1. Despite all the difficulties, remember - you are lucky!

Last year I held a seminar in one of the orphanages. His pupils have never seen their parents, they live in far from the best conditions, they have to face the harshness of this world every day. But they are happy!

AND x optimism and the ability to rejoice can teach us a lot as adults! For example, the fact that any obstacles can be overcome if you have the courage and will, if you know how to be grateful for what you have. Gratitude inevitably brings happiness. We live, we breathe, we feel. Guys, we're so damn lucky!

2. Happiness is not in material values

Cloth, alcoholic drinks, mansions, cars and all material goods can make you happy, but not for long. “Money can’t buy happiness” is a perfectly fair expression, even from a scientific point of view. If you want to be truly happy, invest in experience, in memories, in new experiences, in what brings you pleasure. And most importantly, share it all with the people you really love.

3. Find your way to happiness

In our crazy world, simple things bring more and more pleasure. Morning in the countryside, the smell of flowers on the street, the laughter of a child… It is important to break out of the routine, to give yourself a break. Meditate, pray, run in the dew, grow flowers. Do what makes you happy. Everyone has a different path to happiness. Look for yours.

4. Love = happiness

A person needs to take care of someone, someone to love. A person should not only receive, but also give. Believe me, the more you give love and care to loved ones, those in need, those around you, the happier you will be.

5. Do not build barriers with your own hands

According to an article published in The Mind, one of the top five regrets people have on their deathbed is that they didn't allow themselves to be happy more often. Precisely “they didn’t allow it,” but they could! When you have found your path to happiness, do not turn off it, do not stand on it with your own hands. Let yourself be happy!

6. When things are bad, watch an upbeat movie.

When overcome by spleen, do not give in. Self-pity is not our option. Find sources of optimism - songs, books, films. They will definitely not allow you to completely become limp and, perhaps, will suggest a way out.

7. Have the courage to be kind

Yes, be kind to others and, of course, to yourself. You are imperfect, life is also imperfect. Help others, do good deeds - this is a universal way to feel good and, perhaps, your path to happiness.

8. Don't beat yourself up

You are mistaken? Screwed up? Don't punish yourself. Everyone makes mistakes. It is important to be able to learn from them and move on. And don't get carried away - it's stupid!

9. Smile!

Hold a smile on your face for two minutes. This simple trick will increase the content of the “hormone of happiness” in the blood and make you happier right now. Try it, psychologists say that this technique works.

Quite a long time ago, there was a program called "Millionaire" on television in the United States. Every week some worthy person received a bearer check for a million dollars from an unknown benefactor. The recipient of the check could keep the money for himself and spend it as he liked - provided that he did not name where it came from. Every week the recipient faced many difficulties in connection with this agreement. And quite often the recipient had to return the money.

Many films have been made in Hollywood that demonstrate that happiness does not come from material wealth. The movie Money Doesn't Grow on Trees was about a family who suddenly became rich after discovering that one of the trees in their backyard was growing money. And the plot shows a lot of difficulties that this family is going through because of the money tree.

These are fictional examples where people did not find happiness in wealth. But what about reality? There are times when people become instant millionaires by winning a big prize in the lottery or by receiving an unexpected inheritance. When asked how their lives had changed after receiving the money, many answered that their lives had become much more complicated. Large sums appeared at their disposal, but they did not become happier: on the contrary, they had many new problems.

In many fictional and real situations of this kind, an important link is missing. If we have not developed a source of spiritual wealth in ourselves, then no amount of money will make us happy. Spiritual wealth brings happiness. It gives us love. It bestows wisdom. Spiritual wealth leads to happiness because it helps us build relationships with others on the basis of love.

It is very easy to calculate our material wealth, but in order to see how rich we are spiritually, it is important to look at our lives. What kind of relationship do we have with others? Have we learned to love and accept others for who they are, without any reservations? Have we learned to forgive and forget what we perceived as insults? Do we appreciate life in its various manifestations? Are we making full use of our talents? The answer to these questions will allow us to accurately assess the size and quality of our spiritual reserves.

We don't have to wait for circumstances to bring us happiness. When we try to make others happy, we are rewarded a hundredfold. We can create our joy - and let it change the circumstances of our lives. One of the great paradoxes of truth is that a happy heart draws to itself all that it needs to be happy.

