Sunday, May 29, 2011

Happiness - A Myth ?

So what is happiness ? I have found that there is no absolute definition of happiness. It is very subjective. What makes me happy, may not make you happy. For example, a good quality work will be a priority for me which gives me happiness but good money would be priority for someone else. What gives me happiness now will not give me happiness say after an year or so. I may be craving for a car now but after an year the same car wont make me happy. There is a relativistic sense to happiness. It is a function of time and circumstances and the individual subject under consideration. For a person who is going to be hanged, a lottery prize of a million dollars wont bring any happiness. One important observation that we should take care of is that happiness is tied to objects, or at least that is what we have observed in the last few lines. So, there is an additional parameter in the function for happiness - which is the object one is craving for. In fact, if we carefully sample the function - we can see that the object of happiness, which is again temporal in nature, is the necessary and sufficient condition for happiness. It is therefore important for us to understand the nature of this craving for this object of happiness.

The craving for the object of happiness is called DESIRE. Essentially, it is also said in the Holy Bhagwad Geeta that - "Desire is the root cause of all action." Everything that we do is driven by desire. The only consistent desire (root - desire , desire can have a transitive nature) that we find in human beings is the desire to be happy. What ever we do is to make us happy. So, we essentially keep looking for happiness in those objects that we desire for. The next question that arises in me is - Is happiness meant to be shortlived ? Or am I looking for at the wrong place ? Either one of them has to be true, because typically I cannot remain happy forever with the objects that I crave for. My desires change every other day or rather every other moment. How can I then be sure that my happiness is not meant to be short lived. Because, it is not necessary that I get the object that I crave for and that will deprive me of happiness.

Happiness cannot be short lived. I will try to explain why. If it was meant to be short lived, we would not be looking for it every now and then even though we loose it. It is in our inherent nature (prakriti) to be happy and thats why we crave for it despite all the problems and issues we face. If it was meant to be short lived, we would not be looking for it every now and then, we would have come to terms with it and would not be looking for it again. Loosing happiness would be acceptable to all of us. But that is not the case, I guess we are looking at the wrong place. More later, till then be happy.

8 comments:

bimukt said...

Dude,
You are bound by the 3 gunas of nature.At any instant those gunas and nature plan you to act or react in a way such that a specific phenomenon occurs. The person thinks he has done it/he has got it..but the point is nature did it.

The wise person who knows that will not think he is the doer. Once you know this you will not have any desire to fruit of your action. You will take it the way it comes. That is the Mantra...

Try following this. Dedicate all your action as action in the name of God, act according to your nature, and I am sure you will be happy.

If you have doubt or question on it still try for a 1 month.

Love
Tapi

Anupam said...

interesting blog - i tried dissecting it before - http://godearthlove.blogspot.com/2011/03/on-bubbles-of-life.html and
http://godearthlove.blogspot.com/2010/08/bound-by-duty.html .

At the end, I think, happiness "derived from material world" is bound to be short-lived. You are right that our nature seeks happiness.

i also agree with the first commenter !

Subrat Panda said...

@Tapan - Dude, I understand what you are saying - that is basically the notion of Karma Yoga - I actually know the shloka that which specifies that - "Yat karoshi.. ...Tat kuruswa madarpanam." There are numerous things there which needs to be cleared up. I do not doubt anything there man. I know it is True. But the "Monkey-mind" as they say - keeps doubting.

@Anupam - I will read through your blog and get back.

Prabal said...

Hmmm.. In general the happiness we look for can be categorized into 3 kinds..
1. Sensual - Anything that is pleasurable for our senses.
2. Ego fueling - Like holding a position of importance.
3. Emotional - Like having a family, friends
Since all these are transient in nature happiness derived out of these can not be permanent.

But there is this concept of sat-chit-anand (unconditional truth, purified consciousness, tranquil bliss). Probably that is what is real happiness.

Puri Temple said...

Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.
Mahatma Gandhi
Happiness is that state of consciousness which proceeds from the achievement of one’s values.

The real Happiness is when u'll b able to understand what u are. Leave desirousness (kamana) up to certain limit than you may get happiness in your life but remember without a desirousness no one an live.
with love
papa

Subrat Panda said...

@Anupam Da : I went through your blog and the dissection was an interesting read. The motivation part with feedback and expectation was good. I will put down my thoughts together soon.
@Prabal : I agree with you totally. I just wanted to give a holistic view so started from the root cause. We will come to this point soon. Please keep commenting.
@ Dad : I agree with what you said. But desire should have a superior motive i guess. The higher the ideal the better it is. But your comment the definition which Gandhi interpreted was good. Important.

biswa said...

Unless you don't harm others in your quest for happiness, the quest should be perennial. Burst of happiness will come and go. In your quest if you make others happy, that's icing in the cake. i am not trying to define happiness here though. ;-)

Len Raymond said...

I find happiness is a stream of satisfying moments.