THE HAPPIEST TRAVELER

The traveler, who travels the road with no baggage, travels the happiest. Baggage means things which are mine, a metaphor for I me myself, the ego. Baggage means material things as well as psychological matters. They weigh down the traveler. The road goes up and down. While going up the baggage becomes a burden but after reaching the height the mood changes into euphoria with a sense of achievement. While coming down a loss in sense balance can translate into a bad fall and everything could come crashing down. All such extreme emotional swings happen only because of the baggage of me and mine that the traveler carries.

Sense of achievement comes from being able to retain all that which is me and mine while facing adversities thereby projecting a strong image. However such achievements and rejoicing are temporary and short lived. One achievement does not ensure the next achievement. The next movement can result in failure. One can get hurt on the road leading to extreme unhappiness. A deeper look would clearly show that it is the destruction of the baggage that makes the pain unbearable. The same argument holds true that failures are also not permanent. Therefore let the road go up and down, that should not be a cause to rejoice nor be sad. These are natural movements of the road and not anything related or centric to the traveler. Let them be.

Don’t permit any baggage to hamper your movements. Discard them. Try moving on the road without any baggage and experience the happiness, the lightness, the swiftness and easiness. This holds good whether you are moving on the mountain trek or on the road of life. Good luck.