THE THREE
PEAKS OF LIFE
Before plunging into a Talaash – a Search or a Quest, I pondered about life and its peaks that I came across: Achievement and then Fulfillment. Then, I wondered if it would take me to another peak – the third and the ultimate one!
What is life? It is a journey, an experience on Earth, that is not permanent but a temporary one. We all start this journey, and during the journey, we all search for happiness. Different people follow different philosophies in life. While people and their philosophies are very different, one thing does not change – the whole of humanity is seeking Happiness.
People evolve in their journey of life by climbing through peaks of life, the first peak being Achievement.
To be happy, we grow up to seek the first peak that is Achievement. We believe success creates wealth that generates happiness. There are many by-products like name, fame, assets, security, power, possessions, and pleasures that together create the joy that comes from Achievement. But what is the end to the Achievement journey? There is no end to this journey. Most of the people go from womb to tomb in this journey of life. They focus on achievement right from the moment they get a command of their life until their last breath. They keep on chasing achievement after achievement.
Though one achieves a lot in this first peak of life, they truly don’t discover life because after drinking the nectar of life, they still remain thirsty. Their needs are fulfilled, but their greed continues to create stress and anxiety. The millionaire becomes a billionaire only to face death. He then loses his entire wealth as he leaves the world. The rich and famous lose their health to make wealth, but it is very funny that in the end, they leave back all their money. They never had time to follow their passions to do what they had always dreamt of. Recently, a rich man died uttering these words: “If only I had spend my life spending my money rather than just making it, I would have died a happier man”.
While the peak of Achievement is all about being richer in terms of more pleasure, power, and possessions, people generally miss the sight of the second peak – the peak of Fulfillment, which is beyond the pleasure that one gets on the journey to the peak of Achievement.
There are a very few people who realize that life is not just about making money. They realize that happiness does not come only from achievement, riches, and pleasures. They know that true happiness comes from contentment and fulfillment. They understand that true happiness comes from being content with what we need and not lighting a fire to fulfill our greed. People who are lucky to take an exit from the highway of Achievement find true peace and tranquility by being content and fulfilled on the peak of Fulfillment. Such a person’s life is filled with positivity, laughter, and joy. They would have liberation and freedom, living with meaning and purpose in their life. They do not focus on making money; instead they would want to make a difference. To them, life is blissful because they do not have too many expectations and therefore no disappointments or misery. The life of such people is much happier than that of those who aggressively try to climb the peak of Achievement.
Therefore, the second peak after Achievement is the peak of Fulfillment. There may be a few who are fortunate to by-pass the peak of Achievement because they realize the truth that the true peak of life is not Achievement, but it is Fulfillment! They take an exit at an early age and move on to the peak of Fulfillment, and they are content. They are happy with what life gives them. Therefore, they progress in the journey of life with contentment and fulfillment, without the hassle of passing the Achievement peak.
I realized this, and I transformed my life from the first peak of Achievement to the second peak of Fulfillment. My life was so blissful. I always wished that the rich and wealthy realized the joy that lies beyond just making money.
However, after being on the Fulfillment plateau for 8 years, living blissfully content, I started asking, “Is this all? Is this what life is all about?” The answer that came to me was a resounding “No” as after climbing the peak of Achievement and Fulfillment, my life was still not complete. The purpose of life was still not achieved. While Achievement gave pleasures and Fulfillment gave peace, I had still not achieved a purpose in life. It seemed like the second peak became a plateau. I was just sailing, cruising on the seas of Fulfillment. There seemed to be no purpose in life. Why was I alive?
Yes, I felt that I finished climbing the peaks of Achievement and Fulfillment, and though I was enjoying my life, there was no growth. It was just like a “zoom to my tomb”. I asked myself, “Was I just waiting to die?” Of course, I am happy, but why am I alive? What is my purpose of being alive? These questions made me think and think until one day, my mentor, my Guru provoked me and asked me “We are no better than dead souls. We live, but in reality, we don’t live. We just exist. We don’t know the purpose of life. We don’t seek answers to life’s unanswered questions. We just live till we die, but is this what life is all about?”
I realized that it was time to climb this third peak of life - a peak called Enlightenment! I searched for answers. What could this third peak be? And then I got a flash!
It was then clear to me that beyond the peaks of Achievement and Fulfillment, there was a third peak – the peak of Enlightenment that was not a part of my vision, and hence I had not thought of climbing that peak. I had no doubt anymore. I was clear that I should stop and find out the answers to these questions. I was happy, but so what? Was life’s goal just to be happy? I felt that there was a bigger goal in life. It was to find the true meaning and the true purpose of life – a revelation that would lead me beyond happiness to ultimate never-ending joy and bliss!