Happiness lies in Harmony
Table of Contents
The Essence of this famous quote by Mahatma Gandhi is – Happiness lies in harmony – Harmony of thoughts, words and actions.
What exactly do we mean by betrayal?
It is when we make a promise to someone but, when the time comes, we renege on that promise-isn’t that precisely what we call betrayal? But have you ever stopped to consider how often we betray ourselves?
We often contemplate doing good deeds and make grand promises to ourselves; yet, in reality, how frequently do we actually focus on fulfilling those promises we made to our own selves? Every year, on the occasion of the New Year, we make one or more resolutions-vowing to uphold them for a specific period or perhaps for a lifetime. How conscious are we about translating those resolutions into action? Or do those resolutions simply fizzle out and die within a few days? If this is not a betrayal of oneself, then what is it?
When we betray someone else, it is inevitable that their happiness will vanish. In the very same way, we make countless promises to ourselves only to break them repeatedly; we continue to betray ourselves, and in doing so, we dim the flame of our own happiness, eventually plunging ourselves into the abyss of despair.
One Path to Sustaining and Amplifying Happiness
There is but one path to sustaining and amplifying happiness: we must not merely voice the promises we make to ourselves and the thoughts we harbor, but also translate them into concrete actions. This practice fosters a sense of inner contentment, causing our happiness to grow by leaps and bounds. Because ultimately happiness lies in harmony of thoughts, words actions.
Lamp of Happiness
If you were to closely observe the lives of everyone you interact with, you would discover that the lamp of happiness burns brightly only for those who maintain consistency and harmony between their thoughts, words, and deeds. In essence, this constitutes living with honesty toward oneself; and only those who remain honest with themselves can truly conduct themselves with honesty toward others. When we cultivate it in our daily lives, we truly realise that happiness lies in harmony of thoughts, words and actions.
Therefore, whatever resolutions we make, let us fulfill them completely. Let us speak less, but demonstrate our commitment through action before we speak; in doing so, our lives will be filled to the brim with happiness. Mahatma Gandhi, to a very great extent, successfully embodied this principle in his own life.