What is Knowledge : Ch-5-12.

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Chapter 5: Maintaining One's Position-12.

Now, you may wonder : -"Am I happy only when the mind is happy, and is this all that I expect in this world? Or is there anything else in me?"

Many people imagine that mental peace is very important, and they seem to be very clear in their minds when they say this – but really, they are clear about nothing.

The words "I want peace of mind" are merely words; the meaning of these words is not very clear, and cannot be very clear, because you cannot know what you mean by 'peace', or 'happiness', or 'unhappiness'.

You cannot easily know what happiness and unhappiness mean, if you attribute your happiness and unhappiness to factors other than yourself :- "If I get something, I am happy.

If I do not get it, I am unhappy." So, you feel that you are a slave of that which is supposed to make you happy or unhappy.

Are you a slave? Would anyone like to be a slave of anybody? But, all those who imagine that they will be happy only due to the possession of objects are utter slaves, and this also applies to the causes of unhappiness.

On the one hand, you cry for freedom and say you are very independent, but your 'independence' is a name that you give to a total dependence on factors other than yourself, which you think is the cause of happiness or unhappiness, whereas nothing of the kind is the truth.

You make your own destiny. Your own fate is in your hands; nobody else is the cause. It is futile to argue that other people are the cause of what you are, because nobody will interfere with you, and nobody has any business with you.

Swami Krishnananda
To be continued  .....


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