Dharma

Everyone wants to be happy and noone wants to suffer but very few people understand the concept of happiness or suffering and the reasons which lie underneath. Happiness is a state of mind so the real source of happiness must lie within the mind, not in external conditions. Most of us tend to look for happiness in the outside world, we need an external stimulus, something that can motivate us to be happy. How many rich people owning luxurious cars, state-of-the-arts appliances, dream houses are truly happy? We spend almost all our life adjusting the outside world to our wishes, thinking that by achieving our goals we would also be happy. But the truth is that happiness is not to be found in material belongings. All our lives we have tried to surround our selves with people and things that make us feel comfortable or secure and we fool ourselves thinking that this is true happiness.

True happiness is not related in any way to what you own in the outside world, it's what you own in the inside that counts. Happiness is a state of mind which should never disappear. Changing car after car after car will never bring you happiness unless you change who you are.

Dharma in Buddhism and Hinduism has a broad understanding and a precise translation of the term has not been clearly agreed upon until now. Its meaning can vary from "life" to "manner of being". As I am romantic, I always chose to use the reference to "one's primary purpose of life". It is no secret the fact that Buddhists believe in reincarnation. Basically, at the start of a new life you are given a "task" to complete. Depending on your karma, the task will be easy or hard to complete.

I often wonder about my purpose in this life. What is it that I have to do? Did I take the right decision by leaving for Brussels? Will I ever reach happiness? I read an interesting article about Dharma once where I found out that you have 3 major crossroads during your life. One is right at the border between adolescence and youth, another one is during your mid-mature life and a final bridge that you have to cross is at the start of your late life.

Now considering the fact that I am 24 years old, I do not think that I have to face the first major change in my life. Probably all these 3 crossroads are "customized" for each individual. Looking back in time though, it is absolutely obvious that in the past 9 months or so my life has suffered major changes. The Wheel of life has been turned and I'm not quite sure about the outcome. I guess I have to live it out and adapt to whatever condition the future would bring.

I could not appreciate what I had so I had to lose it. I could not tell the difference between happiness and sorrow so I had to face them, one after the other and sometimes even simultaneously. Funny how us humans are- never quite convinced that what you have at the moment is the best that you can get.

If you ask me, I think that we all have the same Dharma- to be truly happy!