YOU ARE AS HAPPY  AS YOU WANT TO BE

YOU ARE AS HAPPY  AS YOU WANT TO BE

The Vedantic vision that happiness is a state of mind  which is independent of the changing world, is succinctly  explained by Smt. Jaya Row 
Swami Rama Tirtha said, “If  you are not happy as you are,  where you are, you will never be  happy.” Yet, everyone is waiting  to change one or two things in  
fulfilled divided by the desires  
harboured. You are in the  life to be happy. You achieve that  one thing, and another replaces  it. This goes on endlessly.  
Happiness is your choice. You  can choose to be happy in the  worst of circumstances or be  miserable with the best in the  world. Happiness is a state  of mind. When the mind is  tranquil, free from agitations,  you are happy. However, you  are in a constant state of unrest  which arises from a feeling  of inadequacy. Vedanta helps  you to change focus to your  abundance. Consequently, the  things you lack will cease to  bother you. 
The mind gets turbulent when  you carelessly entertain  desires without realising the  sorrow they breed. Yet modern  life encourages us to desire  and consume more. Mounting  unbridled desires make people  enter the murky areas of crime  and destructive behaviour.  
Vedanta gives a unique formula  for happiness. Happiness  is the number of desires  
mindless pursuit of fulfilling  desires, focussing on the  numerator. This will never make  you happy. As you fulfil a desire,  more pop up. The denominator  increases, reducing your  happiness. Instead, shift your  attention to the denominator.  As you reduce desires your  happiness increases. Eradicate  desires and you reach infinite  Happiness.  
The first step to eradicating  desire is to ask if it is in your  interest to pursue it. If yes,  fulfil the desire. If not, press  the delete button on it. The  next step is to reduce desires  by upgrading them. A mother  willingly sacrifices her desire  for chocolate when her child  enjoys it. When you are inspired  by the spiritual goal, all desires  fade away. Seek the Spirit and  the world will be at your feet!  
Vedanta promises happiness  completely independent  of the world. The world is  unpredictable, and to depend  on it is like expecting to earn a  steady income from gambling!  
Inner enrichment is inversely  proportional to dependence on  the world. A spiritually evolved  person needs little from the  world to be happy but has  the capacity to command the  resources of the world. They  may need only a one-bedroom  modest home but have a luxury  penthouse apartment. The  surplus he has over his needs  puts him in heaven. A less  evolved person needs much  more from the world. Ironically,  he lacks the capability to gain  them. There is a huge gap  between his needs and his  income which makes life hellish.  
Vedanta helps in two ways: It  helps leverage your talent and  energies to attain success and  prosperity. It also develops  you spiritually, by which your  dependence on the world  reduces. You are in bliss! 
Jaya Row 
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