Finding Joy in the Present Moment

Riding the metro one morning, I noticed many grim faces. Some were lost in deep thought, some tired, some anxious, some nervous, some irritated, and a few sleepy. Then my gaze settled on a toddler, about 7-8 months old, perhaps. This little one's eyes sparkled with joy and immense wonder at the world outside the train window, moving backward! Its little wet mouth pouted open, neck stretched, eyes wide in amazement, face lit up with excitement, arms darting out to grab the spectacle! My eyes lingered on this toddler for a long time before they slid onto other faces, continuing the inquiry into their minds.

Why is it so difficult to stay positive and happy? The only times in our lives we seem to be genuinely happy are when we have absolutely nothing to care about! This happens twice in life:

• When we are kids, jubilant, and have no worries.

• When we are old enough not to care about anything, not even death.
  

Between birth and death, we seem to be genuinely happy. All other times, we seem to carry a heavy burden in our heads that cripples our joy and makes us worry. Is it very difficult to be joyous? If the toddler can do it, can an adult replicate it?

Here are a few well-researched facts about joyousness:

• Unlike material objects of desire, joy is available in abundance, and its supply always meets the demand.

• It is completely DIY (do it yourself) and is not dependent on any soul, living or otherwise.

• It can be consumed at will and without prescription. The more it is consumed, the lighter one will feel.

• It is greatly sought after and always searched for in the wrong places. So, the only thing important is identifying the source of supply. Once it is identified, the supply will keep coming eternally.

• It is not conceptual or theoretical. It can be put into practice and, just like anything else good, needs basic discipline.

• It is the most powerful antioxidant in the universe.

• It is the only contagious medicine against any stress-related disorders.
  

However, all things said, joy seems to be a relative concept. Some find joy in music, some in work, some in family, and others in travel.

On further observation, we notice that in all these examples, joy is defined as a result of an external experience. We are joyous when we sing. We are joyous if we travel. We are joyous with our family, and so on. But life, being what it is, will test our joyfulness at times when we cannot do any of the above. What if there were a way to remain joyful without depending on anything external? What if we found joy inside us? Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we remained unscathed by external happenings, always remaining joyous from within?

Staying joyous or being blissful is NOT a relative concept. It is an absolute truth. If one person can find joy within, so can all the billions of people living on this planet. The process is the same. One’s life situations, level of karmic memory, and level of conceptual understanding may be different.

Let’s look at what our ancient scriptures have to say in this regard.

Lord Krishna took time out amidst a huge war to let us all know how to be happy! He elaborated the idea of inner peace and joyousness in 18 chapters that form the Bhagavad Gita. If only we had time to read, understand, and practice it in its true sense!

In Chapter 6 of the Gita, Lord Krishna deals with the concept of ‘Aatma Samyama’ – loosely translated, this means Self-control or Self-management. This entire chapter is dedicated to explaining to Arjuna what it means to attain self-control and what it means to be a true Yogi.

It needs to be keenly observed here that in the entire chapter, consisting of 47 verses filled with deep insights, instructions, and examples, nowhere does Krishna mention anything about Yoga Asana. To be honest, neither does Patanjali in his Yoga Sutras. In the entirety of 196 Yoga Sutras, only a handful (less than 5) talk about Asana practice. Unfortunately, today yoga is viewed and marketed as a weight management technique, whereas, in reality, it is all about self-management.

Chapter 6 of the Bhagavad Gita talks about Self-management and defines who a Yogi is. It needs to be recalled here that this instruction was made directly to Arjuna, one of the most skillful and powerful warriors this planet has produced. At the end of this chapter, Lord Krishna instructs Arjuna to be a Yogi!

"The Yogi is thought to be superior to the ascetics and the knowledgeable. He is far superior to the men of action. Therefore, Arjuna, strive with all your senses and mind to be a Yogi!" He says.

Let’s take a step back and understand what Lord Krishna teaches us.

Who is a Yogi?

