Anand....

I recall a discussion I had with my dad several months back (on our way from PA to SJ on a friday evening). Everyone's is looking for happiness (Anand) in life. After all, who wants to be in grief? Different people find or try to find anand or joy or peace (whatever you may want to call it) in different things/ways. Some try to work hard (work is everything), some don't believe in work, some look for it in money and others look for it in fame, and so on. I recall in that discussion, we concluded that the joy or pleasure we seek is/will always be short lived as long as the source of that joy is external to us. We may earn a lot of money and be happy for some time but might lose it soon thereafter and be sad... and so on. If we look for joy/peace/happiness within us, and manage to find it, that joy would be everlasting. No, one does not need to become an introvert, rather he/she simply needs to realize that the happiness obtained from external objects is temporary while the happiness/contentment that originates within us can be permanent.

It's a difficult task to achieve but whenever I am bothered by some news or external events, this discussion comes back to my mind and I try to calm myself thinking that instead of looking outside and reacting to things/events, I should be looking inside and find peace. At times I am successful and other times I am not. :)