Happiness is normally sought in worldly objects, relationships, incidents and circumstances. Such a search is misplaced. Had this been true, people who possessed ample resources and who did not have to face any adversities, should have been always happy and satisfied. On the other hand, people who are poor and who are living against heavy odds should all have been unhappy. Happiness is an attitude of mind, which is determined by a persons viewpoint towards life. A person endowed with true humility has an attitude of glad acceptance of all that life brings to him; and this is what self-refinement and self-transcendence mean. More a person cultivates this attribute, happier he will be. One who has the habit of faultfinding, negativity and seeing evil in others will remain a captive of this self-destructive attitude regardless of favorable circumstances as for as outer life is concerned. It is like dirtying ones own clothes by himself throwing mud on them. On the other hand, mind can definitely be so trained as to see the good, even though covered, in all persons and situations. It is ones own echo that is returned by the dome. A ball thrown against the wall rebounds to the place from where it was thrown. It is ones own personality that is reflected by others and gives pleasant or unpleasant impressions accordingly. That is why this world has been given the analogy of a mirror. The mirror honestly reflects the image of the view.

- courtesy Akhand Jyoti