Spiritual wealth can be the path to true and secure happiness, because with it we have the opportunity to get everything we need. Material wealth can depend on many external factors that are sometimes beyond our control. Spiritual wealth can be controlled, because it is "an internal matter." We ourselves determine how wide we open our hearts and minds. If we examine ourselves and find that we do not have spiritual wealth, we have the opportunity to replenish it. Within us is everything we need to build a fruitful and happy life. We can acquire the ability to be useful and thus be able to enjoy life, regardless of what is happening around us.

Of course, material comforts can be a positive factor in our lives. With them, we have no problems with food, paying bills or educating children. With a strong economy, material wealth provides reliable protection. But what happens if the economy worsens? When we create spiritual wealth, our inner confidence always stays with us. If we lose our savings and sources of income, our spiritual wealth will help us to persevere and make up for the loss. If our life is based on spiritual wealth, we gain a deep and secure peace that cannot be obtained from material wealth alone.

If we sincerely want to be happy, we must remember three basic principles. (1) Happiness can be both a cause and a consequence of an influx of good things into our lives. (2) Our happiness is increased by using it, because when we think, speak, and act with joy, there is no room in our lives for anything less. (3) We can cultivate happiness by serving others.

The wise Aristotle said: "If happiness is an activity in accordance with an ideal, it is reasonable to suppose that it must be in accordance with the highest ideal."

“The joy of wealth lies not in its mere possession or lavish spending, but in its wise use”. /Miguel Cervantes/

“An excess of wealth is a sacred duty: the owner must, during his life, dispose of the state entrusted to him for the greatest benefit to society”. /Andrew Carnegie/

"Wealth is the product of the ability to think". /Ayn Rand/

“The true duty of a person is not to apply all his strength to multiplying his wealth beyond his own needs, but to enrich and enjoy his indestructible property - his soul”. /Gilbert Hayet/

John Templeton. Universal laws of life.

D. Templeton in 90 minutes. World Laws of Life John Templeton

Law 15. HAPPINESS IS NOT IN MATERIAL, BUT IN SPIRITUAL WEALTH

Quite a long time ago, there was a program called "Millionaire" on television in the United States. Every week, some worthy person received a bearer check for a million dollars from an unknown benefactor. The recipient of the check could keep the money for himself and spend it as he liked - provided that he did not name where they came from. Every week the recipient faced many difficulties in connection with this agreement. And quite often the recipient had to return the money.

Many films have been made in Hollywood that demonstrate that happiness does not come from material wealth. The movie Money Doesn't Grow on Trees was about a family who suddenly became rich after discovering that money was growing on one of the trees in the yard. And the plot shows a lot of difficulties that this family is going through because of the money tree.

These are fictional examples where people did not find happiness in wealth. But what about reality? There are times when people become instant millionaires by winning a big prize in the lottery or by receiving an unexpected inheritance.

When asked how their lives had changed after receiving the money, many answered that their lives had become much more complicated. Large sums appeared at their disposal, but they did not become happier: on the contrary, they had many new problems.

In many fictional and real situations of this kind, an important link is missing. If we have not developed a source of spiritual wealth in ourselves, then no amount of money will make us happy. Spiritual wealth brings happiness. It gives us love. It bestows wisdom. Spiritual wealth leads to happiness because it helps us build relationships with others on the basis of love.

It is very easy to calculate our material wealth, but in order to see how rich we are spiritually, it is important to look at our lives. What kind of relationship do we have with others? Have we learned to love and accept others for who they are, without any reservations? Have we learned to forgive and forget what we perceived as insults? Do we appreciate life in its various manifestations? Are we making full use of our talents? The answer to these questions will allow us to accurately assess the size and quality of our spiritual reserves. We may think that happiness is the result of external circumstances.

Happiness is a spiritual principle that we can learn and use regardless of external circumstances and conditions.

We don't have to wait for circumstances to bring us happiness. When we try to make others happy, we are rewarded a hundredfold. We can create our joy - and let it change the circumstances of our lives. One of the great paradoxes of truth is that a happy heart draws to itself all that it needs to be happy.

Spiritual wealth can be the path to true and lasting happiness, because with it we have the opportunity to get everything we need. Material wealth can depend on many external factors that are sometimes beyond our control. Spiritual wealth can be managed, because it is an “internal affair.” We ourselves determine how wide we open our hearts and minds. If we examine ourselves and find that we do not have spiritual wealth, we have the opportunity to replenish it. Within us is everything we need to build a fruitful and happy life.

