We know that all things, people and situations one seeks in life are all for his or her happiness or fulfillment alone. Now I lack something and if that object or person come into my life I will be fulfilled.That lacking, called Apoornatvam, drives me to run after things of the world. But unfortunately we find that the object or person of my desire also does not give me such pleasure all the time. After a while I want to get rid of the object of one time liking. While western music is loved and enjoyed by the kids the parents are disgusted at it. Swamiji says, “Some people brings happiness by their arrival and some by their departure.” So all my life I am running after something or running away from something. In Sastra they call it pravrithi and nivrithi. Now, Sastra asks you to take a closer look into the problem. If an object or person has any happiness as its intrinsic property, it should please all the people all the time. But have you found any one single object or individual who gives you security peace and happiness all the time. That is why we have so many types of houses cars and dresses and so on, and you keep on changing cars, houses dresses hair styles etc. Not only that, What about security? If richness is security and position and power is security, they should not require security guards around them. That is why there are many many rich people who are more insecure than poor people. What an irony! If power is security, the ministers and presidents should be more secure. So something has wrong and the sastras call it delusion or misconception. Krishna says right from birth the jeeva is deluded and affected by ignorance, and went on in pursuit of imparmanant things and objects. The fundamental misconception is that the insecure world can give you permanent security. Adisankara in Bhajagovindam says, As a child he sought happiness from toys and play things, as an young man he thought wife and children will bring permanent happiness and security, and in old age he has time only to worry about the past. The Upanishad asks how is it possible to get permanent happiness from impermanent objects. Whatever comes in time will go away in time. Nothing in the coordinates of time and space is permanent. How an insecure thing give security? Expecting security from the impermanant is the worst misconception one can have. You start depending on someone who can withdraw support anytime, and even blackmail you or disappear from the earth forever. This makes it clear that the world has no happiness of its own to give you. Then the question is where does my happiness come from? Is there any permanent source? The sastras says, “Yes, there is a permanent source of security peace and happiness. But it is hidden like buried treasure, and you need the help of Sastra and Guru to unearth.” Hari Om.
