Happiness
I am no saint, Buddha or Gandhi
Or a wandering fakir or sanyasi;
I am an ordinary human being
If someone slaps me,
I cannot turn the other cheek.
I find it difficult to walk
On the eight fold path.
I have no lofty mission
To free mankind of suffering;
If I can make one person smile
It makes me feel satisfied.
For I can not spread happiness and cheer
If am miserable and full of fear.
I cannot be totally selfless
And efface my identity
I owe it to myself to love me
I don’t care if others feel
I am selfish.
Happiness is not something
You can achieve
Merely for the asking,
It is a state of mind
You attain when you make peace
With what is.
Once the awareness comes
You are no longer feverish and
Others naturally feel comfort
In your company!
Loved the opening lines ! We are mortals of flesh and blood , each individual must seek his own happiness while this clay mould lasts ! It is truly a mental state , but with the essential requirements of life it does relate ! Thanks for sharing , -Raj
great message. Happiness is within you!
serving others and and finding self awareness and happiess are not mutually exclusive
You've expressed my sentiments exactly. We can only work on our selves and make ourselves happy and hopefully raise the consciousness of others, who in turn will feel safe and at peace around us. A very humane and honest write, very well penned.
Love the message and the honesty.
Great poem. I'm in high school and just did a unit on the 8 fold path and Siddhartha. You hit the nail on the head
So true... and fun!
Sometimes I don't feel natural in my own company, You go girl! Thought provoking! Cat
understanding of the self!