Attaining Happiness

There lived a young boy named Gopi  in a small quaint village in central India. He was an inquisitive young teenager with a philosophical bent of mind. He was passionate about things around him. He kept probing into matters far deeper than people his age normally do.

Close to his village was a great monastery. The monk who resided there, was highly revered. People came from distant lands to seek his advice and blessings. Gopi often visited the monastery, sitting there and meditating. The monk observed Gopi but they never exchanged more than a smile.

One day Gopi approached the monk and asked him, "How can I always be happy?"
The monk reflected on the question and responded, "What makes you happy?"
Gopi replied, "Chasing my pet hen in the garden" , to which the monk said, "pursue it".

Gopi thought the response was fairly mundane, but did not want to question the monks wisdom. After all, this monk had followers across the country. He did as the monk said, and he had to admit; there was a strange sense of joy. Over time the joy subsided. After six months he visited the monk again.

Gopi asked the monk, "How can I always be happy?"
The monk again replied, "What makes you happy?"
Gopi replied, "Tilling my farm land", to which the monk said, "pursue it".
Gopi had hoped the response would change on this occasion. Again he controlled his urge of questioning the monks response. As time went by, Gopi was intensely focused on his farm land and crops. He did feel a divine satisfaction when he was on the farm. The same level of joy was absent once he got home. His pets did provide him with moments of joy. He felt he needed something else, he was a bit distracted lately. He decided to visit the monk again. He resolved that he will question the monk further this time.

He gathered courage from his past visits and asked the monk, "How can I always be happy?"
The monk again replied, "What makes you happy?"
Gopi replied, "Marriage to the baker's beautiful daughter", to which the monk said, "pursue her".
Gopi hesitated for a second, then said, "Every time I came to you with my question, you respond by saying pursue the matter. How are these related to my happiness?"

The monk smiled and said,"Every time I asked you your source of happiness, you told me a part of your dream, hence I asked you to pursue them. As you accomplished each target, your mind moved towards a new one. Happiness is a moving target of achieving your dreams. As time goes by, your goals and objectives change, you need to pursue them with vigour."

Gopi silently stared in awe. It was now clear to him why so many people approached the monk The monk did not give him the answer in the first visit, he helped him discover it before explaining it to him.
Gopi married the bakers daughter............

In Reality - There is no Versus

This century is proclaimed to belong to the Asian nations of China and India. It will be remembered in history as the arrival of these two giants on the world stage. Facts and data on various parameters involving these countries have been dissected and analyzed by all and sundry. Each 'expert' has painted a new portrait and given a new dimension to the economic successes of the two nations.Constant comparisons, vivid analogies, dramatic graphs and diagrams, have all romanticized the great 'China vs India' focus.  

I will try and replicate some views to highlight  some observations I made while reading economist views and media reports about these nations.

Reports in China

• China's economy grew by x% to reach of a figure of $y billion
• China constructing a bridge to connect mainland to Hongkong
  

Reports in India

• India's economy grew by a% to reach a figure of $b billion, but China's economy grew by x% to reach of a figure of $y billion, what does this mean?
• Bandra worli sealink completed, but China constructing a bigger bridge. 

These are not isolated comparisons. If you Google 'India vs China', you will find mostly Indian or American websites discussing the two countries in tandem. Read the interview of Chinese economists (click here) and then you will realize that China is not concerned about India. There is not a single mention of India in the entire article. Its we who are obsessed with them with our constant comparisons. Our media has created the drama, our economist are constantly comparing, our kids are writing essay and preparing for group discussions on this topic.

China is working on a export driven economy and India is building a strong domestic driven economy. It makes more sense to focus on our own path and channel energy towards our own goals. Probably the reason for their success lies in the fact that they are not paying attention to us. Maybe the two 'engines' of global growth need to discover their own destinies.

"My bat talks to me"

In a recent interview Sachin Tendulkar was asked on what parameters does he evaluate his sports gears before selecting them. He mentioned the usual ones about his gloves, pads and bats. Then went on to say that, 'The bat speaks to him", thus he knows which one to select. It might sound ridiculous when you first read it, talking to to an inanimate object. Then you read the statement again; this guy is truly genius.

Champions in the past have often talked about the connectedness with various aspects of their profession. In all aspects of life, the dedicated champion has an additional element apart from skill, focus and luck. This zen like state of mind is when you and your art become one. You talk to and listen from your heart. You are in complete control of every movement and action. Your mind, body and spirit is totally immersed into the space of calm achievement.

One can aspire to achieve this state. Till then, keep trying is the mantra.