Happiness comes from within

The question that many ask is, ‘What are the virtues that bring happiness?’ and ‘What kind of happiness brings peace?’ Now, if you were to tour around India, Australia or Europe—indeed any part of the world—would there be happiness? Or if you were to visit all the different shopping centres in the country, would you be able to buy happiness? If you went to the cinema or the seaside, would you feel permanent happiness? See if you can find happiness somewhere in the world. Even if you go away on a pilgrimage, do you experience happiness as a result? Happiness comes from within. We need a lot of power to be happy, and it is not easy in today’s world to remain positive and cheerful. The things that you think bring happiness are there for a moment, and the next moment they are gone. We live in a world of impermanence. We work so hard to claim a position and to earn money, but do they remain with us?

True happiness comes by first knowing and understanding yourself, and then knowing who God is, and finally having that same friendship with everyone—through that, you can find real happiness. We are all members of one family, and it is not just a matter of knowing this as a fact; we have to understand this as an experience, and then the happiness of the experience comes to us in a very natural way, and brings power with it. Power comes when we end the weaknesses that lie within us. Think about these things and experience them. Then you will see for yourself whether it is true or not.

Let my life’s purpose be to be able to stay peaceful. To be able to always remain smiling and cheerful. Let me be such a human being that every single person in the world identifies with me and feels that I am their brother or sister.

When I focus clearly on God and experience the intense love He gives, then I know that everything about me (internally) and my life (externally) will get sorted out. Then my faith in God really begins to develop.

The late Dadi Janki was Administrative Head of the Brahma Kumaris.