Happiness is absence of desire

This is because, the root of our unhappiness is the constant hankering of a demanding mind. The means to happiness therefore lies in controlling our desires.

According to him: “We should always be in a childlike state. All of us actually have two wives - these include work and family. They are our two wives. The three principle ingredients of iccha-shakti (power of desire), jnana-shakti (power of knowledge) and karma-shakti (power of actions), must be constantly aligned in our daily life. Unless the foundation of the family is in good shape, the temple cannot be in good shape. The body is the temple. It is OK to feel a little deprived in the outer world, but in the inner world of divine grace, you should experience being an emperor.”

“We should never say we are sad. We should never feel we are lacking in this quality or that. We must realise that what we currently have is the wealth given by God. Unless we preserve what we have with diligence and care, it will not remain with us. Know that our breath, body, jnanas, karmas, family, experiences and happiness are all given by God. We must successfully negotiate six critical steps or stages to experience Shiva-consciousness.”

There are six stages that have to be negotiated: “The first stage is the duration of our childhood. The second stage consists of our coming under the guidance of the Guru. The third stage spans our working life. The fourth stage is inaugurated by marriage. We become parents in the fifth stage and finally grandparents in the sixth stage. It is only when we complete all these engagements successfully that we can glimpse Lord Shiva.

All these stages demand certain appropriate actions from us. The first two stages demand study. The third stage demands work. The fourth and fifth stages provide us an opportunity to save and earn, while the sixth stage is designed to enjoy the fruits of your earnings. This is how we graduate from children to adults to parents and eventually to grandparents.”

Further, the road to freedom is self-belief: “Our speech must be pure. It symbolises Goddess Saraswati. When we misuse speech, we abuse the Goddess.” Finally: “Those in need must be comforted, helped and given solace. Speech has the potential to transmit happiness. Perhaps, this explains why Goddess Saraswati is always portrayed with the Veena and Lord Krishna is always portrayed with the flute. Our speech must be a source of happiness to others. In this age, people have developed excessive heat. We need to cool down our tempers and become moderate with speech.”