There can be three kinds of people:

1. One who is not willing to take any action. He wants to sit back and let things happen. Not spirited or committed to any action. (Can be called as Tamo guna dominant – a non-focused mind with no willingness to act due to lethargy and ignorance)

2. One who is aggressively working and very passionate. He works because he wants a result from the action and wants to enjoy the fruit of his action. Heavily attached to and influenced by the result of actions. (Can be called as Rajo guna dominant – a result-focused, result-influenced mind with a deep sense of attachment)

3. One whose heart is kindled with a sense of detachment and always maintains equilibrium. One who is committed to action but detached from its results. Passionate about work but dispassionate about its result. (Can be called as Sattva guna dominant – a free, creative, and entrepreneurial mind)

The third category of people mentioned above is defined as Yogis by Lord Krishna. A Yogi is someone who is constantly working with unparalleled kindled spirit and fire in his heart but is just not concerned about the fruit of his action.

Yogi & Joyousness

So, what really happens when we are not attached to the fruit of our action? What does this actually mean? And is it just a theoretical concept or is it something that can be achieved?

Stephen Covey, in one of his books, deals with the concept of Circle of Control/Influence vs Circle of Concern. All the things that can be controlled and influenced by us by demonstrating certain behaviors fall into the Circle of Influence. Every other thing that we care about and does not concern us directly but has a direct impact is encircled by the Circle of Concern.

To make it simple and workable, let us understand it this way:

- Our actions fall inside the Circle of Control. We have direct influence on the work we take up. We control how and when we do it. We control what we make out of it. We influence our work and work methods and ethics directly.

- The result of the work falls in the Circle of Concern. This is the area that we cannot influence with our behavior. This area is outside our control. It is not something that we need to worry about. It is least concerning, but we care about it so much that it has an impact on our work.

A Yogi is someone who clearly identifies this distinction and hence does not let the anxiety or concern related to the result affect or impact his work.

• When you are detached from the result, your focus on the NOW increases.

• When focus on the NOW increases, you are neither dwelling in your past nor anxious about the future you realize the beauty of the current moment – the NOW.

• When you live in this moment with your mind and heart limitlessly committed – joy is triggered.
  

One moment of life lived in ‘the NOW’ churns out one unit of joy! This is the equation!

It does not matter which moment the ‘NOW’ is spent on. It could be a moment of travel, a moment of singing, or a moment spent with family, friends, love, or God. When the mind and heart are fully focused on that moment, with no regards or concern about its result – the soul will find itself. This self-realization leads to tremendous inner peace and joy!

Helping Ourselves to Be a Yogi – The Only Way to Constant Joyousness

Lord Krishna in the same chapter says that the only person who can help you is YOU! You do not need external help to tackle internal substance. Every individual who takes birth is equipped with the capacity to differentiate himself from his thoughts. For instance, anger is an emotion triggered by thoughts. If I become one with the thought, which is anger, I become angry. Instead, if I do not become one with the thought and distinctly identify myself as a witness to the angry thought and realize that – ‘This thought is triggering anger,’ then this realization gives me a superior power over the thought and emotion. It needs to be observed here that the one witnessing the anger and telling you that you are angry is your inner consciousness or soul. The one being angry is your mind full of such thoughts. This distinct identification of the soul and mind is essential to achieve the capacity to control the mind.

The best way to test this is to sit with eyes closed and observe thoughts. There will always be thoughts in our minds. However, during this state of meditation, there will be moments where you will witness your thoughts. You will look at them like you view a cinema in a hall. That moment of witnessing is the moment when you are one with the soul. The soul witnesses all thoughts. The moment you are one with the soul, you give yourself power superior to your thoughts.

In the context of helping oneself to joy, Lord Krishna says, "Redeem yourself (mind) with yourself (soul).

Sources:

Chapter 6, Bhagavadgeeta:

1. तपस्विभ्योऽधिको योगी ज्ञानिभ्योऽपि मतोऽधिकः। कर्मिभ्यश्चाधिको योगी तस्माद्योगी भवार्जुन॥ ६-४६॥

2. उद्धरेदात्मनात्मानं नात्मानमवसादयेत् ।आत्मैव ह्यात्मनो बन्धुरात्मैव रिपुरात्मनः ॥ ६-५॥
   बन्धुरात्मात्मनस्तस्य येनात्मैवात्मना जितः ।अनात्मनस्तु शत्रुत्वे वर्तेतात्मैव शत्रुवत् ॥ ६-६॥