The elusive Bird of Joy!

Cheeniya · Oct 18, 2013

The Elusive Bird of Joy

A rich man who owned much property fell seriously ill. Many doctors who came from all over the country examined him but could not cure him. Finally a village doctor saw him and said ‘Put a happy man’s shirt on his back and he will get well!’

The sick man’s family and servants went looking for a truly happy man but could not find one because there was no man whose happiness was complete. The rich man’s favourite son was determined to save his father and he travelled and travelled until he reached a hilly terrain. It was night time. He was tired and wanted to sleep. Seeing a cave nearby, he decided to seek shelter there. As he was about to enter it, he heard a voice from inside the cave proclaiming ‘How happy I am! What a wonderful day! And now, I think I will go to sleep’.

Hearing this, the son was delighted that he could find a truly happy man. He entered the cave, moved quickly towards the man with the intention of stripping his shirt. Only when he went close to the man, he found that the man was not wearing anything! He was stark naked! The son stood dismayed and disappointed. On seeing him in such a despondent mood, the man in the cave asked him, ‘What do you want?’
‘I heard you proclaiming how happy you were’, said the man, ‘and so I wanted to take your shirt because your shirt alone can save my father since you seem to be a truly happy man’.
‘But if I had a shirt’, said the happy man, ‘I would not be happy at all!’

Can zero possession be a source of eternal happiness then? It is hard to believe so when happiness of the material kind continues to be a powerful force of motivation in human existence. If you think that this is the trend of the modern times, I must tell you that materialism was a predominant factor even in Vedic times. ‘There is but one life. Why not make the most of it?’ was the thought even in Vedic minds. Chakravaka was said to be the founder of the school that held the view ‘Only the present, no past or future’. Chakravaka claimed divine inspiration for his views. The Brahmanical orthodoxy opposed him tooth and nail but he had some strong supporters including some eminent seers. Brahaspathi, who was the preceptor of the Gods, was a staunch supporter of Chakravaka. Brahaspathi aired the following view,

‘There is no heaven, nor final liberation, nor any soul in another world.
Nor do the actions of the four castes produce any reward.
The animals slain in the jyothishtama sacrifice will surely go to heaven;
Why does not then the sacrificer immolate his own father?
While life remains, let a man live happily;
Let him feed butter even if he runs into debt;
When once the body becomes ashes, how can it ever return?’

That was from the Deva Guru! Upanishads meekly seek to explain away his epicurean philosophy as a ruse to destroy the demons whom he taught this false doctrine in order to lure them to destruction. Brihaspathi’s sayings are on record even if we accept the Upanishad position.

Solon, the acknowledged law maker of Athens, paints a simple picture of happiness by saying that the things that make up human happiness are adequate endowment of worldly goods, health, beauty of person, prosperous children, good birth, company of many good friends, humour, courage, wisdom, justice and temperance! But little does he realize that the sun has to set even in such Eden of Bliss. Disease, old age and death take all the joy when they visit the man in the end! Philosophers and founders of religion have looked at happiness from many perspectives. But it is you and me that have to do the experiencing! It is your experience that decides whether you are happy or not.

‘To be bitterly frustrated with life is the beginning of wisdom. To see the futility of life is the beginning of a totally new journey, the Inner Journey’ says Osho. I entirely agree with him. Happiness is a personal subjective experience. To measure it in terms of Gross Domestic Product or any other such index makes no sense at all. Happiness is not obtained in bits and pieces. It is a wholesome experience. You can’t be happy with something and unhappy with another. "Happiness, that ‘bird of joy’ that perches in the soul never stops singing. Only we stop listening to it most of the time!" How true!

Lalitha Shivaguru · Oct 18, 2013

Dear Appa,

After a long time I had the pleasure of reading your writing...

Beautiful... "Happiness, that ‘bird of joy’ that perches in the soul never stops singing. Only we stop listening to it most of the time!" These words will haunt me for a long time to come... How very true it is...

To be bitterly frustrated with life is the beginning of wisdom. To see the futility of life is the beginning of a totally new journey, the Inner Journey’ says Osho. Osho never ceases to amaze me.... His quotes are worth mulling over for a life time. Each time we can arrive at different insights...

I had read a similar incident quoting about Buddha. I always feel we are not sure whether we have a rebirth.. If at all we do have what is the guarantee that we are born as a human being and that human being has to have a memory of this birth... omg.. It is impossible.. Hence lets enjoy in this life time and be happy and make others happy too... what say appa?

Cheeniya · Oct 18, 2013

My dear Lalli
What a surprise it is to see you land here first to give a FB! I can't tell you how happy I am! You are the one who never fails to call me 'Appa' and it makes me feel so close to you.

Coming to the 'bird of joy', they are the touching words of Charlotte Davis Kasl and are my great favourite. It has such a deep meaning. The music of the Cosmos is a never ending one but we do not pay attention to it. When the Strings are not touched, the Music is heard within. The strings are symbolic of our external engagements. To hear the Music within which is the reflection of the Music of the Cosmos, let us stop trying to create our own music on the strings.

