For ages, philosophers across the world have argued that the concept of happiness can be defined or analysed simply in terms of ‘individual contentment’ or by being satisfied with one’s life. So in simple words, one can say that to be happy, one needs to be content. But is it possible in today’s time and age? Because, in the present world, one would hardly find a man who is not discontented.
There may be many causes of his discontentment, of which one of the major causes is his monetary difficulties. Besides financial, the problems may relate to personal, social, economic, political, moral, etc. As a result of all this, man is weighed down with despair, indifference, tension, animosity, even fury and mental agony and cannot exercise his discrimination to find means of improving the conditions and loses the ability to act.
Thus, his plans and acts go wrong and give rise to quarrels and fights. Such a person has a typical habit to build castles in the air while he is as poor as poor can be.
People like him fail to understand that it is only by dint of hard work that a man can make both ends meet, and only a man of the right understanding can work on the right lines. Otherwise, it is a blunder to let your reason be clouded by passion and thus lose your happiness.
Hence, we should remember that just as food sustains the body so does the mind find sustenance in happiness. So, the saying goes: there is no food as good as happiness. And, to be happy, you have to be content.
Just as, for bodily well-being, man seeks food, so should he maintain the state of contentment to ensure the happiness of the mind. As Alfred Nobel has rightly said ‘Contentment is the only real wealth’, we should therefore not run after securing another kind of wealth to lose the wealth of contentment.
Contentment is as good a means of happiness as wealth is considered to be. Is it proper, therefore, to lose the wealth of contentment to secure another kind of wealth?
The right course of conduct is that man should be calm in the present crisis and at the same time, find a systematic method of mending or ending it. Considering the present to be the consequence of our actions, we should thus be careful about the future. We must remember!
That this world of ours is subject to change and every human being reaps as he sows. Hence man should play his part at present as a mentor and do good deeds so that he does not have to face any undesirable situations later on. He should remember that change is bound to take place because the world cannot be the same every day or even every hour.
Contentment, purity and peace are the trios that make one’s life worth living. They appear on the life scene after one has been pursuing one’s spiritual studies and has also been practising deep meditation. Without the practice of Yoga, one cannot attain and sustain inner peace and tranquillity.
The crux of the problem, however, is that people generally think that spiritual studies are uninteresting, boring and tedious and are based mainly on faith (in many cases ‘blind faith’) and are accompanied by rituals and repetition of mantras. In truth, however, this is not so.
Spiritual studies are as interesting as any other subject and meditation is neither a ritual nor does it involve the repetition of a sacred Sanskrit formula. It is as simple as reflecting, remembering and feeling.
Of course, it requires a bit of guidance in the beginning. And spending a little time on this should be considered a small investment for gaining high dividends in the form of contentment and peace, which are the most valuable prizes that life offers.
Today if we look around then how many people would we find who are spending their time, money and energy for peace and harmony in society? Unfortunately, there are not many.
It is high time that we all make a resolve to put our time, money and energy into peace and harmony, because if we wish to have a peaceful and harmonious world around us, then it should begin with each one of us.
True happiness lies in contentment, yet modern life often breeds discontent due to financial, personal, and societal struggles. This unrest clouds judgment, leading to conflict and frustration. However, chasing material wealth at the cost of inner peace is futile. As Alfred Nobel stated, “Contentment is the only real wealth.”
To achieve happiness, one must cultivate calmness and work systematically through challenges, recognising that change is inevitable.
Our present circumstances result from past actions, making it crucial to act wisely today for a better future.
Contentment, purity, and peace are the pillars of a meaningful life, attained through spiritual studies and meditation. Contrary to misconceptions, spirituality is neither tedious nor ritualistic but an enriching practice leading to inner tranquility.
If we desire a peaceful world, it must start within us. Investing time and effort in fostering peace and harmony is the key to a truly fulfilling life.
(The writer is a spiritual educator and popular columnist. Views expressed are personal)
