Expression of True Joy

 

Expression of True Joy

Since childhood and as we grow up through the years our sense of joy changes from the real simple pleasures of childhood innocence into a material sense of joy which is borne out of desires and needs. As children the simplest of things gives us untold joy and we break out in uncontrollable laughter – we have done this ourselves as children and we see it so often in children upto the age of 5 and sometimes till the age of 10 even.

As we grow older, we absorb a lot of stuff and especially in the modern era our joys are driven by our possessions – big house, big car, jewellery, designer clothes, gadgets and what have you. You see someone else’s possession and think you must have that too, and that drives your desire to acquire it whatever the cost. You don’t ‘feel’ joy till you get it. These are the material expressions of joy and happiness which are absolutely short lived! This is because with change in technology with passage of time more and more new ‘toys’ come into the market and our search for that elusive ‘True Joy’ continues through acquisition of ‘things’.

Joy expresses itself under certain conditions, but it is not created by those conditions. Thus, when someone receives ten thousand rupees and exclaims, “Oh, how happy I am!” the condition of having received ten thousand rupees has merely served as a pickaxe, releasing a fountain of joy from the hidden reservoir of bliss within. So, in human experience, certain events are usually required to bring forth joy, but the joy itself is the perennial native state of the soul. 

So, how do we reach this perennial source of joy. This happens very easily and naturally as we start meditating. Our attention turns inwards and with the passage of time and progress under the guidance of a Master, we find the inner world to be far more beautiful and joyous than anything in the outside world. On attaining self-realisation our journey within continues to seek greater and greater depths, and with this we begin to enjoy the sound of silence, the resonance within and we see our soul and the light within fills us with that perennial source of joy – true joy, lasting joy, total bliss!