I have not posted this with a view to reinforce a materialistic attitude but to ponder over the possibility of being there and yet not be there. Giving up everything can never be a route to salvation in the present context. What is important is to deploy our resources for a higher level of existence.

Thank you, Lalli. God bless you!
Sri

PushpavalliSrinivasan · Oct 19, 2013

Dear Mr Cheeniya,
Being a hare brained person I am very much scared to write an fb to the post of a man of letters like you. Your vast knowledge in all subjects gives us a chance to learn something from each of your post.

There is no heaven, nor final liberation, nor any soul in another world.
Nor do the actions of the four castes produce any reward.
The animals slain in the jyothishtama sacrifice will surely go to heaven;
Why does not then the sacrificer immolate his own father?
While life remains, let a man live happily;
Let him feed butter even if he runs into debt;
When once the body becomes ashes, how can it ever return?’

This utterance of Bruhaspathi got me stumped.

Upanishads meekly seek to explain away his epicurean philosophy as a ruse to destroy the demons whom he taught this false doctrine in order to lure them to destruction.

After reading this meek explanation given in Upanishads I got a little solace.

I have not posted this with a view to reinforce a materialistic attitude but to ponder over the possibility of being there and yet not be there. Giving up everything can never be a route to salvation in the present context. What is important is to deploy our resources for a higher level of existence.

I think we are all like Thirisangu stuck up in the middle between materialism and spiritualism. As you have said it is important to deploy our resources for a higher level of existence
PS.

GoogleGlass · Oct 19, 2013

Happiness & joy is never elusive - it's always there.

We are the ones failing to recognize and associate our self with them. We elude and alienate our self.

Cheeniya · Oct 19, 2013

Dear PS
I am so happy that you are now a consistent visitor to my Ramblings. Gestures like these sustain my interest in writing. I am not worried about the number of FBs but number of visitors to my threads is a matter of great interest for me. As I had written in one of my old threads, I concur with the theory of 'immaterialism' of George Berkeley that things exist only if they have an observer! In simple terms, I do not exist as a writer if there is no one to read my Ramblings! So 'views' mean a lot more to me than 'FBs'.

You know, I was a bit uncertain about posting this here considering how heavy the subject it is. But all my doubts vanished when a very light(hearted) member not only read it and gave a like too! Dinny! This means I exist! Gloriously too!

The more I read our scriptures in depth, the more I am convinced that the 'Asuras' were more predictable in their dealings than the Devas. Devas are the kind who would not hesitate to stoop to conquer. Their dealings have always been suspect and highly self-centered. Indra is one person who can be more vicious than all the Asuras put together and he is adept in enlisting the support of the Trinity for his evil designs. For instance, I have never been able to understand the fate of Mahabali!

If you are surprised by the double-speak of Brahaspathi, I am appalled! In the modern context, we cannot leave everything and go on Vanaprastha for the final phase of our journey here. The best we can do is to be good. This is the time to hunt down every negative trait of ours mercilessly so that we can quit with a clear conscience.
Sri

Cheeniya · Oct 19, 2013

Dear GG
A thing becomes elusive only when we fail to perceive it. The 'elusiveness' that we are talking of here is not akin to the subject of 'Maya' of the enlightened ones. This elusiveness is our own making. You know, when I am too preoccupied with something in my thoughts, I fail to notice even my wife standing in front of me until she breaks my reverie by placing the coffee tumbler noisily in front of me!
Sri

GoogleGlass · Oct 19, 2013

You are lucky Sri - there's only a noise of the tumbler on table

For the so called enlightened ones it's bruises & bandage - the bandage should never be white I suppose - a symbol/color of peace is being brutally abused

Srama · Oct 19, 2013

Dear Cheeniya sir,

This is going to be a painfully long feedback, so please bear with me. As for the number reads you see, let me hasten to add that I must have read this snippet of yours at least 5 times and have been mulling over it ever since you posted.

