We all are stranded in the world of becoming

In the process of trying to be someone, we often forgot what we really are. For example, I am Swami Sukhabodhananda. If I want to become Swami Vivekananda or Swami Ramteertha, I become so lost in Swami Vivekananda that I am not available to appreciate myself as Swami Sukhabodhananda. I become oblivious to my uniqueness. Such amind that cannot appreciate what is, will make life miserable.

The Upanishad, therefore, says, “Can you appreciate what you are and in doing so, can you start then working from a commitment to be somebody?” But we are lost in becoming somebody without appreciating the beauty of what is.

Reflect on this story. Once, Mullah Nasruddin was very sad. His friendasked him, “What makes you sad, Mullah?” “My uncle died and has left fifty thousand rupees in my name in his will,” said Nasruddin.

“That’s very good news,” said his friend. “Not all people get such a gift. ” “Just two days back, another uncle of mine passed away and has left one lakh in my name in his will,” said Nasruddin sorrowfully.

“You must be feeling really happy with this,” reiterated his friend. But again, the Mullah said, “One more uncle of mine died today and has left two lakh rupees for me,” and appeared sad. The friend was perplexed. “You are rich by three and a half lakhs now, without doing anything. You must really feel very happy about it. ” The Mullah replied, “My problem is that I have nomore uncles who are about to die. ”

This is how we make ourselves unhappy because our mind is always caught up in something. There was a farmer who was always worried about his apples. His farm never produced good quality apples. It so happened that one year, he got a very good crop of good apples. So, his friend said, “You must be really happy about the yield now, as you have very good apples. ” The farmer replied, “It is true, I am happy that all apples are very good. But I am equally unhappy, because there is not a single rotten apple to feed my pigs. I have to give good apples to my pigs now. ”

If your mind is caught up like that, you are going to be unhappy anywhere. Many youngsters here are anxious to go to America. They feel they will be happythere. I have been there and travelled extensively. Almost all Indians in the US want to return. They say that they miss India, our culture, our traditions. It is basically not here or there that makes life happy. It is how you approach life that makes all the difference. If you say this is miserable, it is miserable. If your self-talk is ‘By becoming somebody, I am going to become happy,’ then you yourself are postponing being happy to someday in the future, and that someday will never come, because the mind always focuses on becoming and this will go on. This is all because of your basic ignorance of what happiness really is, and the myth that happiness is something to be achieved or acquired.