"Being Happy for no Reason"

    "Being Happy for no Reason" is the Title of a book by Sri Shivananda. Sri Shivananda is the 'deeksha naama' of a professor of NY State University English Department. As a Jewish boy fro a ghetto, he had a very tough life and finally made up to the University position. He had a good knowledge of Indian philosophy and friends used to meet him and discuss on various mystic experiences.On one such day, a very strange thing happened. A tall and hefty person knocked on the door. This stranger held his revolver to the face of the Professor, pushed him in, and asked all others to lie down. He muttered something like- 'he is not here' and left. But, this professor who was in a state of shock soon recovered and thought deeply about the incident. He thought that there must be some divine intervention and decided to come to India and reached Pune. It is here that transformation took place. Somebody introduced him to Ganeshpuri Baba. Baba asked him to stay in the ashram and and chant "Shivoham". He stayed in the ashram, worked in the garden, helped in the kitchen, attended Baba's lectures and rest of the time quietly chanted the maha mantra- "Shivoham" for almost seven years, One day he was watering the plants in the garden. He felt like returning to New York thinking it is all a waste of time. Suddenly there was a hand on his shoulders. He looked back and found Baba. Baba asked him, "Well, you think all these are a mere waste of time"? He told him, "You may go back". This is the moment he felt a tremendous surge and felt totally transformed! He returned  to his job and wrote his first book- "Being Happy for No Reason". Then came his second most beautiful work on "Shiva Sutras". He started a separate publication department and published works on Kashmir Shaivism.

  Thus, many a mystic ways are there to attain enlightenment. Nothing can be said for sure about spiritual path. It seems that a divine intervention is called for in all these things and things happen.