Happiness in the New Year
Every man expects the New Year to confer on him peace, happiness and prosperity. In reality, New Year does not bring happiness or sorrow with it. Yesterday is the same as today and today is the same as tomorrow. The days are the same, but one experiences either pleasure or pain depending on one’s own actions. Meritorious deeds will not confer misery while sinful acts cannot give happiness. One is bound to face the consequences of one’s actions. But one treats pleasure and pain alike when one becomes the recipients of God’s grace. Divine grace destroys mountains of sins and confers peace. But due to the impact of the Kali [Iron] Age, man has lost faith in God. He is after money and power. How can such a being attain divinity? Man can rise from the level of the human to the divine only by practicing human values.
Years come and go, so also pleasure and pain. Nothing confers permanent bliss except the experiences of the atma. Man cannot attain peace and happiness from his actions unless he has sacred feelings within. … In fact, bliss is within you; it originates from your sacred feelings. Therefore you have to manifest bliss from within; it cannot be bestowed on you by others. None can take bliss away from you, and you cannot obtain it from outside.
The heart is the center of sacred feelings. It is filled with compassion, and it is compassion that gives rise to sacred feelings. One has to develop this sacred virtue, spread the light of love, and cultivate Divine feelings. Without doing so, how can one expect time to confer happiness on him? One gets what one does. If one expects good results, one must cultivate good feelings. With purity of heart, steadiness of mind, and selfless actions, one can become the recipient of divine grace, which will remove any amount of sufferings in a trice. One cannot achieve anything without divine grace. So, one has to undertake activities that will confer divine grace. …When your feelings are sacred, without asking you will receive noble results. …Therefore make your feelings sacred and become a good human being. Only one with good feelings and good mind can be called a good human being.
Today marks the commencement of a New Year. Along with the change in year, your actions too should change for the better. Only then you will get good results. Human life is highly noble, valuable, and divine! Do not put it to misuse by giving room to evil qualities. Use the power of discrimination and make proper use of the senses. Only then will your life be redeemed. You will attain immortality and infinite bliss. Start a novel and divine life in this New Year. Give up all the old and unsacred feelings, and cultivate divine feelings. Once you have divine feelings, no other feeling can enter your mind. Install God within peace will then automatically follow.
Source: Heart2Heart, “How to Secure Happiness This New Year”
