All of us are in constant search for joy or pleasure. What we mean by joy here can also be interpreted as peace or sense of fulfillment. This is the reason why we go to school, we marry, have children, take jobs and perform so many duties or tasks. These jobs or tasks impose considerable restrictions on us and also take away some of our joys or pleasures. They also disturb our peace. However, we accept these, keeping in mind what we think is our long term goal of durable long term joy, pleasure, peace or sense of fulfillment. However, we realize after some experience that what we expected to gain after performing these tasks is missing; however, we are forced to continue to perform the tasks because we committed our selves to the tasks and having done that it is nearly impossible to back out. Where we try to get rid of these tasks, we suffer a great deal. For example you get married. Having got married but unable to carry on the marriage you opt for a divorce. All of us know how bitter and disturbing this exercise that is. The same applies to almost all of the other tasks mentioned above. Why this happens? What we should do get peace and joy not for short period but permanently. A small story will illustrate the point better.
A small boy who came with his parents to a village fair got separated from his parents. It was a hot summer noon. The child was crying bitterly. Seeing child crying, villagers in the fair became sad and started trying to comfort the boy. One good man got water for the boy to drink. Another got some food. Yet another tried to fan the boy. But the boy kept on crying non stop. All tried their best according to their own idea to comfort the boy. In the meanwhile a wise man decided to find the parents of this boy. After some struggle he was successful and brought the parents to the boy. Joy of the boy was instantaneous. The moral of the story is; although all the villagers offered comforts to the boy in their own ways the boy got comfort only when his parents were in front of him. The person who brought parents to the boy was only able to make the boy happy.
We are like this boy who is crying for happiness. We do not realize that we are unhappy because we are separated from our real parents or our loved one who is God Bhagawan. Until we are in His loving association, all our efforts to find peace, happiness, joy and sense of fulfillment will be futile.
