Being aware of awareness itself, only consciousness can get you there – to the truth of yourself, the immortal inner being...
And then comes unhappiness, and one does not become unhappy either. One says, ‘A black cloud passing. I am the witness, the watcher.’
And that third dimension brings bliss. Bliss is without any opposite to it. It is serene, tranquil, cool. It is ecstasy without any excitement.
The essential religion is taking the whole responsibility for whatsoever you are. And immediately an insight arises: ‘If I am responsible for my suffering, then it is simple, I can drop it. It is my choice. I will not choose it any more.’
All alternatives are open. Choose to be blissful. And then there are people who can be blissful even when they are imprisoned, and there are people who remain miserable even when they are living in marble palaces. It all depends on you.
So the patient went to the mountains, and do you know what? Next day a telegram arrived for the psychiatrist. The patient said in the telegram, ‘I am feeling very happy – why?’
Many times people come to me to be reassured. They ask, they say, ‘I’m feeling very happy and blissful. What do you say?’ What is the need to say anything? The very need shows that the happiness is unreal and imaginary.
It is impossible to pursue happiness. Nobody has ever pursued it. One has to wait for it. And it is not a right at all. No law court can force you to be happy or force happiness to be with you. No government violence is capable of making you happy. No power can make you happy...
Why is it so? If live is a gift, all that belongs to and is intrinsic to life is going to be a gift. You can wait for it, you can be receptive to it, you can remain in a surrendered mood, waiting, patient, but you cannot demand, and you cannot force.
Happiness is one pole, sadness is another. Blissfulness is one pole, misery is another. Life consists of both, and life is richer because of both. A life only of blissfulness will have extension, but will not have depth. A life of only sadness will have depth, but will not have extension.
A life of both sadness and blissfulness is multi-dimensional; it moves in all dimensions together. Watch the statue of Buddha or sometimes look into my eyes and you will find both together – a blissfulness, a peace, a sadness also.
You will find a blissfulness which contains in it sadness also, because that sadness gives it depth. Watch Buddha’s statue – blissful, but still sad. The very word sad gives you wrong connotations – that something is wrong. This is your interpretation. To me, life in its totality is good.
Whenever you feel happiness it is always from the inner. Then mind immediately jumps in and takes control and says, ‘It is because of me.’ When you are in love, it is like death, you feel blissful. Immediately mind comes in and says, ‘Okay, this is me, this is because of me.’
Whenever you meditate, there are glimpses. Then the mind comes in and says, ‘Be happy! Look, I have done it.’ And immediately the contact is lost.
We ask for happiness but what we get is unhappiness. We all put our efforts into trying to be happy but we make a fundamental mistake: happiness is not related to the effort, happiness is related to not asking for it...
What is wrong with enjoying yourself? What is wrong in being happy? If there is anything wrong it is always in your unhappiness, because an unhappy person creates ripples of unhappiness all around him. Be happy!
The total absence of desire brings happiness. It also brings freedom and liberation, because whenever something is lacking there are both limits and dependency. Only when nothing at all is lacking is there the possibility of total freedom. Freedom brings happiness. And happiness is salvation.
Spread compassion all around you. Look around you – people are so unhappy, don’t add to their unhappiness. Your compassion will lessen their unhappiness; just one word of compassion will lessen their unhappiness. Don’t add to their unhappiness.
Religion exists not because of God or for God; it is because of marriage. Marriage creates so much misery that one has to meditate; meditation is a byproduct. Without marriage, who will bother to meditate? For what? You will be already blissful!
I am not against marriage – without marriage, ninety-nine percent jokes will disappear from the world. How I can be against marriage? I am all for it.