Happiness

The ultimate goal of this life is to live happily and peacefully. No one should be deprived of being happy. When one thinks about “happiness” a smile will automatically appear. For the past 24-hours, how many times have we been happy? Once, twice, or not at all. At the same time, how many times has a child been happy for the past 24 hours? Uncountable, isn’t it? Generally, everyone wants to live a happy life, but we are struggling to maintain it.

So, what is “happiness”? According to Oxford English Dictionary, happiness can be defined as the quality or condition of being happy; the state of pleasurable contentment of mind; deep pleasure in or contentment with one’s circumstances. Having said that, the definition of happiness may vary from one person to another.

According to Dalai Lama, “happiness is not something ready-made. It comes from your own action.” A common thought is that the state of being happy is the same and standard all the time. But that is not the case. It is actually can be categorized into a few types. The first type of happiness is the one we seek from the material world. The enjoyment and pleasures that we gain through parties, games, alcohol, gambling, and food hunting are never-ending desires for some of us. Attending parties and enjoying the taste of the food, music, floor dance, and connecting with friends will definitely give enjoyment, but is happiness permanent? Would it remain till the next day? Absolutely not. This type of happiness is temporary in nature and does not last long.

Another type of happiness is the ‘joy’ that comes from the inner self. It is a feeling of great pleasure, delight, and rejoice. This type of happiness can be felt through service to mankind (karma yoga) and spiritual practice (bhakti yoga) that is done through chanting and prayers. The practice of yoga and meditation also can be a source of this pleasure. We will be able to feel the peace, calmness, and positive vibration at temples while chanting mantras and during prayers. At these moments, we could feel the happiness inside ourselves.

Finally, the last type of happiness is “bliss”. This is the higher state of happiness. It is also defined as the state of extreme happiness or a permanent meditative state. This can be achieved through the continuing practice of yoga, chanting, and prayers. This can be regarded as inner bliss.

It is an undeniable fact that happiness will bring us many benefits. Happy people tend to have a healthy lifestyle, peaceful sleep and feel energetic throughout the day. This will help to reduce blood pressure and eventually lower heart-related disease. It also strengthens and boosts our immune system. Furthermore, happiness will combat stress, and it is also a great antidote for anxiety. Positive thoughts and the feeling of happiness will help to lower the stress level. Overall, it will lead to greater longevity.

Apart from health, happiness helps us emotionally and psychologically. When one is in happy mode, that person has a tendency to be competent, a good decision-maker, providing creative and practical solutions not only career-wise but in her/his personal life too.

Generally, one will view or regard “contentment” in the context of happiness. In general, contentment is defined as a state of happiness and satisfaction. But does that mean both contentment and happiness are the same? No, they are not the same. According to Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra, the element of Santosha or Contentment that comes under the second limb of Niyama is regarded as modesty and the feeling of being content with our current lifestyle. We should be grateful and satisfied with what we have now rather than focusing on the things that we are deprived of. People have a tendency to compare themselves with others without realizing we all are the unique creation of God. When we are a unique creation of God, our blessings will be different from others too. Thus, it is a drain of energy when we keep on comparing ourselves with others. Rather than doing that, we have to start acknowledging our blessings and striving to achieve the state of Santosha (contentment). We have to remember that happiness does not make us grateful, but contentment will lead us to happiness.

Being happy does not mean that everything is perfect in a person’s life. It means she/he decided to look beyond the imperfections and to be content with what they have. True happiness will reach you when you are forgetting past mistakes, burying your ego, and being grateful to God for the little things you have. The choice is yours!!!

Success doesn’t make us happy, but being happy makes us successful.
Stay happy; Stay healthy!!!
– Rekha Muthurajah

Leave a comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked (required)