Happiness

Happiness is a way of life and not something that can be achieved and kept. People spend their entire life running after happiness but end up dissatisfied. They are conditioned to believe that they will be happy if they get admission in a good college or if they secure a good job or if they get an understanding life partner. While all these help in building a good life which is essential to attain happiness however these alone cannot bring happiness. Happiness is something that comes from within and not from external things. 

Happiness as per Buddhism as per Buddhism, “Happiness does not depend on what you have or who you are. It solely relies on what you think.”

Buddha believed that happiness begins from understanding the main causes of suffering. He has given an Eightfold path following which helps control the mind and ultimately leads to happiness. However, this is not a one-time task. This needs to be followed daily. The idea is to teach your mind not to dwell in the past or worry about future and to live in the present. The here and now is the only place where you can experience peace and happiness.

Buddha has been described as “ever-smiling”. His portrayals mostly depict him with a smile. This smile comes from a profound composure from within. Buddhism states that true happiness can be attained by knowledge and practice to develop mental calmness and this can be achieved by detaching oneself from the needs, wants and passions.

Happiness as per Hinduism

As per Hinduism, happiness is attained by way of one’s own actions, past deeds and the grace of God. Three types of happiness have been mentioned in the Hindu scriptures. These are as follows:

Physical Happiness: Also known as Bhautik Sukham, this can be attained from a comfortable living, bodily pleasures and sensual enjoyment.

Mental Happiness: Also known as Manasik Anandam, this can be derived from a sense of fulfillment and satisfaction. It is a state in which as person is free from all sorts of worries and anxieties.

Spiritual Happiness: Also known as Adhyatmik Atmanandam, this can be attained when a person is able to come out of the cycle or births and deaths and make a union with self.

The ultimate aim of a living being as per Hinduism is to experience supreme blissfulness as a free soul in the heaven. The human beings can experience temporary happiness on earth by fulfilling their duties however permanent happiness according to Hinduism can only be achieved in the heaven by attaining liberation.

Happiness – Essential for Good Life 

Whether you are a student, a working professional, a housewife or a retired person – happiness is something that is essential for each one of you to lead a good life. It is necessary for a person’s emotional well being. If a person is not healthy emotionally, his overall health is likely to do down the drain in no time.

Unfortunately, even though happiness is extremely essential, people do not pay much attention to ways in which they can keep themselves happy. They are all so engrossed in their professional lives and other nitty-gritty’s of life that they forget to enjoy the good moments in life. No wonder, the cases of stress, anxiety and depression are rising by the day.

Conclusion is that

The definition of happiness and the perspective of seeing and pursuing it may be different as per different institutions however the sole meaning of it is to be in a joyous state. As hard as you work to earn and maintain your lifestyle, if you work equally hard to attain happiness, your life would be much better.

Happiness is basically a state of being happy and content. Several philosophers have given different views on this topic however the most dominant one is that happiness comes from within and must not be searched for in the outside world.Money Cannot Buy Happiness

It is sad how people look for happiness outside. Many people associate happiness with money. If this was the case then rich people would have never felt sad. But on the contrary, we see that it is the rich who seem more anxious, fearful, stressed and often experience relationship problems and suffer from depression. Celebrities such as movie stars, singers and ministers have hoards of money and yet the divorce rate of these people is much higher than the general public. These people live in constant fear of being chased or hit and hence require security all the time. They are more fearful about the safety of their children. They are also the ones more prone to theft and robbery. Many of them have so much overflow of wealth that they are constantly stressed about where to invest or hide it. On the other hand, those belonging to the poor classes are often more carefree and joyous.

This is not to say that being rich is a bad thing. Having money means that you have access to a lot of things. You can go on holidays, plan social gatherings, purchase good clothes, buy properties, live in a good locality and a lot more and all this brings in a feel good factor which is an essential component for being happy. However, believing that if you have all these you will be happy is wrong. Materialistic things can make you happy momentarily but cannot help attain true happiness.