Clearing one’s bucket list is the first step toward realization. Oops! Does this philosophical statement frighten you away from reading my thoughts? Are you expecting some kind of spiritual gyan? Well, partly true, but I’d still recommend that you join me on this journey.
Today, for a few minutes, I experienced a wonderful feeling. After my morning walk, I sat alone with my eyes closed, surrounded by the ambient noises of the gardener’s tools, chirping birds, a father playing with his baby, and, of course, the ever-present hum of cars. I thought about shutting the noise out but quickly realized I have NO CONTROL over anything. My heart was beating, my lungs were breathing in air, and I could feel smells, the touch of the concrete, and the sounds reaching my ears—all beyond my conscious control. I wondered: if I don’t even control my so-called own body, is it truly mine? Or is it me?
And yet, here I was, expecting to remain in a state of joy, happiness, or bliss forever.
A bucket list—a collection of experiences, achievements, or goals we hope to fulfill during our lifetime—often symbolizes the pursuit of happiness. But as I began working through the activities and experiences I wanted to enjoy, the list seemed endless. Human nature is like that, isn’t it? The more we have, the more we want.
While standing alone on the Scotch Whisky Trail, under a gloomy, cloud-filled sky and amidst barren, rugged hills in Scotland, it struck me. Would I ever be able to visit every corner of the earth? No way—it’s too vast. Could I explore every region, country, or even every part of my own city? No. I’ve lived in Bangalore for years and haven’t seen most of it.
The more we try to conquer experiences, the more we realize the impossibility of it all. Can we read every book someone recommends? Taste every dish from every cuisine? The answer is a definite NO.
These pursuits, while exciting, offer only fleeting happiness. The realization hit me hard when I was revisiting photos of breathtaking landscapes I’d clicked years ago—only to find I couldn’t even recall where some of them were taken. The memories had faded.
What does happiness mean to you? Where does true happiness lie? What is it? How do we achieve it?
Every question led to another. Some questions seem impossible to answer without a logical explanation or a neat theorem. The concept of bliss and joy within oneself felt like one of those puzzles.
Do objects give me joy? Yes, I think they do. But do they inherently possess joy? Does a cup of tea, an iPhone, or a car inherently contain happiness? If they did, they would bring joy to everyone. Yet we know they don’t. Some people prefer coffee over tea, Android phones over iPhones, and some even wish there were fewer cars on this earth.
So no—these objects don’t inherently possess joy. But I do feel joy. Where does it come from, then?
Perhaps from relationships? Spouses, partners, children, friends—do they provide true and permanent happiness? Well, let’s be honest. Sometimes, they do. But often, they bring sorrow too! 😊
This brings us to the final question: Who or what can then give us true and permanent happiness?
Can anything or anyone give what they don’t inherently possess? No. Only something that inherently contains happiness can offer it. So, where does it come from?
The answer was startlingly simple yet profound. It was staring me in the face the entire time: my own self.
Yes, your own self is the source of the happiness you seek. This means that within you lies the joy, the bliss, the Ananda that you’re constantly searching for. Perhaps the next time you seek joy in an external achievement or possession, take a moment to look inward. The source of joy is already within you.
So, QED: YOU possess the state of permanent happiness you’ve been looking for all along. Don’t search for it in achievements, possessions, or even people. It’s closer than you think. It’s within you.
It is YOU.
The Ananda in Sat-Chit-Ananda.
Note – “Sat-Chit-Ananda, a Sanskrit term, refers to the ultimate reality of existence (Sat), consciousness (Chit), and bliss (Ananda).”
And for those of you who want to know more do read Nirvana Shatkam or Atma Shatkam by Adi Shankaracharya
It's a part of our journey that we move away from identification with objects . Many barely cover that ground and endlessly hanker after these objects. To your point if objects had the capacity to give happiness, no wealthy person would be unhappy, depressed or take to self harm. While we notice this it is yet difficult to fully understand and tap into the well of happiness within.
ReplyDelete