A friend from Uttarakhand was telling me today that she longs to spend time in the mountains, wander on their slopes, and be one with them and nature. But, her life and domestic duties keep her busy, so she has to wait and wait to fulfill her dream.
I told her there was nothing wrong if she tries to fulfill her dream because it was not something altogether unachievable. But, at the same time, I asked her to consider where the present discontent was arising from. Was it merely because she was far from the mountains, or was it because she was harbouring in herself the “want” to be in the mountains? I pointed out to her that surely it is the latter because the mountains can give her happiness when she visits them and spends time on their slopes because by doing so her “want” dispelled from the mind and the happiness arises from her inner being whose nature is happiness, which is no longer masked by the restless mind due to the “want” that it was harbouring, the other “wants” taking a backseat for the moment.
Whereas, I who have no particular “want” to spend such quality time in the mountains, when I go to the mountains, will get no such happiness because my mind will continue to be restless due to other “wants” in my mind.
While satisfying the “wants” is definitely one way of getting happiness, such happiness tends to be temporary because sooner than later the mind becomes restless again due to other “wants” taking centre stage.
Hence, if the happiness was “in” the mountains that it could confer on its visitors, then such a difference between the happiness experienced by her and I should not have arisen.
Thus, we create our own unhappiness by wanting this and that, which masks our own natural and inherent happiness by making the mind restless.
Know Thyself 