We can acquire the ability to be useful and thus be able to enjoy life, regardless of what is happening around us.

Of course, material comforts can be a positive factor in our lives. With them, we have no problems with food, paying bills or educating children. In a strong economy, material wealth provides reliable protection. But what happens if the economy worsens? When we create spiritual wealth, our inner confidence always stays with us. If we lose our savings and sources of income, our spiritual wealth will help us to persevere and make up for the loss. If our life is based on spiritual wealth, we gain a deep and secure peace that cannot be obtained from material wealth alone.

If we sincerely want to be happy, we must remember three basic principles.

1. Happiness can be both a cause and a consequence of the influx of blessings into our lives.

2. Our happiness is increased by using it, because when we think, speak and act with joy, there is no room in our lives for anything less.

3. We can cultivate happiness by serving others.

The wise Aristotle said: "If happiness is an activity in accordance with an ideal, it is reasonable to suppose that it must be in accordance with the highest ideal."

The joy of wealth lies not in its mere possession or lavish spending, but in its wise use.

Miguel Cervantes

An excess of wealth is a sacred duty: the owner must, during his life, dispose of the state entrusted to him with the greatest benefit to society.

Andrew Carnegie

Wealth is a product of the ability to think.

From the book by D. Templeton in 90 minutes. World laws of life author Templeton John

Law 11 HAPPINESS IS ALWAYS A BY-PRODUCT The United States Constitution states that everyone has the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. And there is an old proverb that says: "We are born to be happy." For some people the search for happiness

From the book Everything starts with love by Viilma Luule

Life on the material level Science penetrates deeper and deeper into the secrets of the human body. However, it can be argued that all the hormones produced by our body, no science will ever fully discover. Science always follows the event and reveals only what

From the book Spiritual Community author Kalinauskas Igor Nikolaevich

INSTEAD OF AN EPILOGUE ABOUT THE MATERIAL QUESTION (Imitation of Gurdjieff) An anecdote, almost a parable. They put a patient in a psychiatric hospital who thought he was a grain of wheat. He was treated, treated, cured. They collect a commission: Well, Petrov Sidor Sidorovich, you already know that you are not a wheat

From the book Sign Language in Love author Piz Alan

In Wealth and Poverty: Finding a Partner for Life, Proposing and Solving Problems in Personal Relationships “I want openness, honesty and monogamous relationships. I'm not interested in men who play games." Love begins with a passion that can last

author Makeeva Sofya

Instead of a conclusion About all the wealth of choice and about poverty as some of its consequences A career in Russia is a little less than a career. You don’t have to think long to understand: we don’t have the opportunity to make a career as a teacher, combiner or librarian ... No money, no fame in

From the book Downshifting [or how to work for pleasure, not depend on traffic jams and do what you want] author Makeeva Sofya

Top managers in a spiritual search Former Vice President of Rolls-Royce Moscow, Roman Komarov, left a successful career in order to travel, engage in self-development and enjoy life. Over time, he also began to lead radio programs and seminars "which give

From the book The Secret Meaning of Money author Madanes Claudio

Think Wealth, Not Poverty It is as easy to focus on what a person has as it is on what he lacks. A spouse's most precious asset is not necessarily in dollars. It is not always material. Spouses should think less about what

From the book Become a Genius! [Secrets of superthinking] author Muller Stanislav

In riches and in poverty, in sorrow and in joy... Many people say that they use the skill of mind control only when they are faced with serious difficulties. Here is a parable of two believers. One layman all his life, in sorrow and in joy, mentally turned to the Creator, thanked for the good

From the book Eye of the Spirit [Integral Vision for a Slightly Crazy World] author Wilber Ken

From the book Finding Meaning in the Second Half of Life [How to Finally Become a Truly Adult] by Hollis James

Chapter Nine Finding Mature Spirituality in the Material Age But what do I care about your "good ones"! Many things in them disgust me, and verily, their evil is not. But I would like madness to seize them and perish like that pale criminal! Indeed, I would like

From the book Dream like a woman, win like a man author Harvey Steve

Do not forget about spiritual development I am not going to impose any religious views on you. Nevertheless, it is necessary to find time daily for spiritual practice, whether it be prayer or meditation. It doesn't matter if you are alone or in a group of like-minded people. Material

