“The source of truth is within man; he himself is the object of his realization.” ~ Bowl of Saki, March 12, by Hazrat Inayat Khan

Happy Sunday!

It seems for me that the message of the week is that “Happiness is a choice.” Many of the lessons that I have read this week have been directly saying this to me. I am not sure why this message is coming to me at this time as it is the way I chose to behave two years ago when I became aware.
But this is my lesson for the week so I will see where this writing and reflection takes me …
I began the week with the mantra “happiness is a choice” in my head due to verse 35 of the Tao Te Ching. Wayne Dyer’s interpretation of this verse in his book “Change your thoughts, change your life” said that this verse is on ‘living beyond worldly pleasures’. It spoke about changing the way we look at things and gave the guidance, “notice the eternal bliss that’s always with you – even when the delicacies are out of sight!” This message seemed so timely for me after watching on Sunday night the Oprah interview of Russell Brand about addiction. Russell said the cause of addiction was a hole in the soul of the victim. In this message of the Tao Wayne spoke on how pain such as addiction would need not occur if a person could give up worldly pursuits to fill that hole.
I am re-reading “The Unteathered Soul” by Michael Singer and early this week the chapter on unconditional happiness gave me more insight on this thought thread. Michael wrote about choosing happiness with no conditions; you can’t put happiness aside because of a crisis in your life or, the typical western behavior, until you obtain or achieve something. It is a choice everyday.
The statement that Michael made that really got me was “If you decide that you’re going to be happy from now on for the rest of your life, you will not only be happy, you will become enlightened. Unconditional happiness is the highest technique there is.”
Wow! I had never thought of this behavior as having such importance! It surprised me but as I think on it now it makes sense. It hasn’t been a fake, giddy type of happiness I have chosen that is meant to mask the tough dark side of life. It is happiness drawn from knowing that I am loved and cared for by the greatness of my Source and that That won’t leave me no matter what events come my way. Also, staying in the awareness that this life is just what my eternal self is meant to experience at this time lessens the drama and panic of events.
On Wednesday my ‘Bowl of Saki’ supported my lesson of unconditional happiness with the following commentary about the ‘source of truth’ quote that I offer above.

“Heaven is not a country or a continent; it is a state, a condition within oneself, only experienced when the rhythm is in perfect working order. If one knows this, one realizes that happiness is man’s own property. Man is his own enemy: he seeks for happiness in the wrong direction and never finds it. It is a continual illusion. Man thinks, ‘If I had this or that I should be happy for ever’, and he never arrives at happiness because he pursues an illusion instead of the truth. Happiness is only to be found within, and when man tunes himself he finds all for which his soul yearns within himself.” ~ Hazrat Inayat Khan

Yes, happiness comes from within and cannot be found by looking outside of yourself. This was the big lesson for me two years ago. I realized that I was looking for others to validate me, make me feel special, give to me their energy and light in the form of love as I could not love myself. I spent a lifetime of believing I was unworthy.
And, when Hazrat Khan says that happiness is only to be found within, I know this is Truth which can also only be found by the knowing of the heart (within). This is what the top quote is telling us, all Truth is to be found through self-realization. It is the journey, the archeological excavation of the layers of our self, deep into our hearts – deeper, deeper, deeper, the spiritual path.
Always more to learn.
On Friday evening I watched Wayne Dyer’s current PBS special on his new book “I can see clearly now”. Wayne said several times that his book is not a memoir but instead meant to recognize the peak moments of his life that tell the story of his own journey and self-realization. One thing he said that struck me was his telling of when he put together the key events of his life that directed his journey he found that they all told him that his dharma (purpose) was to learn and teach self sufficiency.
His process made me think over my own journey to see what my dharma might be and my mind went right to my child self, my Pollyanna. Of course, here was my lesson of the week again, ‘happiness is a choice’. Who in all of literature taught this lesson more than Pollyanna?
This morning Joel Osteen supported my lesson with his sermon. He spoke on having walls to not let the negative things come into your heart. I didn’t fully like his analogy of putting up walls because I feel our trouble is with the things we lock in so solid walls can work both ways but, I did agree with his message of recognizing that everything others do or say about us is not for us to take on.
“What others think of you is none of your business.” (too many people have said this to determine the originator of the quote).
I tend to like Michael Singer’s way of saying the same thing – to just let the negativity pass right through and not take ownership of it in our bodies, minds, or hearts. Joel, by his analogy of having things bounce off the walls, did add some boldness by describing how he does not even let people tell him the details of problems or repeat to him negativity in others.
Happiness is a choice to make everyday. I have been living it for a while now. Perhaps like Wayne I am meant to now teach my dharma to others. I guess we will see.
And … just to add to my lesson of the week, Barbara shared the following story with us at lunch today.

Two Wolves – A Cherokee Legend

An old Cherokee is teaching his grandson about life. “A fight is going on inside me,” he said to the boy.

“It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves. One is evil – he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.” He continued, “The other is good – he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. The same fight is going on inside you – and inside every other person, too.”

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather, “Which wolf will win?”

The old Cherokee simply replied, “The one you feed.”

 
As I do have some fear associated with my being able to hold onto this lesson if times get difficult, I am going to close with some affirmations (to feed the good wolf):

• I am grateful for the blessings in my life and the growth I see in myself.
• I have faith that these lessons will stay with me when the tough times come.
• I look forward to the day that I will know that these lessons will stay with me.
• I am grateful for this journal as a tool for me to support me, now and in the future.

Amen.