Real Happiness

Q&A with Sirshree

Seeker: What is real happiness?

Sirshree: Real happiness is not that happiness which you get when you achieve something. The mind has cast a shadow over the real ‘you’, the nature of which is happiness. When the mind falls – then what is behind the mind – that Truth manifests. And when that happens, it is real happiness. Suppose you have an aim, a desire to achieve something or to own something. And when you actually achieve it – then the mind, that was thriving only on that desire – falls for some moments since the desire has been fulfilled. And in those few moments of no-mind, you experience emptiness and you call this as happiness or bliss. All happiness you have ever experienced is only because of the mind getting empty, because of the no mind state, because of the lifting of the shadow of the mind.

But you get the notion that ‘because’ the target was completed – you got happiness. Because you got what you desired – you got happiness. Because of this wrong notion, desire for newer and more things increase. But, anything that gives you lots of happiness today, does not give you the same amount of happiness later. After some time, happiness diminishes. It ends. Real happiness, which is your nature, is shadowed by the mind. When that is experienced, it being your nature, is not dependant on external situations and never diminishes.

This happiness is beyond happiness and sorrow… beyond polarities for which there is no opposite. To cite an example, the opposite of ‘success’ is ‘failure’. Similarly: hot – cold, up – down, love – hate etc. – these words are interrelated. But what is beyond both opposites is ‘bright’. What is beyond love and hate is ‘bright’ love. This is beyond happiness and grief. When you come to know of that ‘One’, then you are liberated from duality.