So, what is wellbeing? When do you really feel well in your life? When do you truly feel well?
When you are very happy, you are well. Even if you are physically ill, you are still well, isn’t it? Even if you are medically diagnosed as ill, you are very happy right now, you are feeling well, isn’t it.
So, fundamentally wellbeing means a certain level of joyfulness. Certain exuberance of life. What is happiness?
We can say happiness is this that, but in terms of life your life energies are happening in a more exuberant way, then it normally happens
We can say happiness is this that, but in terms of life your life energies are happening in a more exuberant way, then it normally happens. Depression Means your life energies have become very low and staid. Happiness means your life energies are exuberant.
There are many way of describing happiness. But only those who are happy know what it means to be happy. There is nobody who has not been happy. Everybody has been happy. But the problem is they are not able to maintain it, that’s all, isn’t it? Everybody has been happy.
In the last 24 hours, how many moments of joy have you known? 1, 2, 3 – how many? Maybe you can count on your fingers… Many people have nothing to count! When you are five years of age, a child, how many moments of joy did you know in 24 hours? Hmm? Lots of them, isn’t it? Somebody had to make you unhappy! Now, somebody has to make you happy, isn’t it? The whole equation has gotten reversed somehow.
In the last 24 hours, how many moments of joy have you known? 1, 2, 3 – how many?
All this effort of life, everything that you did, education, career, business, family, whatever you did, everything was in pursuit of happiness, is it so? Everything that humanity has done on this planet is in pursuit of happiness, is it so? In the last 100 years, we have done too much on this planet. With the use of science and technology we have changed the very face of this planet. Today we have the kind of comfort and conveniences that no other generation could ever even imagine. Yes! What royalty could not afford a 100 years ago, today every citizens have, isn’t it so? Most of you driving chariots with 100, 200 horses! Yes! Even, kings could not afford this.
But are we any happier? We are definitely the most comfortable generation ever on this planet. Is it so, physically? But are we also the most joyful generation? So, it’s not worked. Science and technology has brought enormous amount of comfort and convenience to our lives. Things that we could not imagine just 25 years ago, are just a living reality today, isn’t it? But are we any more joyful? No!
And all these comforts and conveniences have not come easy. They have come at a tremendous cost to every other life on this planet. Yes? Every creature, from plant to animal to everything, including human beings, have paid an enormous price to create these comforts and conveniences. And we are not even happy – what is the point!
We are literally making a bonfire of this planet. If we were ecstatic, it’s ok, burn the planet. It’s alright. We are not even happy – I think it’s time to really look at it – why are we burning it up, if we are not even happy.
