Page 16 - The Indian EYE 021624

SPECIAL FEATURE FEBRUARY 16, 2024 | The Indian Eye 16

TOWARDS BETTER LIVING

The Secret to Happiness

aking up on the wrong side
of the bed. It happens to
Wthe best of us.
I woke up to the sound of my
blaring alarm. The time on my alarm
clock read 6:45 am. I was already 45
minutes late, and it all went downhill
from there. I spent the next hour sit-
ting in peak rush hour traffic.
At work that day I did not feel
like socializing with my friends or
catching up on our first day back to-
gether in over a year. As if my stress-
ful morning and busy first day wasn’t
enough, I finally made it back home
from work only to realize that I had
left my phone in my drawer at work!
At home I again avoided any
contact with my family. All I could
think about when I got home was
finding a way to make myself feel
better, and forget that “today” ever
happened. I went to exercise, think-
ing that it would make things better,
but somehow, I felt even more aches
after. There was no hope for a happy
moment in my day.
Whenever we face bad days or
difficult situations, we tend to turn
to external things — going for ‘re-
tail therapy’, grabbing your favorite up a book on stories from the life of Wall, Pramukh Swami answered, ed of a speech delivered at the Unit-
comfort meal or getting on the couch HH Pramukh Swami Maharaj. Rec- “With the first flower I placed in the ed Nations Peace Summit in New
and watching a movie. ognized and respected as one of the wall, I prayed to God that may all of York City on August 29, 2000 by
As I think back to this day, I greatest Hindu spiritual teachers, the prayers that have been said here Pramukh Swami Maharaj. He said,
try to understand what I could have Pramukh Swami Maharaj lived by before be answered.” When the Swa- “A single meeting, a simple dialogue
done differently…. even after start- and promoted the principle: “In the mi asked why he had placed a second can positively influence the minds
ing my day on the wrong side of the joy of others, lies our own.” Reading flower, Pramukh Swami revealed, of millions. Just as the Archbishop
bed, 45 minutes late. of his life and character, it’s fairly “With the second flower, I prayed of Canterbury visited our Swamina-
When I think of people in the clear that Pramukh Swami appeared that may all the prayers that may be rayan Hindu Mandir in London, we
world who despite facing many dif- to know and live by the “secret.” said here henceforth be fulfilled.” personally visited Bethlehem, the
ficulties seemed content and capa- As I read that night, I came In a place that would be consid- Wailing Wall in Jerusalem and met
ble of surmounting any personal across a story from the year 1999 ered foreign to other faiths — he re- both the chief Rabbis of Judaism.
challenge, the names of the likes of where Pramukh Swami Maharaj spected and emulated the traditions It creates understanding, and gen-
Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther visited the Wailing Wall in Israel. of the Wall. At the same time, he en- erates genuine respect. That is why
King Jr. and Nelson Mandela come When he saw many people kneeling, sured he prayed for those that were we often say, ‘Religion is that which
to mind. praying and inserting folded notes there previously and will come in the fosters love for one another.’”
The secret to ‘mental wellness’ containing their prayers into the future. Pramukh Swami Maharaj Pramukh Swami Maharaj and
does not appear to be engaging in crevices of the wall, Pramukh Swami prayed for the joy and well-being of others like him serve as ideal role
external activities. A study published himself gently picked a yellow flow- others. models. There is no secret to what
in the Journal of Happiness in 2019 er and silently placed it in a crevice It is the small silent acts of the they do or how they live — it’s a
concluded that, “Those who wished of the Wailing Wall. Sometime later great that reveal their inner sincere commitment to the joy of others —
others well (loving-kindness) had he picked another yellow flower and wishes and genuine care for all peo- which then brings our own. So, as we
lower anxiety, greater happiness, also silently placed that in another ple regardless of their caste, culture, all tread our own paths to happiness,
greater empathy, and higher feelings crevice. He then asked all of the dis- faith or backgrounds. They joyfully let us think about the ways that we
of caring and connectedness than ciples with him to join him in reciting lived their lives by bringing joy to can bring joy to others, starting with
those in a control condition.” a prayer for peace in the world. others. No external factors big or a simple smile.
That night in bed there was one Later that afternoon when a small distracted their mindset. Nilesh Mehta
routine I did not change or avoid — Swami asked him what he had per- As I closed my book and shut
my personal reading time. I picked sonally prayed for at the Wailing my eyes for the night, I was remind-

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