Happiness- a bliss

What is happiness after all- can anyone define it?
Everyone has a different view or perception on it. First let us have a look on what famous people think about happiness...

"The place to be happy is here, the time to be happy is now"- Robert Ingersoll.

"The mind is its own place and in itself, can make a heaven of hell and a hell of heaven"- John Milton.

"When it gets dark enough you can see the stars"- Lee Stalk.

Now we step aside and think ourselves that are we really happy? Somehow man has been conditioned to be unhappy. Happiness seems to be hedonistic, Pagan. A religious man has to be serious and has to wear a mask of a long face. He cannot enjoy the company of ordinary people or gossiping.

A student needs to be serious. A professional has to keep distance and so on. People deep down feel guilty when they are happy. Eg, dancing with a woman, suddenly you feel guilty. If you bunk classes, guilt arises. But this never happens when you are sad or depressed.

A man who has never been sad cannot be happy. His happiness will just be a forced gesture- empty, facade and impotent; their smile and laugh are so shallow, having no relationship with the heart and absolutely unconnected.

I think that happiness is like a butterfly...in case you chase it, it will fly away; but if you let it be, it may come and sit on your shoulders.

Meditation follows a happy man like a shadow because he is intensely concentrated. Although, the word meditation and medicine comes from the same root, you don’t need a prescription for meditation. In short, if you are happy, you don’t need a doctor.

A happy person doesn’t need a place to worship; his work is worship. His happy eyes can see God every where.

Always remember that to be happy is to be religious, to be happy is to be virtuous, to be celebrating is to be prayful. So be happy and meditation will follow, religion will follow. Happiness is the basic condition.