In this article, we will discuss the human wish for everlasting happiness and why we tend to orient towards the things of the world. We will touch on the origin of vices and virtues. We will talk about how to achieve success on the spiritual path. Finally, we will talk about the real joy and fulfilment that comes from renouncing the things of the world and embracing the eternal.
Start With God and Find Contentment
The problem is that no matter if you are spiritual or not, all of us search for happiness. The way that the culture expresses this desire for happiness, is that it is always expressed as an everlasting wish. We don’t wish to be happy for a while, and then to be miserable and have a lot of challenges. The wish for everlasting happiness is a profound wish within humanity. In Western culture, there is a search for happiness within transient things. Even if it isn’t within material objects, it may be hoped for in your good health, in your romantic relationship, with your family, or in some meaningful work. All of these elements will not last forever. Even if you find a lifelong romance or a lifelong purpose, one day this life will end. We seem to have a silent hope that somehow these transient means will make us happy forever. We get very invested in the things of this world. Why do we do this?
The concept of Maya means that we misinterpret illusions as reality. We see that which is transient as eternal, and that which is eternal as transient. We feel that the things of the world will have a real impact on our lives. When it comes to God and the eternal, we still have some doubts.
Becoming That Which You Love
What does this mean for the Tantric viewpoint where we say that everything is Divine? In Tantra, Maya is the appearance of Brahman. The universe is like the dress of God. The world is real, but our superficial perception of the world is not. Being invested in the things of the world is like being more interested in the clothes of your lover, than in your lover. The transient is in our faces all the time, we can see it and touch it right now. The everlasting, eternal reality is invisible. However, this eternal reality has a very clear effect on our world. We can connect with the everlasting if we look closely enough. All vices are born from a greater wish for the things of the transient world. We get hooked into transient things and pulled along with the river of life. We can drown from these attachments. All virtue is born when at least one spiritual ideal becomes more desirable to us than the things of this world. When we become interested in loving God and the everlasting, virtue is born. We become that which we love. If we have devotion to a benevolent, loving deity, we ourselves will become benevolent and loving. When we connect to that which is eternal, we start to act with a lot of purpose and meaning. The root cause of all good things in your life comes from leaning into that which is eternal. We can move around in the transient world and be rooted in love for God, knowing that transient pleasures will never bring everlasting happiness.
A Practical Guide for Spiritual Seekers
To succeed on the spiritual path you have to really, really want it. The ones who succeeded wanted liberation with a ferocious intensity. Reaching out and longing for these values means a willingness to sacrifice the petty need for the transient, and being willing to live for a higher ideal. If you invest, every day, one percent more into your spiritual ideal, after a month you will be a new person. After a year you will be as light as the wind. After five years you will be as luminous as the sun. Every day just renounce and detach from this world a little bit more. You must contemplate these ideas deeply within your own being. You must know that no everlasting happiness can come from transient things. This knowing only comes from deep contemplation. It must be fortified and understood fully. You must also know that communion with the eternal is tangible and possible. This process happens gradually. Every spiritual system will provide methods for connecting with God. When you understand that your deepest yearning for happiness can only come from a shifting of your inner orientation, towards the eternal, then all your desires for happiness will move in this direction. Your heart will be set on fire. We shift from focusing on the transient to focusing on the eternal and then all our resources mobilize in this direction.
Cultivate Spiritual Aspiration and Renounce Your Bad Habits
The first thing to renounce is your bad habits. Cut the lowest first. Some of these habits are so far from who you really are, that you cannot even share them with others. The damage from these habits lasts for a long time. This can be porn, drugs, or violence. Next, renounce wasting time. Do what needs to be done, and then spend the rest of your time in spiritual practice. Stop spending hours and hours on mindless entertainment. Cut these habits gently. Do it with love. In this way, we gradually decrease our attachment to the world and increase our spiritual aspirations. The next line of action is an inward action. Here, we renounce our thoughts, our desires, our false hopes, and our false sense of security. The security that worldly things offer is so limited. The more that we lean on transient things for our security, the more we close ourselves to the eternal. In time, we will see that leaning on the eternal awakens such wonderful virtues within our being. We can pray, we can love the Absolute with all our hearts. Every thought becomes a thought of renunciation, a thought of devotion.
Finally, we receive certainty. After seeing the wonderful results of leaning on the eternal, we can put all of our energy toward one goal. Our life, our work, and our relationships; all have God at the centre. Here we find true, everlasting happiness.
How a Tantric Approaches Renunciation
When we start to get the flavour of the final goal, we start to burn inside. When the longing for God becomes intense, this longing becomes so fulfilling and enriching for the soul, that the joys of this world become completely flat. We can then easily understand how the saints ate one meal and prayed all day. The joy that is felt is incomparable. This love is so intense that everything else becomes banal. At this stage, we don’t let anything slip. All of our schedule is directed toward reaching the ultimate goal. From here, spiritual liberation can come. To increase spiritual aspiration we can contemplate and feel the love for God that is already there. Any contact with great teachers or books will help. Signs of success will be feeling light and happy all the time. We will have a forgiving and humble attitude. Our faith will be unshakeable. There will be more and more love in the heart. We will develop an immense spiritual power and have an aversion to all vices.
Transcribed and edited by Charlie Wilson from