how happy is your new year 2008?
It’s a cheerful time with everyone wishing all their near and dear ones a happy new year. My mobile is full and I can’t even reply to them till I delete the old ones!
But wait… what are we doing?
We first divided timelessness into units called years. Then we all bought in to the idea of celebrating that interval between these units.
And then we see a lot of merry making photos in the newspaper on how various people celebrated their new year. But if we see closely, a lot of them are artificially generated (by oneself) smiles and laughter. If they are not smiling in that situation, then they are going to be an odd person, and nobody wants that, so better smile! Well, check out this scientific test from the BBC
The point here is not anything to do with partying. Either with or without partying - its about going beyond merely trying to convince ourself or others to be happy!
What then is true happiness? Everyone knows that different people have different answers based on their personality and background. But there is one source of happiness which is absolute – independent of everything else, yet fundamental to everything else?
Maybe one absolute possibility is that one’s happiness really depends on how much one can love!
But I’m so much mired in my own selfishness. There’s actually a nice lazy secure feeling in selfishness… pretty much like a buffalo that wallows in a muddy pool! 🙄 But my new year intention is to move from being more self-centered to centered! 🙂
There are different extents to which one can love others and to that extent lies my happiness… and it is said of true love…
As a mother would risk her life
to protect her child, her only child,
even so should one cultivate a limitless heart with regard to all beings.
So wishing you a delightful new year with lots and lots of love! 🙂
Sanjay,
A good thought and article.
You have gone one step ahead of just posing for photots, merry making…
True happiness in my knowledge is to share and give to others what you have.
thanks
mohan!
About moving from self centered to centered, i heard an interesting quote from a swamiji recently at his satsang.
To love none is to love all
& to love all is to love none
Take care and god bless.
sanjay good thoughts and yes it is just blind following some people think if they dont. what others will think so it is a social evil. If u like be part of it or if u dont like just keep away. with people living in flats and many layouts the associations ask people to contribute and result ur forced to participate may be because of ur children or friends force etc. etc.,. It is ones perception and for most of the people it is one more holiday and one more occassion to celebrate
celebration for them means booze booze booze this only creates nuisance and new year party’s turning into lugly scenes. what happened in mumbai and other places during this year new year eve are totally black mark on all. so proper chcks and protetion
sanjay good post for introspection and people must join hands in do any social events/party’s within the barriers of our culture and tradition
praneshachar, apart from the extreme cases of causing nusisance etc I think new year celebrations can really good fun and help us welcome the year with a positive spirit. The more from the depths of the heart this fun is – as Mohan as aptly put it as going one step ahead – the better! 🙂
Sridhar that quote is excellent food for thought. Reminds me of Osho speaking about the word ALONE in his rivetting talks on the Diamond Sutra – he says the word ALONE – has ALL + ONE – One with All and All with One.
sanjay read my last senteance any parties must end is good family get together and if that happens it is best thing to happen.
but if u look at the youths going on rampage and creating nuisance is really not in the right direction.
for ex bursting crackers at mid night in a locality which is otherwise peaceful. think of the people who are aged, children, sick who are in deep sleep at that hour getting totally disturbed and any social gettogether should not become nuisance to neighbourhood. we do most of it for calender year but not for most of our festivals? why this
blind following west this is what we have inerited from british.
Whether we decide it must end as a good family get together or not, its not going to make a difference to the youths who go on rampage and create nuisance. Because they’re going to do it anyway if not for new year then they will find some other excuse 😉 (like cricket match victory!) And I agree you’re right there’s definitely scope for celebrating our own festivals more grandly as well.