It is from Anand Anshumali. So have it your own way. Joy is good, I am all for joy. If you feel joy only when you are unhappy, then have it — have as much of it as possible.

But this is a morbid kind of joy, a perversion. See the perversion of it, it is masochism. There are people who feel happy only when they hurt themselves, when it really hurts like hell. Then they know they are. Then they know they are, they exist. Pain makes them a little alert of themselves.

But this is getting into a wrong track. These tracks are available. There are people who feel joy only when they are unhappy — this is only one part. There are people who feel very unhappy when they have joy — that is another part of the same perversion. If Anshumali goes on growing in the direction of his choice, the second will be coming soon.

But remember, what are you doing to yourself? Joy is available without any unhappiness, uncorrupted by unhappiness, unpolluted by any misery. Why not have that? When pure and fresh air is available why go on living in a slum? Why go on searching for dirty air? But people can become accustomed to dirty air.

I have heard about a man who came out of his house one early morning — it was five o'clock, the beautiful, the most beautiful, moment of the day. But in his whole life he had never been out in that moment. He was a drunkard. He used to be awake almost the whole night and then he would fall asleep. It was just accidental, there was some noise outside. At four o'clock he had just gone to sleep and there was some noise, some house was on fire or something, and he was disturbed in his sleep so he went out.

He asked his watchman, 'What type of smell is this?' — It was just the fresh smell of the morning, the fresh smell of the soil and the air and the sun getting ready to rise and the birds and the trees. It was the fragrance of the morning. And he asked the watchman, 'What kind of smell is this?' He knew only one smell, that of alcohol. This was so new and so strange, unfamiliar. He really didn't like it.
The watchman said, 'Sir, it is nothing but fresh air.'

You can become too much accustomed to your misery. So whenever it comes you feel relaxed — the old guest has come, you know it well. But this is getting into a perversion. And nobody can pull you out of it unless you see the point. And I am not saying that you have to come out of it, I never interfere into anybody's life. If you are feeling good then this is how it should be. With all my blessings, you can have as much misery as you like.

But if you understand me, if misery can be so joyful, how much will joy be joyful. Just think of that. If illness can be joyful, how much will be health. Just think of that.