Why are some relationships painful?

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Relationships

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If you’re happy by your own nature, now relationships will become a means for you to express your happiness, not to seek happiness. If you’re forming relationships to seek happiness, and trying to squeeze happiness out of somebody, and that person is trying to squeeze happiness out of you - now this is going to be a painful relationship after some time.

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Why are some relationships painful?

The following is an unedited transcript of Sadhguru's video. For better readability, breaks and highlights have been added by the editors.

The needs within a human being have risen, because of a certain sense of incompleteness. People are forming relationships to experience a certain sense of completeness within themselves. When you have a good relationship with someone dear to you, you feel complete. When you don’t have that, you feel incomplete. Why is this so? Because this [self] life, this piece of life is a complete entity by itself. Why is it feeling incomplete? And why is it trying to fulfil itself by making a partnership with another piece of life?

People are forming relationships to experience a certain sense of completeness within themselves

Fundamental reason is that, we have not explored this life in its full depth and dimension. Though that is the basis, there is a complex process of relationships as such. There are expectations…. and expectations, and expectations, and expectations. The expectations that most people are creating are such, that there is no human being on the planet who could ever fulfil those expectations.

In the process of holding a relationship, the first moment of meeting, the expectations may be common. But as, every step that we take in life, the expectations may become different. Because these expectations keep changing in people, they’re not consistent and they cannot be. One person may be consistent with the same expectation throughout their life. Another person’s expectations may be changing because his perception and experience of life is changing.

Now, relationships become great conflicts. More conflict is happening within the four walls of the homes, than is happening anywhere on the planet. Only thing is, bombs are not exploding, so you don’t hear it. They may be giving each other silent treatment.

It [Conflict] is happening because people’s expectations are changing, and they’re not changing at the same pace

It is happening because people’s expectations are changing, and they’re not changing at the same pace. Fundamentally, why have we sought a relationship? Because you find yourself, that without a relationship, if you do not have any kind of relationship in your life, then you become depressed. So, fundamentally you’re seeking a relationship because you want to be happy, you want to be joyful. Or, in other words, you’re trying to use the other as a source of your happiness.

If you’re happy by your own nature, now relationships will become a means for you to express your happiness, not to seek happiness. If you’re forming relationships to seek happiness, and trying to squeeze happiness out of somebody, and that person is trying to squeeze happiness out of you – now this is going to be a painful relationship after some time. Initially it may be ok, because something is being fulfilled. But, if you have become a joy by yourself, and you are forming a relationship because you want to express your happiness – nobody is going to complain about you. Because you are in the process of expressing your joy, not seeking joy from the other person.

If your life becomes an expression of your joy, not in pursuit of happiness, then relationships will be naturally wonderful

So, if your life becomes an expression of your joy, not in pursuit of happiness, then relationships will be naturally wonderful. You can hold a million relationships, and still hold them good. Now, this whole circus of trying to fulfil somebody else’s expectations does not arise. Because, if you are an expression of joy, anyway they want to be with you.

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