Pursuit of Happiness

Happiness is a state of emotional well-being that a person experiences when pleasing or good things happen (Hedonic happiness) or as a positive evaluation of one's life and accomplishments (Eudaimonic happiness). It is a condition of subjective well-being. Happiness can be seen when one is free from negative emotions (such as sadness, fear, and anger) and also when positive emotions (such as affection, excitement, and interest) are present.

Different cultures define happiness differently from the indications such as a smile without a reason, a laugh, tears in the eyes, a heart beating faster, humming, singing, dancing, moving playfully, etc. Modern science lists the reason for the release of hormones such as Dopamine, Serotonin, Oxytocin, Endorphins etc as the cause of happiness. These too are mechanisms that give rise to the indications above. Their release is signalled by neurotransmitters that are controlled by the mind. Happiness takes shape in the mind, in its thoughts that span the present and the future.

The two main ingredients of happiness are ‘free will’ and ‘an understanding of and alignment with nature’. Love for freedom is the love of free will. The strength of the will lies in being solution-oriented. The solution creates options and having options means more space for exercising free will. The solution arises from the understanding of nature (reality). The environment around us is reality and ease of living requires us to be in line with the flow of reality. Therefore, for happiness, one needs to understand nature, create solutions and choose better options.

A person may feel happy when one finds a large sum of money. Money is a facilitator that opens many possibilities in one’s mind. One would indeed be happy and the mind would run making plans for what could be achieved. The same thing is also possible with a new job, promotion, travel to a place or a person in one’s life. That’s why marriages and the arrival of infants are celebrated. All such events that make our mind go limitless from a limited context cause happiness (Prasannata or Ananda). All those favourable conditions that cause comfort to the body or pleasures are Sukha. Yogis talk about the continuous source of bliss being their connection to Brahman (universal mind) which opens immense possibilities for them.

Good people struggle because they follow idealism that does not align with reality. A person having a staunch stand against paying bribes in a corrupt environment may suffer. He can decide not to take bribes. People die even while going on pilgrimages because their actions may conflict with reality. Communism failed because it was based on idealistic principles which deviated from human reality. One has to weigh his options if there is a requirement to go against reality and the key to making such choices lies in ‘Dharma’. It calls for interpreting our decisions through critical thinking and deciding whether the act is according to the following principles.

धृति: क्षमा दमोऽस्‍तेयं शौचमिन्‍द्रियनिग्रह:।

धीर्विद्या सत्‍यमक्रोधो दशकं धर्मलक्षणम्‌॥ (मनुस्‍मृति 6.71)

The indications of Dharma are patience, forgiveness, control of mind, non-stealing, cleanliness (internal and external), control over senses, exercising prudence, knowledge of reality, exercising truth and not getting angry. Whenever our thoughts and actions result in any of the above that means we are exercising ‘Dharma’. The actions could be classified into two types.

सुखाभ्युदयिकं चैव नैःश्रेयसिकमेव च । प्रवृत्तं च निवृत्तं च द्विविधं कर्म वैदिकम् ॥ Manusamriti, 12.88 ॥

Vedic acts are two types, ones that bring an increase in pleasures and cause a continuation (of mundane existence, Pravritta), and the others that ensure supreme bliss and cause a cessation (of mundane existence, Nivritta).

Happiness is derived from experiences and perceptions of those experiences. Happiness has internal and external components, the internals are attitude and aptitude and the external is the environment or nature. Human interactions result in experiences and the experiences as such cause happiness or pain. It is our ‘Self’ (soul) that feels the joy, and short-term joy comes through senses and long-term from learning and creativity.  Indian philosophers perceive happiness as the absence of Pain. This argument holds due to the basic nature of the soul being Sat-Chitta-Ananda. When the soul is free from pain then it will achieve a state of elation (Ananda).

Someone to love, something to live for and accomplishment of creative talent can be reasons for happiness.  One can create conditions for happiness where one must be peaceful enough to allow it to flow to oneself. The experiences of happiness are for finite moments and not forever, we can try and repeat those experiences which gave us happiness but repetitions may not help as the novelty declines and then we need to move to the newer experiences.