One of my favorite stories. This thought provoking piece of advice is attributed to Sri Ramana Mahirishi.
How to be be Happy
Once a lady, who was troubled by many problems, approached Guru Ramana for some sound advice on how to live a happy and contented life.
The Guru gave her a patient hearing and did not interrupt her as she listed all her troubles and needs. Once she was through he asked her to tell him, in simple terms, as to what exactly she was looking for and how he could be of help.
The lady blurted out - “Swamiji, I want to be happy! Nothing more. Please tell me how to be happy with all these things troubling me?”
Swami Ramana responded – “My Dear Lady, the solution is simple. Will you do as I tell you?”
The lady vigorously nodded her head to indicate her willingness.
The Guru continued – “You said ‘I want to be happy’. Now here is my advice. First drop the ‘I’ from your statement. What is left in it now? Could you repeat it?”
She replied – “want to be happy.”
Guruji then said – “Ah! Now that we have got rid of ‘I’ from your statement, why don’t you remove ‘Want to’ also from it and repeat that which is remaining?”
She thought for a moment and said – “Be Happy”
“There you have it!” Guru chuckled “the solution to your problems. Drop the "I" and the "want" from your life then you will be Happy!"
From India, Bangalore
2How to be be Happy
Once a lady, who was troubled by many problems, approached Guru Ramana for some sound advice on how to live a happy and contented life.
The Guru gave her a patient hearing and did not interrupt her as she listed all her troubles and needs. Once she was through he asked her to tell him, in simple terms, as to what exactly she was looking for and how he could be of help.
The lady blurted out - “Swamiji, I want to be happy! Nothing more. Please tell me how to be happy with all these things troubling me?”
Swami Ramana responded – “My Dear Lady, the solution is simple. Will you do as I tell you?”
The lady vigorously nodded her head to indicate her willingness.
The Guru continued – “You said ‘I want to be happy’. Now here is my advice. First drop the ‘I’ from your statement. What is left in it now? Could you repeat it?”
She replied – “want to be happy.”
Guruji then said – “Ah! Now that we have got rid of ‘I’ from your statement, why don’t you remove ‘Want to’ also from it and repeat that which is remaining?”
She thought for a moment and said – “Be Happy”
“There you have it!” Guru chuckled “the solution to your problems. Drop the "I" and the "want" from your life then you will be Happy!"
From India, Bangalore
Hi! Good question.
But what the Guru seems to say is drop your greed and "wanting' things to happen the way you want. He is saying be a Karmayogi and "Just do it".
Nishkama karma!
Do your duty whole- heartedly without hankering for the fruits - as Krishna adviced Arjun.
Do you see the viewpoint?
I might be wrong...am willing to be corrected....over to you.
From India, Bangalore
But what the Guru seems to say is drop your greed and "wanting' things to happen the way you want. He is saying be a Karmayogi and "Just do it".
Nishkama karma!
Do your duty whole- heartedly without hankering for the fruits - as Krishna adviced Arjun.
Do you see the viewpoint?
I might be wrong...am willing to be corrected....over to you.
From India, Bangalore
True. There is a state of mind wherein you will be working to fulfill all your wants. But you will find no Desire within driving you to fulfill those wants. In other words, if your wants are fulfilled you will not be perturbed with too much of happiness, if your wants are not fulfilled then you will not be perturbed with too much of sorrow, because "desire" anyway is not there. To achieve that state of mind is very difficult....
In fact the Managements view such people with suspicion, because they find the attitude of such people as "disinterestedness towards work and profession" because 'absence of desire' sends them a wrong signal. They often fail to understand that there will be no difference between a "man of passion/desire" and a "man of peace, equilibrium & contentment" as far as output is concerned. Many managements view, "burning desire to fulfill dreams" as a positive personality trait and they feel such people will do anything to do the job well to win accolades of bosses, in that process excel. They like such people.
Hence I doubt whether the Spirituality and Management philosophies go hand in hand. If we get a boss who understands us then, we can live happily despite being "dispassionate" about our wants.
From India, Hyderabad
In fact the Managements view such people with suspicion, because they find the attitude of such people as "disinterestedness towards work and profession" because 'absence of desire' sends them a wrong signal. They often fail to understand that there will be no difference between a "man of passion/desire" and a "man of peace, equilibrium & contentment" as far as output is concerned. Many managements view, "burning desire to fulfill dreams" as a positive personality trait and they feel such people will do anything to do the job well to win accolades of bosses, in that process excel. They like such people.
Hence I doubt whether the Spirituality and Management philosophies go hand in hand. If we get a boss who understands us then, we can live happily despite being "dispassionate" about our wants.
From India, Hyderabad
If we honestly be what we are and not what others expect us to be. Then also is it not true that Happiness, sadness all these belong to the abstract existence.
the problem actually comes when we seek the abstract in the material world. We first preconceive that our association/owner ship of a material object is what will give us happiness.
Where as the object around which our so called happiness revolves is static but it is our though that is dynamic. If you need to attain a particular state of mind it is within you not outside.
regards
arvind
the problem actually comes when we seek the abstract in the material world. We first preconceive that our association/owner ship of a material object is what will give us happiness.
Where as the object around which our so called happiness revolves is static but it is our though that is dynamic. If you need to attain a particular state of mind it is within you not outside.
regards
arvind
Hello! Mr.Chandrashekar,
Very well written and argued. Points noted.
The key question here is:
Is this person working hard & passionately for selfish reasons and motives?
If a person is "passionately" pursuing personal goals within an organization then too he would be looked upon with suspicion.
But if he is working hard for the common good and for the organizational goals then he would be a non-threat and an asset.