From the book Dangerous Relationships. Stop! Amulet against psychotrauma author Trofimenko Tatyana Georgievna

About the material content I still want to dwell on this topic in more detail, because the brains of our women are already full of malicious programs like “it’s a shame to live at the expense of a man and accept expensive gifts from him”, “you need to provide yourself financially”.

author Revnov Valentin

From the book The Cat Who Knows Everything ... About the miracle of healing the soul and body, accessible to everyone author Revnov Valentin

From the book Hear, understand and be friends with your child. 7 Rules for a Successful Mom author Makhovskaya Olga Ivanovna

From the book Key to the Subconscious. Three magic words - the secret of secrets by Anderson Youell

The myth of material well-being Prosperity and grace are the true aspirations of the spirit and carry great meaning, while the thirst for money for the sake of money not only does not bring benefits in the end, but also leads to spiritual degradation, as a person rejects his destiny.

We want happiness, but we are generally disappointed because material happiness is imperfect. What we really need is spiritual happiness. In order to understand spiritual love, we must first understand the difference between the individual soul and the material body.

Everyone is looking for perfect happiness, but perfect happiness in this world is elusive, like a clay pot of gold at the end of a rainbow. No matter how long we chase the end of the rainbow, we still won't be able to grab it. The reason is pretty simple. We are looking for happiness here in the material world, but happiness is a state of consciousness, and consciousness is not a material object. More precisely, consciousness is a tool with which we cognize material objects. Or, to be more precise, we are conscious beings who know matter. We are conscious, living, spiritual beings, while matter is in an unconscious, inert state. Thus matter cannot satisfy the spiritual being.

In search of happiness, we look at external, material objects, but this does not make sense. Material objects are not permanent, they are not eternal. The intoxicating beauty of a young man or girl fades too quickly and, like a rose, fades. In addition, feelings are satiated. It is impossible to enjoy, for example, ice cream or anything else constantly, although the desire for enjoyment never stops. Also, as we get older, the capacity for material enjoyment decreases, leading to frustration. One of my friends asked his grandfather: “Grandfather, how is it to be old?” And the grandfather sadly replied: “I have so many desires that I will never be able to fulfill.”

There is a well-known principle: "If something is good, then the more of it, the better." Many people think, "We need money to live, so the more money we have, the happier we will be." But this is not so at all. The level of well-being in modern society significantly increased, and the level of happiness has not changed.

Absorbed by everyday life, we forget that everything in the world around us is material, but we ourselves are spiritual beings. In other words, when we sink into material life, we lose touch with our real identity. However, true happiness lies within ourselves, so we can only find it when we realize our true nature. This means that we must understand and realize our spiritual nature, which is beyond limitations and beyond matter.

What is a soul? How can I live as a soul here in this material world? How can I find real, spiritual happiness? Only when we know the answers to these questions can we find true happiness.

material body and spiritual self

To begin our spiritual quest, we must first understand that "I" is neither the body nor the mind. The "I" is a conscious, spiritual being that operates through the body and mind.

How can we understand this? When we sleep, the organism is more or less active, while the dead body is not active. When we wake up, we are leading the body to do things that matter cannot do on its own. We create beautiful pictures, we build roads, we create computers. The more conscious we are, the more opportunities we have to overcome the laws of material nature. It is clear that the conscious "I" is not just matter. Rather, it is a form of conscious, living energy.

We can directly realize our eternal nature by thinking, “I was 5 years old, I was 15 years old, I was 25 years old. My body was changing, my outlook on life, on myself, on the world. My habits have changed; but my "I" - the fact that I exist - has not changed. The out-of-body experience shows that consciousness is to some extent independent of the body. There is also strong evidence for reincarnation, which shows that the conscious self can move from one body to another, just as a driver can move from one car to another.

Matter has no permanent existence, it is inert, unconscious and insensible. Unlike matter, the conscious "I" exists permanently, does not depend on the body, and remains unchanged. Passing from one body to another.

For example, someone may remember - "I lived in a different family", and other situations from past lives. The conscious self has the potential for personal existence, knowledge and satisfaction. That is why we are constantly striving to gain more knowledge, and we are always looking for happiness.

We do this with body and mind, but we are not body or mind. We are a conscious, spiritual being that operates through the body and mind.

An excerpt from an interview with a saint - Radhanatha Swami, author of the book "Journey Home".

