Live to Make Others Happy
If you are searching for happiness, search it in making others happy, in the joy of living a healthy lifestyle, in spreading cheer to around you. Those who search happiness in earning lots of money and hoarding luxuries, their search always remains incomplete and imperfect. Despite gaining materially, they end up empty handed.
Half of the population of our country struggles day and night to earn a living. Most of the people do not own a house and they live in rented accommodation. Everyone believes that a lot of money has to be earned if one has to live comfortably. Earning money is essential to live a normally satisfying life, but a belief that all happiness is essentially linked with being wealthy is at best a partial truth.
"The reality behind wealth and fame is that these only satisfy human ego. The happiness attained through these is transitory. It is possible to attain material progress with wealth but not the true happiness. For true joy and cheerful life what is needed is equanimity and peace of mind. We should aim to acquire wealth but only to a limit. Earning and accumulating more than what is necessary can never make a person happy." — These are the thoughts of Anu Agha, ex-Chairperson of Thermax Limited, who was included in the list of eight richest women of India and who was awarded Padma Shri in 2010 by the Govt. of India.
In her experience, the real happiness in life is attained through small things like keeping the body healthy, practicing meditation-yoga regularly. Relationships are very important in life and nurturing these relationships gives peace to the mind. This peace and equanimity cannot be attained by any other means.
She says that for normal living it is necessary to have some luxuries and conveniences but it is not right to become completely dependent on them. Just by accumulating loads of money, no one can lead a worry-free life. Uncontrolled lavishness to make ourselves happy is not right and we must decide for ourselves how much to spend and how much to save.
Anu also had a period in her life when she had to suffer profound grief. She was in UK with her daughter and was returning home after six months. Her husband was happy that she was returning and had planned to go to Mumbai from Pune to receive her. But he died before he could reach the airport. Then after about 14 months her son died suddenly in a road accident. He was only 25 years old then. Anu Agha says, that is when she realized that even in exchange for all the material wealth she could not bring back her husband and son. The real happiness lies in love and affection that we give and receive in our lives.
However deep may be our sorrows, however painful may be the hurt due to failures, time slowly heals them in such a manner that a person begins to stitch back his life together and start living with a new beginning. At the age of 62, Anu dissociated herself from all the responsibilities of the company and devoted her life to social service. A very famous industrialist once, Anu Agha is now the director of Teach for India and has dedicated herself to serve others.
There is a similar famous incident from the life of the great scientist Alfred Nobel. While he was living, a false rumor spread across the world of his death. Alfred Nobel had invented dynamite and a French newspaper printed an obituary for him with the title 'Merchant of Death is dead'. When Alfred saw this he was deeply hurt. He decided to dedicate all his remaining life and his wealth towards service to the society, so that people after his death remember him for his great deeds. And indeed, people remember him today for the Nobel Prize he instituted and not just for inventing dynamite.
Famous industrialist Andrew Carnegie donated his entire wealth before his death to establish libraries in every city of America. Carnegie was the richest person in the world once who had amassed his wealth by drilling oil wells, but he is remembered today only for his donations to enhance the availability of books and knowledge in the world. There are many other great examples like Warren Buffett, Bill Gates, Bhamashah etc. who have donated their wealth towards philanthropy and are still gratefully remembered for their largesse.
Famous Hindi Poet Rahim said — "Trees never eat their own fruit, neither do lakes drink their own water. Similarly, great men accumulate wealth so that they can serve others."
True glory of human life lies in devoting time, energy, capability and wealth to the extent possible in service to the society, in benefitting others and for promoting high ideals. This way not only can one walk firmly on the path of a glorious life, but also become a source of inspiration to others.
"Purnasya Purnam-adaya Purnam Evava Sishyate — From the Whole, when the whole is negated, what remains is again the Whole." — Upanishadic Shanti Patha
"There are two kinds of people: Talkers and doers. Talkers merely talk, while doers do."
"Na-abhinandatina Dveshti, Tasya Prajna Pratisthita — Who neither rejoices nor hates, his wisdom is firm." — Gita 2-57