“Elusive happiness, or happiness in changing form that shifts with time and place, is an illusion which has no meaning”   …ACIM

Often, as I sit down to write a post I’m overwhelmed by thoughts of inadequacy. I think to myself; the subjects I want to write about may be beyond my comprehension. Maybe they should be left to the philosophers, the scientists, the theologians and the other great minds of the world.

It takes a bit of discernment at times to distinguish between those thoughts that are true and those that are false. The true ones are always the last to speak, and they always speak with a gentleness that comes from Love and certainty.

The false ones speak first, and they speak loudly and in an uncertain tone. They’re always sitting there in the forefront of my mind, chattering away, trying to convince me that their negativity is real. I sit and contemplate upon them for a while, and then relegate them to the irrelevant category.

“There are those who have reached God directly, retaining no trace of worldly limits…”   ACIM

As I do this a different category of thoughts makes itself known. This one says; what does it matter if you don’t understand the depths and mysteries of life? There’s not one person on this planet that does.

How can you be sure of that, I think to myself? Then my thoughts tell me this: Because any person who reaches this stage of enlightenment does not remain in this world. Everyone who reaches the state of knowledge leaves the realm of perception and therefore they cannot remain in a world that is built on it – they have learned enough to move on.   

“You must get your perceptions straightened out before you can know anything”   …ACIM

I look at the above quote and think, I’m trying to write a post about happiness. Does this mean that I can perceive happiness but still not know it? Then a thought which has been quiet for a while speaks up: Whether the subject is happiness, or something else, it means exactly that. As long as you’re in this world – or believe you’re in it – you cannot know; you can perceive, but not know. Knowledge has no meaning in the realm of Perception.

Then another group of thoughts joins the conversation with this: Happiness is an attribute of Love, or God – They are the same. And even though it cannot be found in this world, it can be experienced. But that being said, as your opening quote has already informed you, happiness cannot be illusive, change form, or shift with time and place. If it contains any of these characteristics, then it’s an illusion, and has no meaning. How could it be otherwise if Happiness is an attribute of Love – or God? 

“God gives you only happiness”   …ACIM

I stare at this quote for a few minutes until a thought says, what else could He give you? There is nothing else. Happiness is the whole purpose and meaning of life. God gives Himself to you, for He is Life and Love and Happiness. The happiness He gives is not the same as the world gives, for the world can give only that which is like itself; it has nothing to give but illusions. 

My thoughts continue; True and lasting happiness can never be found in this world. How could it be otherwise? The bits and moments that are found here are always, without exception, fleeting and temporary. They can cause a state of euphoria in one moment, and turn into sadness and depression the next. No one has ever – nor will they ever – find real and lasting joy in anything physical. 

“Happiness is an attribute of love. It cannot be apart from it, nor can it be experienced where love is not.”   …ACIM

And now I find myself in a real conundrum. I stare at what I’ve written so far and wonder: Does this mean that I can never be truly happy as long as I’m in this world? And then a reassuring thought gently smiles and says, no, it doesn’t mean that at all. It does mean that you will never find happiness in this world. But it doesn’t mean it can’t be experienced here. You can search this physical world over as many times and as thorough as you feel you must, but you’ll never find happiness in it. 

And this causes me to question my thoughts again; how can I experience it if I can’t find it? To which a delightfully gentle thought replies; We’re not telling you, you can’t find it. we’re simply pointing out where it cannot be found. 

After a few minutes of contemplation I decide to go all in with my thinking. Okay then, please tell me where I can find the happiness that I, and most everyone else, is longing for; where should I begin looking?

My thoughts answer with this: Alright, we’ll tell you, but first we want you to spend some time with us, and carefully think about the following Ramakrishna quote. 

“The fabled musk deer searches the world over for the source of the scent which comes from itself.”

I read the quote carefully, and contemplate on it for some time before my thoughts gently ask me; do you not see the answer to your question in this quote?

Well first of all I see relevance. The deer, like us, lives in its own separated little world. I perceive this to be true because that’s the only world that it would be capable of searching “over.”  Second, it’s captivated by its own scent, or it wouldn’t search “the world over” looking for its source. Third, the very thing that it so strongly desires to find, it already has. And last, but not least, it’s impossible for it to find what it’s searching for in the outside physical world, because its source lies within itself.

“God, being Love, is also Happiness”   …ACIM

After a few moments of thinking about the above quote, a very wise thought begins to answer my question: This world is based on beliefs, perceptions and choices. As you have been often repeating, humans either see the flesh, or they recognize the Spirit. There’s no option to do both- it has to be one or the other.

Those who see only the flesh will, in all probability, find it quite difficult to accept the truth that true Happiness can never be found in anything physical. Physicality automatically rules out true Happiness; for how can It be found in sickness, old age and death, which are characteristics of the physical? 

There’s only one place that Happiness can be found, and that’s within your own mind; amoung us, your thoughts. We are your real thoughts for we come from God, from Happiness, from Love. We can explain to you how to be happy no matter where you believe you are. We can help you let go of those pretenders, those thoughts without a source, that try to teach you over and over again that you are not what you are. 

“The Children of God are entitled to perfect comfort, which comes from a sense of perfect trust.”   …ACIM 

What is the opposite of happiness but fear? And what is more fearful than a thought of death, which is one of those thoughts without a source? And where is the illusion known as death found but in an illusionary physical environment?

We’re asking you to contemplate upon the following until it becomes real for you: there is no death!

This is the first step to the perfect comfort to which you are entitled. For once you can accept the truth that there is no death, regardless of what this world may say, fear will fade into the nothingness from which it came. You and Happiness will soon become best friends. 

But again, we must resort back to what is becoming a common theme by now. It’s the decision to believe you are physical and God had no part in bringing you into existence. Or that you are a Spiritual Being and therefore were created by a Loving Heavenly Father. 

The above header states: The Children of God are entitled to perfect comfort. In order to accept this comfort for yourself it’s absolutely necessary that you accept the truth that you are a child of God, and not just a physical entity with no creator.

I’m going to close this post with a quote from A Course in Miracles: “There is no death because the living share the function their Creator gave to them. Life’s function cannot be to die. It must be life’s extension, that it be as one forever and forever without end.”    …ACIM

 

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As much as you can, keep thinking positive  – you’ll find that life is better that way.

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