“I wish I were a dog!”
“Why?”
“They always seem so carefree, happy, and relaxed.”
“Why don’t you try being that way then?”
“But then I feel like I am living in denial and not facing the reality of life. I mean I want to be happy but I don’t want to be ignorant. I mean is that really happiness? Why can’t I be aware and be happy? Or is that mutually exclusive?”
This is the dialogue between Ken and Chip, comedian Kenny Sebastian’s Instagram comic. Most millennials would resonate with Kenny on this. We want to be happy but find it hard to do so when we see the injustices and conflicts around us. So do we close our eyes to the world’s harsh realities in order to stay happy?
Can ignorance be bliss?
Imagine a world where we can choose to live under the rock. We just go about living our lives, with no exposure to news and the world outside. In such a scenario, we will stay ignorant of our leaders’ deeds, their visions, ideologies, their work, and lack of it. This will eventually lead to poor political choices that affect us, our families, and our communities in the long run. Moreover, with no awareness about the happenings in society, we are likely to live our lives like frogs in a well. The alternate is powerful, liberating and can lead to change.
Yet, there is a historical figure who did find bliss in ignorance. But the bliss never stayed on.
Around 2,500 years ago, after having lived under the rock since birth, a young prince saw death, disease, and old age for the first time on the same day. There was suffering in the world and it was painful to see it. It was impossible for him to return to his blissful life thereafter. The experience drove the young prince to look for life’s ultimate truth. Eventually, he came to be known as Lord Buddha.
Can spirituality be the solution?
Awakening to life’s realities opened the door for introspection and the experience of the ultimate bliss for the Buddha. That may or may not have the same effect on us. Yet, numerous studies have shown that spirituality is associated with sustained happiness. People observing spiritual or religious practices have been found to be less anxious and depressed than their non-observing counterparts. Indeed, spirituality can be a bedrock of support and positivity for all of us mired in a harsh world.
But, what is spirituality?According to Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, “Our body is made up of carbohydrates, amino acids, proteins, etc., but our consciousness or spirit is made of joy, energy, enthusiasm, peace, happiness, and love. Experiencing it at will is spirituality.”
In other words, spirituality is a way to turn our joy and peace into independent constants rather than variables dependent on the external world. “Peeping into your personality and exploring that there is much more to what you think about yourself is spirituality. It is a process of exploring the godliness in you,” adds Gurudev.
How to go within: A note on spiritual practices
An old saying goes: to pluck a flower may take time but to connect with the divine within us doesn’t. To connect within, Gurudev advises, “Remove mental stress and learn to rest your mind deeply.” It is different from recreational activities as the latter engages the mind, not allowing it to rest. Some simple spiritual practices that you can include in your daily life:
- Meditate: Meditation is an act to experience the deepest rest while you’re awake. The practice has been scientifically proven to remove stress, enhance brain function, and improve mental well-being. You can start with short guided meditations with Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar.
- Yoga: Yoga relaxes the mind and also helps in physical well-being. Know everything related to yoga.
- Wisdom: Wisdom helps us see life from a bigger perspective and overcome mental misery. Explore a collection of resourceful wisdom.
- Chants: Studies show that chants relax the mind and body, and can decrease anxiety and depressive symptoms in the body. You can listen to soothing chants for a few minutes daily on The Art of Living App.
- Pray: Studies have shown that praying calms the nervous system and shuts the fight or flight response. If you believe in a higher power, then pray for a few minutes every day.
Staying happy and woke with spirituality
The stability and peace from spiritual practices bring out outer dynamism. Here are Six individuals from different walks of life share how spirituality helps them stay happy and woke:
‘Managing my sanity with lessons from the Bhagavad Gita‘
“The best lessons in managing my sanity while the world goes topsy turvy comes from the Bhagavad Gita. I must fight for my value system, for justice and that can be difficult to do when my idea of justice is in conflict with what is largely held by people around me, especially my family. I may not be an isolated case. A lot of young people have started questioning everything happening around them. The best way to re-educate others and myself is to find calmness and clarity which I find with meditation. The clarity helps me see all others’ opinions clearly and then listen to my own take on an issue.”
- Ruchira Roy, media professional
Ruchira’s favorite spiritual practice: Sahaj Samadhi Dhyan Yoga
‘Change comes one step at a time’
“I work to spread awareness about sustainable farming practices in rural India. Despite a lot of efforts from our side, I see many farmers not adopting these practices and suffer in the long term. My spiritual practices help me bounce back from these disappointments and go out again on the field with vigor. Most importantly, these practices have given me the clarity to see that change comes one step at a time.”
- Suprita Kanwat, an IIT Mumbai alumnus who joined The Art of Living’s social projects team to make a difference.
Suprita’s favorite spiritual practice: Sudarshan Kriya (a breathing technique that helps you slip into meditation)
‘The world is a play’
“Negativity in the world in the form of social injustices etc. is a litmus test to judge my level of spiritual practices. Any mental disturbances due to the outside world demand increasing my spiritual practices. I believe God has left some imperfections in the world which need to be corrected by us. That is our duty. Spiritual practices remind me that the world is a play where everyone is playing a role. As we perform our duties, we play our roles with perfection.”
- Anoop Shukla, Self-employed, Faculty, The Art of Living
Anoop’s favorite spiritual practice: Listening to the wisdom
‘More empathy yet stable-minded’
“Spiritual practices have made me more empathetic to the people around me. The beautiful thing has been that now even when I feel more connected to the person suffering, I don’t lose my mind’s stability. I help if I can and all the while, my energy is not drained.”
- Samhitha Gomatam, Social Media Manager
Samhitha’s favorite spiritual practice: Yoga and silence
‘Everything is changing and so will world problems‘
“My favorite wisdom point is that everything is changing. If you look at life from a bigger perspective, you’ll realize that in the history of creation, nothing has stayed the same. No problem stays forever. When I look at world issues, I see them from the same lens. The constant reminder that everything is changing saves my mind and happiness.”
- Hampi Chakrabarti, Content Head
Hampi’s favorite spiritual practice: Silence
‘Spirituality drives me to bring change‘
Purushottam Wayal was once an alcohol addict. But a tryst with meditation and spiritual practices ended his addictions and inspired him to work for society. "Currently, every section of society is facing problems. With spiritual practices, you automatically start caring for the other. These practices also give you that energy to drive change. That is why when our team worked in water-scarce rural Maharashtra to make watershed structures in 43 degree Celsius, heat could not affect us much. The vision of green land where farmers have enough water to practice farming was too strong."
Purushottam’s favorite spiritual practice: Sudarshan Kriya
These are just a handful of people who have found ways to live happily without having to live under the rock. Explore how spirituality can help you stay happy and woke. Take one step at a time, start any one practice today.
Join The Art of Living’s online breath and meditation workshop where you can learn to go within through breathing techniques, meditation, and wisdom. Know more here.
