Who does your happiness depend on?

—

by

The Sabad Project
in

“In the last 24 hours, did you have an expectation of someone — a family member, colleague, employer, or client? Or perhaps you expected a situation to unfold in a certain way?”

For most of us, the answer is yes.

Yet, when we listen to the teachings of the spiritual masters, we hear again and again that our hopes should rest only on the Divine. But a question arises: “Is it practical to live daily life like that?” We have jobs to keep, bills to pay, clients to convince, and bosses to please. Our happiness often seems to hinge on “others.”

So is it possible to live in the middle of needs, expectations, and relationships — yet depend only on the Divine?

An incident from the life of Sheikh Farid gives us a talisman for dealing with our fears and anxieties.

The times of Sheikh Farid

Farid Ji lived from 1178 to 1271, in a world not so different from ours. Inequality ran deep. The powerful used policies and armies to keep people in fear. During his lifetime, the throne of Delhi changed hands ten times — through force, fraud, or murder.

In this setting, the Chishti Sufis — Farid Ji among them — chose to stay away from royal patronage. While rulers competed in lavish lifestyles, the common people suffered hunger and exploitation. Royal favor could have brought the Sufis security, even comfort, but at the cost of compromise. They preferred another path: integrity, independence, and compassion.

Where rulers used religion to justify their excesses, the Sufis turned inward. Their teaching was simple: change yourself, and the world will change. They sought the Divine light shining in every heart, breaking through boundaries of ritual and division.

Peace inside, not glitter outside

After the passing of his teacher, Khwaja Bakhtiyār Kākī, Sheikh Farid was chosen to lead the Chishti order. He could have remained in Delhi, the seat of power and prestige. Instead, he moved to the quiet village of Ajodhan (later known as Pakpattan).

Seekers of wisdom came from far and wide. In the words of Farid scholar Sayyed Afzal Haider, Ajodhan became a kind of “residential university” for aspiring Sufis. It produced luminaries like Nizamuddin Auliya, Sheikh Arif, and Maulana Badruddin Ishaq.

Life there was simple. Modest arrangements were made for stay and food, but resources were scarce. Meals were prepared from local vegetables gathered from villages and forests — and at times, there were none. Why did they stay? Because Farid Ji did not only teach from texts — his life itself was the lesson. His integrity and discipline were unwavering. His living was plain, his clothes so simple that among a group of villagers, one could hardly recognize him as the leader of a great spiritual order. And despite his vast wisdom and command of knowledge, he never spoke a harsh word, whether to a seeker or a critic. It was this sweetness of speech that earned him the name Ganj-e-Shakar — “Treasure of Sugar.”

The request for a favor

By then, it was clear that Farid Ji was not drawn to fame, fortune, or favors from the powerful. Yet his visitors included ordinary people, disciples, and students — each with their own needs.

On one occasion, a man asked Farid Ji for something unusual: a recommendation letter addressed to the emperor of Delhi, Ghiyasuddin Balban.

What would Farid Ji do? It was not his nature to seek favors. Yet here was a common man in need, asking only for a recommendation — trusting the high regard that Farid Ji commanded.

Farid Ji agreed. He wrote the letter. But the words he chose revealed the depth of his mind:

“I have first presented this man’s case to God, then to you.
If you show him favor, then God is the true giver, and you will only be the recipient of gratitude.
But if you do nothing, then God is the one who withholds, and you are helpless.”

The talisman for us

Farid Ji had reached the stage of no desire. Yet his words show us a way to meet our needs while keeping our anchor firmly in the Divine:

  • Make your first appeal to the Divine — the true Doer.
  • If your request is fulfilled, offer gratitude to the human helper, but remember the hand behind the mask.
  • If it is not fulfilled, accept that the mask is helpless. Perhaps the Divine has other plans. Keep moving. New doors will open.

References

Reflection question

What practices help you keep faith in the Divine, even in the middle of daily hustle and demands?

Discover more from The Sabad Project – Wisdom stories

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Comments

3 responses to “Who does your happiness depend on?”

  1. Uthra5 Avatar
    Uthra5

    Just as we recognize the divine as the ultimate giver, with those in positions of authority or influence being mere agents, the reverse perspective also holds true: When you’re repeatedly feeling hurt by someone or they’re making life difficult for you, it’s helpful to see that the one who hurt you isn’t entirely responsible. If one has the vision to look at the divine hands behind it, you don’t direct your anger at the individual. In fact, there’s no need to even forgive the other person – what is there to forgive when the other person is just an instrument? Rather, you develop the vision of what the divine is trying to lead you toward in every pain, whether through people or circumstances.

    In the case of this story—the ordinary people who feel troubled by the inequality imposed by the rulers, either through fear or power—can reflect: What are the divine hands trying to teach me through these oppressive rulers? When we start looking at things this way, we stop judging people who are in power or are rich and realize that every individual has their role on this planet, orchestrated by divine will.

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    1. Gurpreet Sethy Avatar
      Gurpreet Sethy

      That’s true. When we stop looking to others as the source, forgiveness becomes easier. And over time, we may even realize there is no ‘other’ to forgive at all.

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  2. G Madan Mohan Avatar
    G Madan Mohan

    An individual of intrinsic and undisputable faith in Divine Energy, firmly believes that, the Spirit is all pervasive, present in all living, animate and inanimate subjects on earth and in universe.The very existence of all these is subject to His Grace alone.

    The devotee of such firm faith and belief, would in times of critical and desparate situations of stress, agony, helplessness and trial of strength appeals for relief and His Grace.

    The solution, as an answer, assistance, relief and or whichever means is expressed comes through some intermediaries. For others the solution received, for the appeal of the faithful, is a mere coincidence.

    For the firm believer, it is certainly a gesture of Grace and Kindness of the ONE and the only ONE.

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