology is developing rapidly. People’s abilities made countless technological invention but own soul and its beauty is slowly becoming forgotten past.
This is a provocative era too. People’s happiness is put on approval.
There are many offers around. A modern men says: “If I just had this, I would be really happy”. He will get that and when he gets that he will say: “Now, if only had that, I would not need anything else”.
He will not stop there but strive for more of this and that.
Whether one desires a new pair of shoes, more freedom, attention or a new men, desired mind creates a very stable chain of never-ending suffering.
That mind is never satisfied.
Desire is not really the best friend of contentment but it can construct a plan and constructing a plan is already creativity itself.
Desire enslaves, it will create fear, fear will create aggression. Aggressive people are people who don’t know, don’t understand.
This ignorance is in Yoga called Avidya.
But remember, the main thing in life what matters is not to injure. Books and books both of ancient wisdoms and modern religions talk about that issue.
The ancient Indian scriptures knew for basic human needs and euphoric happiness and they also see that all these things lie in Ego.
And these scriptures were giving very useful message how to tame unrealistic desires:
Look around, Westerners.
Be wise.
You can live in peace and serenity if you start being satisfied with what you have.
You have two healthy legs and two healthy arms. You can always go to those destinies who don’t, and learn.
You have indeed one brain but enough to make the right decision.
Satisfaction is an attitude of a wise man. A wise man desires very little. And he is serene.
I also have to tell you that in the society there are great numbers of pseudo-yogis who act humility and contentment euphorically jumping around their “spiritual” places or looking far loosely. Usually these are financially well padded. Poor does not have time to be lost in illusion, he is fighting to survive, to fill his and often stomach of his child, to pay the bills.
It is not too hard to make a difference between pseudo martyrs and a sincerely wise men. Listen more carefully what they talk about, watch deeply what they do and you will make a difference.
Of course there are people who have transformed their complaints into satisfaction.
How many people you know who don’t complain?
So many yogis you know.
The silent Happiness is called Santosha.
Silent happiness as well as longing have their best companion.
It is austerity. Without self-denial silent happiness will never be neither happiness nor silent.
I will mention one thing that it needs urgent correction and that was never before so much present in the Western society like today.
Food is today often used as supply for love and attention. Everybody needs love and attention, we are living beings. But there is confusion in calling things by their right names.
Stomach is not hungry. Your eyes and heart are. It is about strength to say no to the eyes, no to provocations.
Eating, your body produces some substances of happiness.
There are some quick and easy tips how to be more happy and more free from fat:
Be the observer of own mind and be humble with food saying no. Share, give those who are really starving. And you will see how your life is changing.
If you want to overcome hunger fold your tongue and bring it to the upper palate, for not too long. If you are lucky to know the right techniques of yogic breathing exercises and yogic postures, do it more.
Very often people in the restaurants or in all-inclusive places (Ashrams are also all-inclusive places, my deepest respect to all this kind of places where this is not the case) continue eating (their paid meal) even if their stomach is full. It is a torture for health, both physical and mental.
It is good to discriminate this sense by using a strong volition (in a mind-level) and to eat to live and not vice versa. Discrimination of senses is called Viveka.
Nothing is impossible.
One of the greatest minds said: