“True inner joy is self-created.
It does not depend on outer circumstances.
A river is flowing in and through you
Carrying the message of joy.
This divine joy is the sole purpose of life.”

  -Sri Chinmoy

Joy

The very word makes one think of blossoming springtime with its bright sunny days full of hope and promise.

And indeed, this what true joy feels like inside the heart. Even if the outer weather is dark and gloomy, when you experience true joy, the inner weather feels like eternal springtime. This joy is not dependent on outer circumstances; on whether you won the lottery, or landed your dream job, but rather it is a spontaneous feeling, an inexplicable inner thrill.

But how can one achieve this feeling of true joy, retain this joy once achieved, and use this joy to help us in our everyday lives?

Meditation

“The ever mounting flame of my heart’s aspiration-cry
is the source of my life’s ever-increasing joy and delight.”

-Sri Chinmoy

One of the most powerful ways to experience joy is through meditation. In fact, it is one of my favorite by-products of meditation. One does not need to run off to a cave or an ashram to spend hours and hours in silence in order to experience joy. As a beginner, even 15-20 minutes once or twice a day can produce positive results.  I believe that God rewards even small efforts if you are sincerely seeking to get in touch with a deeper part of yourself, which is connected to the divine. Just the simple act of trying to silence your mind (even if you are not quite successful) can be of tremendous benefit.

Many people who attempt to meditate make the mistake of analyzing their meditation with their mind. They believe that if they were not able to shut off their mind completely, then they were not successful, but this is a mistake. One should not judge a meditation with their mind, but by their joy; how the meditation made them feel.

“You will find no joy in your mind-cave,
no matter how many times a day you enter it.”

-Sri Chinmoy

Many times I have gone to meditation with all of my worldly cares swirling around in my head and the meditation seems difficult. It seems like I was hardly able to still my mind at all, yet when I am finished I am filled with joy and energy, and my mind has a completely new outlook on my so called worldly problems. Nothing has outwardly changed, yet my entire being is surcharged with joy which makes my outer problems seems manageable.

Try using meditation as a powerful tool to create more joy in your life. There is nothing to lose, but much to gain.

 Article by Purnakama Rajna