Where the Source of Happiness Lies | "I: Reality and Subjectivity" by David R. Hawkins

Therefore, if you do not feel happy in your current state, it is best to know that even if your situation changes and you get what you want, you may still not feel happy. If you cannot feel happy now, it will be the same in the future. This is because you have not yet discovered where the source of happiness lies.

The joy of excellence is internally rewarding, and true success is brought about by gratitude, not pride.

Most fear (consciousness level 100) is fragile because it is based on the illusion that happiness (consciousness level 600) exists outside. By overcoming this fragile illusion, great peace (consciousness level 600) arrives, and you no longer operate out of fear. Then life becomes gentle, fulfilling (consciousness level 200+), and magnanimous. Instead of constantly acting defensively, you become able to act with confidence (consciousness level 200+ = power).

Fear (consciousness level 100) can be stopped by knowing that the source of happiness (consciousness level 600+) and joy (consciousness level 540) is within. It stems from the understanding that the joy of existence itself is the source of happiness (consciousness level 600+). It is lasting and does not depend on the outside. And it comes by letting go of expectations and demands (attachment) toward the self (ego/animal brain), the world, and others. The idea that "I can only be happy (consciousness level 600+) once I get what I want (consciousness level 125) and win" inevitably brings anxiety, worry, and unhappiness (consciousness level below 200 = force).

For the spiritual devotee, what fills the void of loss is the realization that loss brings greater freedom. Attachment is a restraint and a bondage of the ego. Letting go may feel painful at first, but eventually, attachment must be surrendered to God in the process of letting go of the illusion that the source of happiness is outside. The true source of happiness and joy is the "Self" (the true self), not what the ego/self (ego/animal brain) identifies with. As you can see by observing closely, satisfying a demand alleviates the pain of the ego's loss, but the sense of well-being experienced in the silence that follows emanates from the "Self" (the true self), not from the ego's harvest. The source of comfort is not in the objects, actions, or events themselves, but in the presence of the "Self" (the true self) felt when the ego's pain subsides.

This is the mechanism that works behind every ego acquisition. When the frantic desires and cries of the ego subside, the comfort of the inner "Self" (the true self) can be experienced. The mistake the mind makes is seeking the source of happiness "outside" rather than "inside."

We have always loved our thoughts and treated them with care. We have made excuses for our thoughts and continued to protect them. We have even felt jealousy. Just when we think we have praised our thoughts, we judge and despise ourselves out of guilt and self (ego/animal brain) loathing. Yet, we are infatuated with ourselves anyway. And in the parade of the drama called life, our self (ego/animal brain) image becomes increasingly idealized. Letting go of what we love brings the fear of loss. To the self (ego/animal brain), every object of love appears to be a source of happiness.

The next revolutionary problem is that we do not want to let go of emotional love. It is not so much love itself, but the attachment to the object of love that we cannot let go of. We think that sadness comes when we lose the object of love. But in reality, it is the attachment that grieves, and this stems from the belief that the object of love is the source of joy. Sadness arises from the illusion that we have lost a source of happiness that was "outside."

However, if you observe the feeling of happiness closely, you will realize that it is something that exists within. While it may have been triggered by something outside, the feeling of happiness is a joy that arises from within. In other words, the source of happiness is within, and it is released in favorable circumstances when the results desired by the mind are obtained. If you observe your inner self closely, you will find that all events are merely stimulating internal characteristics that are already there. And, if you realize that the source of joy is inherent and therefore cannot be lost, fear will diminish.

From the perspective of "Truth," thoughts are "external." Surprisingly, it is thoughts that hinder the attainment of true happiness, so they are something that can be completely discarded.