Just as a fish cannot live without water, human beings cannot live without joy. Joy is in our mind’s inner recesses, but somehow it gets reflected only when we set some conditions. Whenever those conditions get fulfilled - by chance, coincidence or strategic planning -- we think we have found joy. It’s difficult to define joy in words, Let’s say that anything which stops the thinking of mind, gives a high feeling, where the mind is not clamouring, waiting or hoping for anything to happen; where for a fleeting second there’s sheer fulfillment  and that can be called joy.

A child finds joy in toys, a young girl may find it in her glamorous dress or slim figure, a boy might find it in the company of a fantastically beautiful girl friend. For the elderly, it could be in the chuckles of their grandchildren.

Come to a standstill

So external situations would be absolutely different but what happens deep in the mind is exactly the same and that is – the mind comes to a standstill. The problem is that the very nature of mind is fleeting, changing, moving, and transitory. Hence now, this moment, you have joy, but the next moment, hour or day it simply vanishes. And so the unsuccessful pursuit begins once again, to try and make it successful this time. Now you have it, now you don’t – just like a rainbow, it’s an illusion. One thinks, if only i get a promotion or transfer or get married or maybe get divorced or have a child or if only these devilish children leave me alone, I will be joyful. This is the tendency of the human mind.

This whole vicious circle of waiting-hoping-getting is deleted by the wise person, who is aware of this phenomenon, that it was not things which were giving me joy but it was the stillness of my mind. So this purest form of joy is perceivable by a wise person, and for foolish people, it is always outside of them. But shouldn’t satisfaction be called true happiness? Because if you are sitting in a heaven and your mind is dissatisfied, you will not be joyful.

A gushing waterfall

Those who are intelligent know that happiness is not outside of us but within and if we can learn to make our mind calm, still and anchored in equipoise, we have control of experiencing happiness whenever, wherever, of our own free will. Hence we cut the shackles of slavery of any person, object or status, and this is the most liberating thing one can do. And once one has happiness, it’s always in abundance because joy never comes in droplets; rather, it’s a gushing waterfall, just overwhelming the person who experiences it. 

And there’s plentiful to share...

If only this thing could be understood by one and all, our society can become a society of liberated persons, irrespective of religion, citizenship, country, race, political ideology, theist or atheist. Once you know that, you can become the creator of joy.

Just by bringing contentment, stillness and a very refined intelligence, you become master of your own happiness