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Easwaran Inspirations #3
How to Find Happiness
True happiness is based on a paradox, Easwaran writes, and that’s why it is so hard to find. As long as we try to make ourselves happy, life places obstacles in our path. But as soon as we turn away from ourselves to make others happy, our troubles begin to melt away. When we learn to live and work selflessly we don’t have to go looking for joy; joy comes looking for us.
Spiritual writer Eknath Easwaran combines deep insights with realism and warmth in this short essay, based on two articles from the Blue Mountain journal.
Spiritual writer Eknath Easwaran combines deep insights with realism and warmth in this short essay, based on two articles from the Blue Mountain journal.
25 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 22, 2011
About the author
Eknath Easwaran
165 books580 followersEknath Easwaran (1910–1999) is the originator of passage meditation and the author of more than 30 books on spiritual living.
Easwaran is a recognized authority on the Indian spiritual classics. His translations of The Bhagavad Gita, The Upanishads, and The Dhammapada are the best-selling editions in the USA, and over 1.5 million copies of his books are in print.
Easwaran was a professor of English literature and well known in India as a writer and speaker before coming to the United States in 1959 on the Fulbright exchange program. In 1961, he founded the Blue Mountain Center of Meditation, based in Tomales, California, which continues his work today through publications and retreats.
His 1968 class on the theory and practice of meditation at UC Berkeley is believed to be the first accredited course on meditation at any Western university. For those who seek him as a personal spiritual guide, Easwaran assured us that he lives on through his eight-point program of passage meditation.
"I am with you always”, he said. “It does not require my physical presence; it requires your open heart."
Please visit bmcm.org for a fuller biography.
Easwaran is a recognized authority on the Indian spiritual classics. His translations of The Bhagavad Gita, The Upanishads, and The Dhammapada are the best-selling editions in the USA, and over 1.5 million copies of his books are in print.
Easwaran was a professor of English literature and well known in India as a writer and speaker before coming to the United States in 1959 on the Fulbright exchange program. In 1961, he founded the Blue Mountain Center of Meditation, based in Tomales, California, which continues his work today through publications and retreats.
His 1968 class on the theory and practice of meditation at UC Berkeley is believed to be the first accredited course on meditation at any Western university. For those who seek him as a personal spiritual guide, Easwaran assured us that he lives on through his eight-point program of passage meditation.
"I am with you always”, he said. “It does not require my physical presence; it requires your open heart."
Please visit bmcm.org for a fuller biography.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
April 2, 2021
Another wonderful read from Eknath Easwaran.
My notes:
- The gift of self-forgetfulness
“My life is an indivisible whole, and all my activities run into one another; and they all have their rise in my insatiable love of mankind.” -> Gandhi
Joy comes not from having a lot of desires that must be satisfied, but from reducing personal desires to free time and energy for helping those around us.
- Putting Others first
Tender, truly loving relationships are the essence of serving the Lord in all.
- Learn Always to be Kind
It is much better to suffer and learn than to cause suffering to those around us -> Jesus
- Works belongs in heaven
This is what it means to be a human being: not the pursuit of money, power, prestige, or possessions, but turning one’s back on personal aggrandisement for the welfare of all.
- An Innate need to give
When I forget myself in the happiness of those around me, I glow with life and beauty; when I begin to brood on myself, to think only about my likes and dislikes and follow my self-will, I deteriorate – physically, mentally, intellectually, and of course spiritually. -> Buddha
- Balancing the books
The more selfless work you do without thought of profit or pleasure, without even a thank you, the smaller the ego becomes. The more profit-seeking, pleasure-oriented work you do, the bigger the ego becomes. So selfless work itself is an attempt to reduce the size of our ego – which is, practically speaking, the only barrier between us and the unity of life, between us and the Lord within. Second, when you work like this, instead of continuing to overdraw your account with self-centered activity, you have a certain positive balance at the end of the day, which you can deposit in your security bank inside.
- The door to deeper relationships
The moment you ask “How much will I get out of this?” the door to deeper relationships closes. Every time you ask how much you can give, the door opens a little more.
Don’t ask how much you can get; ask how much you can give -> Buddha
- It is in giving that we receive
The mature person is a giver; the immature person is a grabber. The immature person will find that he has few friends, that he is not loved, feels alienated, insecure, has a very poor opinion of himself or herself.
- Practice meditation, Chant mantras in the morning and whenever possible during the day, read spiritual scriptures, have one-pointed attention, slow down (set priorities, do what matters)
My notes:
- The gift of self-forgetfulness
“My life is an indivisible whole, and all my activities run into one another; and they all have their rise in my insatiable love of mankind.” -> Gandhi
Joy comes not from having a lot of desires that must be satisfied, but from reducing personal desires to free time and energy for helping those around us.
- Putting Others first
Tender, truly loving relationships are the essence of serving the Lord in all.
- Learn Always to be Kind
It is much better to suffer and learn than to cause suffering to those around us -> Jesus
- Works belongs in heaven
This is what it means to be a human being: not the pursuit of money, power, prestige, or possessions, but turning one’s back on personal aggrandisement for the welfare of all.
- An Innate need to give
When I forget myself in the happiness of those around me, I glow with life and beauty; when I begin to brood on myself, to think only about my likes and dislikes and follow my self-will, I deteriorate – physically, mentally, intellectually, and of course spiritually. -> Buddha
- Balancing the books
The more selfless work you do without thought of profit or pleasure, without even a thank you, the smaller the ego becomes. The more profit-seeking, pleasure-oriented work you do, the bigger the ego becomes. So selfless work itself is an attempt to reduce the size of our ego – which is, practically speaking, the only barrier between us and the unity of life, between us and the Lord within. Second, when you work like this, instead of continuing to overdraw your account with self-centered activity, you have a certain positive balance at the end of the day, which you can deposit in your security bank inside.
- The door to deeper relationships
The moment you ask “How much will I get out of this?” the door to deeper relationships closes. Every time you ask how much you can give, the door opens a little more.
Don’t ask how much you can get; ask how much you can give -> Buddha
- It is in giving that we receive
The mature person is a giver; the immature person is a grabber. The immature person will find that he has few friends, that he is not loved, feels alienated, insecure, has a very poor opinion of himself or herself.
- Practice meditation, Chant mantras in the morning and whenever possible during the day, read spiritual scriptures, have one-pointed attention, slow down (set priorities, do what matters)
February 4, 2020
Happiness
This Easwaran book is another I will read, study & reread. Beautifully put & allows one to reflect on their life & reactions. Maturity & compassion for self & others so important & this book brings it to light.
This Easwaran book is another I will read, study & reread. Beautifully put & allows one to reflect on their life & reactions. Maturity & compassion for self & others so important & this book brings it to light.
June 14, 2019
Repetition is advised
Each section is packed and. can slip by with little being absorbed so reading again will assist the reader to use and teach the wisdom.
Each section is packed and. can slip by with little being absorbed so reading again will assist the reader to use and teach the wisdom.
December 31, 2023
Good book
February 16, 2017
Another short book from Eknath Easwaran. In its few short passages there is a tremendous amount of substance given within it. Its main message is that by giving and not dwelling in oneself, you find complete happiness. Not a easy task in this me world, but you don't need to do it all at once. A little bit each day and one day you will find that there is little trace of the mighty ego and your needs are replaced by the happiness of providing for others.
January 2, 2021
"It is from this kind of giving that joy comes: not from having a lot of desires that must be satisfied, but from reducing personal desires to free time and energy for helping those around us. In the end, the goal of all spiritual seeking is to live in this state of self- forgetfulness permanently. That is what brings heaven to earth."
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews