Peace and happiness lie deep within us, in the very core of our being
This is the teaching of Ramana Maharshi and all the great beings.
We look for happiness outside of ourselves but happiness does not exist in any external object. – only in us who are the consciousness that experiences happiness…….
Desire and fear agitate our mind and obscure from its vision the happiness and peace that always exist within it. When a desire is satisfied, or the cause of fear is removed, the surface agitation of our mind subsides and in that temporary calm, our mind enjoys a taste of its own innate happiness.
Therefore to master the art of being happy, we must master the art and science of just being. We must discover what the innermost core of our being is and we must learn to abide consciously and constantly in that state of pure being.
The art of just being, remaining fully conscious, but without any activity of the mind is not only an art – a practical skill that can be cultivated and applied to produce an experience of inexpressible beauty and joy – but also a science- an attempt to acquire true knowledge by keen observation and rigorous experiment.
from Happiness and The Art of Being by Michael James