“There are some things money cannot buy…” I am not talking about Master Card! Generally speaking, I was thinking that there are many things money cannot buy. In fact, the Buddha left his whole empire! He too knew there are “somethings money cannot buy”. This is where I had two minds, and thought to share these thoughts and request for feedbacks.

The first and foremost thing money cannot buy is LOVE, you are a better judge for this. Other important thing is happiness, in a spiritual context ‘bliss’.

Sometime back I decided to leave a very lucrative offer the reason was I knew at my heart of my heart, I would not want to do this work and would not enjoy the work. The other option was – nothing! So, it was a tough decision to leave something (something immensely rewarding) for nothing. Recently, I met one of my friends (he knew my previous decision) his first and repeated question to me was – ‘Are you happy?’ And all the time my answer was – ‘YES, are not you happy with what you are doing?’ His response was with many riders – “yes for ‘X’ I am happy, but because of ‘Y’ I have some issues, you know this and you know that and this is what and whatever whatever etc”.

I thought we take so many decisions “for” or “because of” some or the other things e.g. money. We tend to give drivers seat to our ‘mind’ for making criteria and decision too, while a rear seat to our ‘heart’. Relationship, emotions, all these relate to heart and we largely overlook these while making decision. However, being human we are driven largely by emotions and therefore there has to be a balance between rationality and emotion in decision making too.

Then came the second perspective – if one wants to be happy no one can stop him/her from being happy. Happiness is a very personal matter. Two persons in similar circumstances could have different feelings (one ecstatic and other wretched). Peace of mind cannot be bought in the market, it has to be felt. If it has to be felt, why cannot one be peaceful while doing whatever he/she is doing? … So the dichotomy is – do we make decision based on few factors and that is the reason for us to be happy or we are happy because we want to be happy and irrespective of the decision we make or irrespective of what happens in our life.

The question to ask is – happiness requires fulfillment of the CONDITIONS we create for being happy or it is a feeling irrespective of what happens in our life/to us? These conditions, to me, are never ending… as it happens to the squirrel in Ice Age-Trilogy and to Chaipau in Salaam Bombay“. Dichotomy of happiness is you decide on what you enjoy doing or you remain happy irrespective of the situation you are in….

Related blogs – Cause…, the Middle Path, No judgement its all about perception and Balancing Act, When will we stop?


KRD Pravin

Here I am supposed to write about myself. Professionally, I am quite serious and a workaholic; personally I am an individual who enjoys what he does and takes life as it comes. I am passionate about my work and actions and empathetically careful, attached and committed to them. All this makes me a fierce competitive professional and yet a compassionate soul, the Yin and the Yang together. Balancing is the art to be practiced using the middle path. From - http://business2buddha.com/about/

10 Comments

Rummuser · September 3, 2011 at 9:51 pm

Everything in life is polarity. To appreciate Love you must know Hate; to appreciate happiness you must know sadness. Understanding that creation is polarity in everything, the yin and yang, the ardhanarishwar, ishwarashakti, removes the veil of ignorance and you will stop wondering about these profound matters.

    KRD Pravin · September 4, 2011 at 2:33 am

    Dear Sir, I must say I agree to you without doubt, I have written on this in my earlier blog – Irony, and one more blog I was having in my mind about complementary things… 🙂

satish · September 5, 2011 at 2:29 pm

Good one Pravin … keep it up 🙂

Tarun K. Kushwaha · December 9, 2011 at 2:20 pm

I would say Pravin….It’s high time you get married…

KRD Pravin · December 10, 2011 at 2:05 am

What an inference Tarun!

Was that reading too much between the lines? 🙂

Swasthay – dwelling in oneself « Business to the Buddha · September 11, 2012 at 12:19 am

[…] Dichotomy on happiness… Rate this:Share this:StumbleUponDiggRedditFacebookEmailPrintTwitterLinkedInLike this:LikeBe the first to like this. […]

We the takers! | Business to the Buddha · July 14, 2013 at 6:50 am

[…] Dichotomy of happiness, Cause, […]

Give up Dominion | Business to the Buddha · July 20, 2013 at 11:22 am

[…] Dichotomy of happiness, Cause, What difference will it make? […]

Random Act of Kindness | Business to the Buddha · September 26, 2014 at 12:04 am

[…] to take up this point of “Random Act of Kindness” in this blog. I have written on Can money buy Happiness? earlier, however here is another take. Though, upto an extent yes Money can buy you happiness, yet […]

Leave a Comment