We keep seeking one or the other things in life constantly. We don't wait for a moment; as soon as we get what we desire, we start seeking something else. Tasty food, air conditioners, nice clothes, good vehicles, servants and maids, money, power, positions, and the list is endless. Probably, we never examine one fundamental problem with this list. Suppose we have 10 items in the list and we get 9 out of the 10 times we seek, the pain of not getting the one item will always be more than the pleasure of getting the 9 items. Logically, there is almost 100% probability that we will not get everything we seek and that means that we are almost 100% sure of being unhappy.
Even the momentary pleasure of achievements is often overrated. When we actually get what we seek, we are not always on the cloud nine. Most often, this is a routine experience. Then why do we always keep seeking one or the other thing? I feel that the reason is very simple. We never contemplate the meaning and purpose of life. Despite our ancient scriptures being loud and clear on the matter, we hardly ever read these scriptures with attention and even if we study these scriptures, we do not contemplate them to understand the meaning of life.
The most revered characters in India are Rama and Krishna, who are the heroes of Ramayana and Mahabharata respectively. Most of us, in India, regard them as God. However, we also acknowledge that they took the incarnation as a man to teach humanity a way of living. Rama developed vairagya towards the world and that is the time when sages Vashistha and Vishwamitra teach him the meaning of life and these teachings are contained in Yoga Vashistha. Once Rama understood the meaning of life, he established an inner connection and after that, he always maintained equanimity whatever the situations in life. Whether he was being coronated as the king of Ayodhya, being sent to the forest for 14 years with his wife and brother, being attacked by the demons, fighting the battle with Ravana, or sending his wife to the forest, in all the situations his equanimity is exemplary.
Similarly, Krishna too maintained equanimity in all situations. When he comes to know that his parents have been kept inside the jail by Kansa for so many years, he loses the battle to Jarasandha, stays away from his beloved Radha, and participates in the battle of Mahabharata, in all the situations, maintains equanimity.
Why Rama and Krishna have not sought anything in life and have been able to maintain equanimity? It is because they were connected to their inner self. The real joy is inside. Once we establish the inner connection, we don't seek anything in the world outside. Rather, we carry out different tasks in this world guided by that inner connection. The moment choice of the task made by a disconnected self, it will result in seeking. Seeking by its very nature means disconnection from the inner self and a disconnected self can never experience the joy, whatever it gets in this life. Ravana and Kansa could never get joy despite having everything in life. Living life with the inner connection is always process-oriented, and every task gives us joy since while carrying out every task, we strengthen that inner connection. On the other hand, life without inner connection is egoistic and outcome-oriented. We keep seeking different outcomes and results to please our ego and the more we make efforts to please it, the more we feel deprived of the inner joy.
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