The Road to Happiness

The view that one must travel a road (make a journey) to find happiness is a paradox. At once it means that happiness is elusive and must be found, and secondly, one must travel a road (make a search) to find it. Nothing could be farther than the truth.

A short true story demonstrates the fallacy and shows indeed where happiness is and how to achieve it in your life.

The musk deer is a creature of the forest in many different geological areas of the world, and for the most part lead shy and solitary lives far from human environments. One could say, these deer lead lives a bit symbolically of the way today’s man does; mostly alone, and seemingly unhappy. Wealth and power do not, as any observant person can see, bring happiness.

Once or twice a year, this interesting animal producers a waxy substance in a glad near its navel, a waxy and sweet (even hypnotic) substance known as musk. The real purpose of the substance is to attract potential mates to the dear’s side. However, the deer itself is attracted to this amazing scent, and seeks here, there and everywhere to find it. Sometimes, the scent is so profound that the deer becomes crazed by it, and follows the scent over one of the high cliffs which make up the deer’s environment, leading to its death! We are like this deer. Why?

The musk is symbolic for happiness and we search here, there, and everywhere for it, but like the deer’s musk, happiness is inside of us, part of us.  There is no road to happiness! There is no need to search for happiness! It is our true nature, and needs no discovery, only recognition.

And how do we do that? How do we recognize our true nature which is happiness? The answer there is unique for every person, but at the same time universal. Each of us must understand the negative, bad mood, and self-debasing feelings we have are foreign to us, reject them, and call forth our true and basic nature…that is, a constant state of happiness. The tool to assist is love. By love itself, by loving and being loved, happiness works its way back into our consciousness.  As it arrives, it brings back to us its sisters as well, success, opportunity, and health. 

The road then to happiness is not a road at all, the journey not a journey, and the search is not a search, and as the deer fruitlessly trying to find the source of the musk, we too, no matter who we are, try to find happiness. Some think it’s in having money, others think money and power, and still others, money, power and amassing possessions. They are all mistaken.  Who hasn’t read about the rich and famous so miserable they keep changing wives, and husbands, have broken lives, turn to drugs and alcohol, and even end their lives in suicide?

Happiness is our true nature, as part of us as our body or mind, and together with love, gives life meaning and fulfillment.