Such a person is a true blue Karmayogi. He doesn't want anything for himself.
There is no "I" here and selfish "want" here....
Think of great personalities like Gandhi,Nelson Mandela etc. They did work passionately and ceaseleslly - but for a greater cause other than their own personal glory.
Am i Ok in this line of thinking?
From India, Bangalore
Very well written and argued. Points noted.
The key question here is:
Is this person working hard & passionately for selfish reasons and motives?
If a person is "passionately" pursuing personal goals within an organization then too he would be looked upon with suspicion.
But if he is working hard for the common good and for the organizational goals then he would be a non-threat and an asset.
Such a person is a true blue Karmayogi. He doesn't want anything for himself.
There is no "I" here and selfish "want" here....
Think of great personalities like Gandhi,Nelson Mandela etc. They did work passionately and ceaseleslly - but for a greater cause other than their own personal glory.
Am i Ok in this line of thinking?
From India, Bangalore
Dear Avalok,
I hope you will agree with me if I say, Gandhi cannot do marketing job in today's business organizations.
Regarding the perception that it is possible to view a selfless person as an asset and a passionate/selfish person as someone who works for his own selfish ends not for the organization, I quote the example of a glass half full. Some people say this glass is "half empty" some people will say this glass is "half full".
Hence what perception Managements develop seeing a selfish man and seeing a selfless man is a subjective matter which is left to the discretion of the fellow who wants to understand whatever way he wants.
Thirdly, it is immaterial whether one works with "Selfish motive" or "unselfish motive" as long as he works for the organization and gives output. For instance, Sachin Tendulkar scored over 78 Centuries for India. He loves scoring Centuries, he is selfish about his records. Do we say, "because he worked with selfish motives, he did not contribute anything for India"?
Thanks and regards,
Chandrasekhar
From India, Hyderabad
I hope you will agree with me if I say, Gandhi cannot do marketing job in today's business organizations.
Regarding the perception that it is possible to view a selfless person as an asset and a passionate/selfish person as someone who works for his own selfish ends not for the organization, I quote the example of a glass half full. Some people say this glass is "half empty" some people will say this glass is "half full".
Hence what perception Managements develop seeing a selfish man and seeing a selfless man is a subjective matter which is left to the discretion of the fellow who wants to understand whatever way he wants.
Thirdly, it is immaterial whether one works with "Selfish motive" or "unselfish motive" as long as he works for the organization and gives output. For instance, Sachin Tendulkar scored over 78 Centuries for India. He loves scoring Centuries, he is selfish about his records. Do we say, "because he worked with selfish motives, he did not contribute anything for India"?
Thanks and regards,
Chandrasekhar
From India, Hyderabad
Hello, Mr. Chandrashekar,
Once again well argued.
Gandhi was a terrific marketing guy and he did a great job "selling" the idea of non-violence to the world. That too in an age where there were no TV,cable,internet etc.
My counter examples for not having passionate but selfish persons on board will be Hitler,Mussolini etc. Or Duryodhana & the Kauravas of Mahabharath. Or Karna for that matter. They were all passionate but they were egoistic and were not team oriented.
One wants team players and not guys who will trod on others to climb the ladder,
As for the example of Sachin T - we are getting into dangerous and emotional territory here.
Still, "he is playing for himself" is a tag attached to guys who go after personal records.
And ample columns with statistics have been written about how often Sachin has failed to deliver when the crunch came when compared to others.
It is all a matter of perception....
From India, Bangalore
Once again well argued.
Gandhi was a terrific marketing guy and he did a great job "selling" the idea of non-violence to the world. That too in an age where there were no TV,cable,internet etc.
My counter examples for not having passionate but selfish persons on board will be Hitler,Mussolini etc. Or Duryodhana & the Kauravas of Mahabharath. Or Karna for that matter. They were all passionate but they were egoistic and were not team oriented.
One wants team players and not guys who will trod on others to climb the ladder,
As for the example of Sachin T - we are getting into dangerous and emotional territory here.
Still, "he is playing for himself" is a tag attached to guys who go after personal records.
And ample columns with statistics have been written about how often Sachin has failed to deliver when the crunch came when compared to others.
It is all a matter of perception....
From India, Bangalore
hi all
U r forgetting what u started here,sachin tendulkar is not ur point here,happiness is what matters,do ur best at your work and the best willl come to u,
Do not blame some one for ur results,just as u r doing, sachin did give his best, the only player who is not selfish is been called as selfish in our Hr column, I petty.
Leaders are born not chosen,well u are not left with option now a days so u r free to choose one,be happy in doing so,I am giving u one here,be happy
From India, Hyderabad
U r forgetting what u started here,sachin tendulkar is not ur point here,happiness is what matters,do ur best at your work and the best willl come to u,
Do not blame some one for ur results,just as u r doing, sachin did give his best, the only player who is not selfish is been called as selfish in our Hr column, I petty.
Leaders are born not chosen,well u are not left with option now a days so u r free to choose one,be happy in doing so,I am giving u one here,be happy
From India, Hyderabad
Hi! Mr. Satya,
I agree with you. The topic got deviated. And I am a Sachin fan too.
As I said cricket topics are subjective and lead to controversies. And statistics can be manipulated.
My message was and is that one who is unselfish and doesn't want anything for himself is a happy man.
From India, Bangalore
I agree with you. The topic got deviated. And I am a Sachin fan too.
As I said cricket topics are subjective and lead to controversies. And statistics can be manipulated.
My message was and is that one who is unselfish and doesn't want anything for himself is a happy man.
From India, Bangalore
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