The Key to Happiness

Welcome to our tenth edition of Pure Inspiration! One of this issue’s features is about Sri Ramakrishna, a remarkable Indian saint whose light still shines brightly today. Ramakrishna’s life and spiritual attainments go right to the heart of what this publication is all about—the great truth that God is one; the paths are many, yet the timeless reality, without beginning or end, is what endures. Ramakrishna attained the state of complete God absorption through many of the world’s notable religions, thus proving that the love, devotion, and sincerity of the individual matters more than the particular path chosen.

Gandhi (page 59) echoes this truth: “Religions are different roads converging to the same point...if a man reaches the heart of his own religion, he has reached the heart of others too.” It’s really so simple; it’s all about loving God, Truth, Source, or whatever you call the great indestructible essence of our lives. We’ve all come from it, live in it, and cannot possibly be going anywhere else unless we, through our own free will, turn away from it and refuse to accept what IS.

The other day, a couple of my coworkers were entering our building as I was coming down the stairs. I said, “Good morning,” and one lady asked, “How are you?” Without thinking, I answered, “Above ground,” and my friends laughed good-naturedly. What I was really saying, beneath the humor, was that being alive is such a miracle that there’s no need to look for more good news! Concurrent with that truth is this—I am because God lives in me, sustaining me every moment. In fact, every thought, act, or feeling which we have is secondary to this great sustaining presence. Nothing can be more real or “practical” than this, so why not acknowledge, give thanks for, and embrace this glorious presence which is closer to us than our own nose?

This theme of placing God first in our lives, while simple and basic, is the key to happiness and freedom. This is poignantly illustrated in the Logotherapy article (page 84) about Viktor Frankl and his experiences in the Nazi concentration camps. Frankl had managed to preserve the essence of his life’s work on scraps of paper which he hid in the lining of his tattered clothing; however, fate cruelly stripped him of his “manuscript” when he was forced to relinquish those garments and was given other rags to wear. Naturally, he was greatly depressed by this, having lost the last vestige of his recorded work. However, when he searched the pockets of his “new” shirt, he found a single piece of paper which contained an important Jewish prayer, the Shema Yisrael. Within this prayer are the words “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.” Frankl had lost everything except his raw existence; his precious manuscript was replaced by one prayer, yet it conveyed perhaps the greatest of all themes and was enough to sustain him and see him through to his liberation.

Life can be difficult, complex, and exhausting, yet God is always there to sustain and rejuvenate us. If our hearts are beating, it is because God’s life energy is active within us. To love God above all else is to accept life’s treasures, to be in agreement with our purpose, and to stand upon the rock of unshakable Truth. Until the next issue, wishing you all God’s blessings!

Sincerely
Robert A. Becker