The purpose of human lives is to be happy. What is the source of happiness? Can we get happiness externally from an object or thing? If we can get it externally, is it ever lasting? Is there something in this world, by getting which we will be happy forever?
The answer to the above questions sounds obvious from our life experiences or our daily experience. The answer is that happiness that we get from the external world is not ever lasting and is limited. For example, when we get our favorite food to satiate our hunger, we will be happy for sometime and it doesn't last long. Do we go back to the same favorite food again to get that happiness? May be!! But, there is a law in economics which explains about the diminishing nature (Law of diminishing marginal utility) of the things we like. So if you do the things you like, continuously, you will not get the same happiness that you got the very first time. After some time you want some change or you may want a different flavor when talking about food or a different destination talking about vacation.
This clearly make us believe that it is not just the pleasure that brings you happiness in life.
Modern Perspective: (From the lectures of Swami Sarvapriyananda)
According to Martin Seligman, Happiness is equal to a sum of pleasure, engagement and meaning. If you are lucky to land up in a job that you want to work even if they do not pay you, that job will provide you not only pleasure from the work you do but also, you will be engaged in that as you love to do it forever without seeking any return and thus providing a meaning to your life. You can check Martin Selegmans experiments on positive psychology.
Ancient Perspective: (From the lectures of Swami Sarvapriyananda)
Vidyaranya, in his PanchaDasi writing, takes the reader in a metaphoric journey from unknown to known. He explains, We like things that makes us happy and We do not like things that doesn't make us happy. Whatever we like, we will try to get them and keep them. If we do not like, we will try to get rid off or avoid it. Every one of us wants to exist and do not want to die. So, in essence, you don't want to get rid of yourself and always wants to be there. As said earlier, whatever we like, we will retain them which means we like ourself and this also means that you are the source of your own happiness. This highest bliss is self within which is pure consciousness or witness consciousness. All things are loved for the happiness of self and the happiness of self is not loved by anything else. So, Self is not an object. Since self is not an object, it cannot bring happiness but it is happiness itself.
When we have a desire, until we get it, our mind will be restless with so many thoughts and once we get it, the desire subsides and happiness is uncovered or discovered or you feel happy. Happiness is within always.
We can also take another example. Swami SarvaPriyananda says, that which we love for the sake of another, that another is loved more. A mother loves her child and the child loves his/ her toy. Mother loves the toy for the sake of her Child. So, Mother loves the Child more than the toy and that will get her happiness. In essence, for the happiness of the self within, we love everything else.
Swami Sarvapriyananda (Swami Sarvapriyananda is a monk of the Ramakrishna Order. He is stationed at Belur Math in Howrah, West Bengal, India and teaches at the Monastic Probationers' Training Centre there. His main interests are in religion, spirituality and philosophy, both Indian and western)
The answer to the above questions sounds obvious from our life experiences or our daily experience. The answer is that happiness that we get from the external world is not ever lasting and is limited. For example, when we get our favorite food to satiate our hunger, we will be happy for sometime and it doesn't last long. Do we go back to the same favorite food again to get that happiness? May be!! But, there is a law in economics which explains about the diminishing nature (Law of diminishing marginal utility) of the things we like. So if you do the things you like, continuously, you will not get the same happiness that you got the very first time. After some time you want some change or you may want a different flavor when talking about food or a different destination talking about vacation.
This clearly make us believe that it is not just the pleasure that brings you happiness in life.
Modern Perspective: (From the lectures of Swami Sarvapriyananda)
According to Martin Seligman, Happiness is equal to a sum of pleasure, engagement and meaning. If you are lucky to land up in a job that you want to work even if they do not pay you, that job will provide you not only pleasure from the work you do but also, you will be engaged in that as you love to do it forever without seeking any return and thus providing a meaning to your life. You can check Martin Selegmans experiments on positive psychology.
Ancient Perspective: (From the lectures of Swami Sarvapriyananda)
Vidyaranya, in his PanchaDasi writing, takes the reader in a metaphoric journey from unknown to known. He explains, We like things that makes us happy and We do not like things that doesn't make us happy. Whatever we like, we will try to get them and keep them. If we do not like, we will try to get rid off or avoid it. Every one of us wants to exist and do not want to die. So, in essence, you don't want to get rid of yourself and always wants to be there. As said earlier, whatever we like, we will retain them which means we like ourself and this also means that you are the source of your own happiness. This highest bliss is self within which is pure consciousness or witness consciousness. All things are loved for the happiness of self and the happiness of self is not loved by anything else. So, Self is not an object. Since self is not an object, it cannot bring happiness but it is happiness itself.
When we have a desire, until we get it, our mind will be restless with so many thoughts and once we get it, the desire subsides and happiness is uncovered or discovered or you feel happy. Happiness is within always.
We can also take another example. Swami SarvaPriyananda says, that which we love for the sake of another, that another is loved more. A mother loves her child and the child loves his/ her toy. Mother loves the toy for the sake of her Child. So, Mother loves the Child more than the toy and that will get her happiness. In essence, for the happiness of the self within, we love everything else.
Martin Seligman ( Martin E. P. "Marty" Seligman is an American psychologist, educator, and author of self-help books. Since the late 90's, Seligman has been an avid promoter within the scientific community for the field of positive psychology.)
Vidyarnaya (12th Jagadguru of the Śringeri Śarada Pītham from 1380-6 and he is the author of the Sarvadarśanasaṅgraha, a compendium of different philosophical schools of Hindu philosophyand Pañcadaśī, an important text for Advaita Vedanta)