I have had the privilege of dealing with a lot of materialistic stuff. Either the absence or the presence of stuff seems to help us define many things in life. So it must be imporatant at least from understanding perspective. When I clean moms house initially I was taken in on the ride when people commented as to why she had accumulated so much but as I sorted through things, I realized for me as her child it wasn't the stuthe ut the memories that were attached to the stuff that was more important. For ex., if I take her kitchen stuff she always had enough vessels to feed 25 people yet she also had just enough to just feed her. You see she was married into a humongous family and for her taking care of everyone was important. It is a different story that every one spread their wings and moved out but us kids were the ones who were privy to the conversations with her about how she felt about her extended family. Take my dad, every time I go to buy fruit invariably I think of him for because of his travels whenever he came home what he brought for us was a basket full of fruit keeping it on his head! Every single time. An executive of the bank with his formal clothes stopping at the market to get that fruit for his children has left a mark own my heart sir. He would never buy water melon or cantaloupe and not cut it for us expecting us or mom to do it. It was his pleasure. Many a time i insist that i tie the shoe laces of my kids for the memory i have is my dad doiong that for me day in and day out. With both of the examples, i will tell you, i dont remember the houses or how we lived but only the smiles on their faces is what comes to my mind. All those vessels are stuff and so is all that fruit. But sir, that also makes me realize that even without the stuff the memories will come forward with me and raise their head when ever they choos to often bringing a smile to my lips. It made it that much more easier for me to give away everything even though almost all my extended family felt that I am throwing it all away because I have better and more stuff. Little do they know that I scan around my own house every once every while making a mental note of things I won't need say one week down the line to 10 years down the line and make it a habit to give away and not buy as well. It is very theraupautic and also helps me live in awareness. Personally I feel stuff is in a way instrumental in creating the happy memories for us. Once we get a taste of that, I think we subconsciously associate the two together. It is just that when we forget to pause and see if that stuff is continuing to give us the happiness we are seeking. I think even if my mom didn't have all that kitchen stuff and even if my dad brought just one fruit, it would still create a memory of how they managed to bring happiness with what little they had but there is that one vessel or one fruit still or there's may not be any and still tey stuff would be predominant by their sheer absence. I am not sure why this post of yours triggered so many memories but let me assure you if anything the memories only brought a smile on my face and I am kind of embarrassed that I have shared so much of personal details but.....

Every morning as I drop off DS to school I see the craziness of morning rush hour sun shine or rain or snow and a thought without fail sneaks up in my mind making me wonder as to what all of these people are off to achieve and then it subsides asking me who am I to question anything for I am seeking the same thing , happiness in a different way. I know that momentary glance at the morning sun will give me enough joy to fill my day and if that sun is elusive, i continue to search for it for that day and even the next day. So I turn around and look at my DS who enthusiastically is sharing what might happen in school that day and am glad that I am doing what I should be doing, as a mom and praying that the happiness the child gets in learning continues to grow. I can only drive him to the ace which is giving him hapiness sir for that is a different kind taht he is seeking. So sir, I agree that happiness is an elusive bird perched on that branch, the only thing we need to do is allow ourselves to look inwards every so often so that we allow ourselves a smile. As much as I am believer, I do feel one of the ways of seeking higher living is simply being in the present, stuff or no stuff. Stuff may or may not be present it us, who seem to be absent every now and then.

iyerviji · Oct 19, 2013

My dear Anna

As always it was interesting to read your write up . Reading your ramblings makes me happy and even if I am not so good in that subject I cant be without giving fb to you. Whenever I feel low I go through your ramblings and that makes my day and makes me feel happy.

Happiness is like a Butterfly….When u go after it, it flies away…. But when you stand still…..It comes to you………….A Still Mind is a Happy Mind…

The above quote is so true. Even if we dont have the best of everything, we can make the best of everything by appreciating the things we have. Reading Srama's fb brought me memories of my childhood . Childhood days are the happiest , first because we are with our parents and those times we dont have any responsilities and enjoy everything. My father had struggled a lot in life, he always used to share his worries with my sister when we grew up and happiness with me , me being younger to her. But during his last days he wanted me only to serve him because my sister and brothers were working and as I was at home he wanted to me to look after him and did not want to trouble them. Now also I remember he used to bring Karbooja mix it with sugar and give and we all used to enjoy. During winter he used to tie his head with muffler and cover his body with a blanket and go out in early morning.

My grandmother used to tell a story.I think you must b ealso knowing the story. There was a girl who was married to a rich family . Though she had all comforts there she always used to miss her parents house though they did not have much comfort , she used to enjoy sleeping in the mat, having kanji but she felt more happy in her house without comforts. I am not able to relate it nicely.

I think happiness is not in riches but in achieving something, in enjoying the simple things we have and sharing what we have with others. At present everyone knows that my happiness is being in IL which I feel is a loving family and sharing my experiences with everyone here and when I get appreciation that is my happiness

As always got this from Google which I thought of sharing

Life Is Very Strange !!!
We Wish To Wear High
Brands, But
We Feel Most Comfortable
In Simple Dresses…
We Wish To Sit In A Five
Star Hotel With Elite
People, But
We Enjoy The Roadside
Vendor Food With Friends …
We Wish To Own Big Cars
& Go On Long Drives, Yet
We Talk Our Heart Out Only
While Walking Down A Long
Road …

We Have 64GB iPods Filled
With Songs, But
Sometimes A Song On Radio
Brings A Smile That Cannot Be
Compared …
Life Is Simple Indeed
But
We Make It Complex By
Running After What Never Gives
Us Happiness …
We Shouldn’t Chase Luxuries &
Glamour Blindly,
Lets Focus On The Peace Of
Heart n Soul Also … ♥ ♥

Sorry for the long fb , hope it is apt to the subject. As Pushpa Mami has said I also agree with her Being a hare brained person I am very much scared to write an fb to the post of a man of letters like you. Your vast knowledge in all subjects gives us a chance to learn something from each of your post.

Thank you my dear Anna for sharing your knowledge with us which makes all of us happy and share our experiences