According to the Bhagavad-gita and other scriptures, as well as the teachings of Lord Buddha, the cause of suffering is that the body is temporary, life (in the body, in the material world) is temporary, and therefore everything is subject to birth, then aging, disease and of death.

The Vedas state that there are three types of suffering: adhyatmika is the suffering that inflicts on a living being by his own body and mind, adhibhautika is the suffering that other living beings bring us (not only people), and adhidaivika is the suffering caused by the forces of nature, such as, for example, heat or cold, floods, earthquakes, etc. In the material world, these three types of suffering always exist, and our body can be subjected to them at any moment.

The Bhagavad-gita says: "The source of life in the body, the source of consciousness is the atma, the soul." The soul has a transcendental (non-material) nature. In Sanskrit, the nature of the soul is described by the words sat-chit-ananda - the soul is eternal, full of knowledge and bliss. That's who we really are!

The soul can be compared to the driver of the car, and the body can be compared to the car itself. We perceive the world with our eyes, we hear with our ears, with the help of our nose we distinguish smells, with the help of our tongue we recognize tastes, with the skin we touch objects, with the help of the brain we think, and with the help of the heart we love. But who are we? Are we these eyes, brain, heart, nose or ears? We act as a witness. I am the soul, the consciousness that perceives all this. This is who we really are!

And the soul is by nature full of love, it is full of perfection. But as soon as we identify ourselves with the body, thinking that this body is me, and completely immerse ourselves in this state, then we (the soul) have to adopt also all the weaknesses and fallibility inherent in this body and mind. This identification is the cause of our suffering.

Suffering makes us seek happiness

In many ways, suffering in this world is a blessing because it helps us take things seriously. Every time we make a choice, suffering helps us to reflect and really understand what is deeper, what is higher than all these transitory pleasures and sufferings, health and disease, fame and dishonor, victory and defeat, birth and death, happiness and misfortune.

The phenomena of the world around us have a dual nature: some give us pleasure, while others cause pain. And to the extent we are attached to something that brings us pleasure, to the same extent we suffer when we lose it. And in the end, since everything is subject to the influence of time, everything will be lost.

As you live your life experience, caring about people, try to see: is there something deeper and higher - something that is more worth living than this? All scriptures and all holy teachers lead us in this direction, pointing out that there is something more!

This physical world is our temporary place of residence, but it can become a launching pad that will help us realize our inner values ​​- what is in the depths of our soul, in our own heart.

In most cases, the suffering of this world, making us weak, exists so that we try not only to theoretically understand what is beyond all this, but to experience the urgent need to deal with all this and gain spiritual experience, to realize our true spirituality " I". This will enable us to get out of the painful material existence.

In the Bhagavad-gita, Krishna says, "If we are ignorant of our true nature - unaware of our true self - this world is a place of suffering." Whoever we are, suffering can overtake us at any moment. No matter how rich we are, no matter what education we have, no matter what power we have, diseases, other living beings or forces of nature can bring us suffering, cause misfortune. Therefore, no matter how much happiness we get in this world, it is very impermanent. Like a drop of water trembling on a lotus petal, this happiness can slip away at any moment.

Where to look and how to find spiritual happiness

So what then is real, continuous, enduring happiness? Where is the freedom from the suffering of the material world? Such happiness is possible only on the spiritual platform. And just with this message the great saints came to us.

The Bible says, “Lay up treasures, not in this world, but in the kingdom of God. Because in this world your treasure will be stolen by thieves, rust will corrode it, or it will be eaten by moths. But if you lay up treasure in the kingdom of God, that's fine, unmistakable." And then Jesus Christ says: "The kingdom of God is within you." Not outside, not in the world that surrounds us with fleeting material "benefits" that give temporary pleasure, and then painfully deprive them.

Similarly, Lord Krishna says in the Bhagavad-gita that pleasure must be taken from within. Satisfaction and bliss is within. Light and radiance are to be sought within. True happiness cannot be found outside. Outside, you can find only temporary pleasures, inevitably replaced by suffering.

A person who lives a full and reasonable life, who seeks eternal spiritual reality beyond the suffering of this world, will surely find true spiritual happiness.

Source (original article) Material suffering and spiritual happiness on an esoteric site

Download for free and read the book Bhagavad Gita as it is, which will answer all the most important questions of life, help you get out of the trap of the material world and find spiritual happiness. See also the film with Radhanatha Swami "Clarity", is on YouTube.