What is happiness?

WHAT IS HAPPINESS?

By Basudeba Mishra

वयमिह परितुष्टा वल्कलैस्त्वं दुकूलै:।
सम इह परितोषो निर्विशेषो विशेष:।
स तु भवति दरिद्रो यस्य तॄष्णा विशाला।
मनसि च परितुष्टे कोऽर्थवान को दरिद्र:॥

I am happy wearing the bark of a tree. You are happy wearing a silk dress. The general “happiness content” of both are equal. Though the object that brought us happiness are different (bark for me and silk for you), fulfilling the need that leads to the happiness (here covering of the body) is same in both cases. Thus, the object becomes happiness neutral (निर्विशेषो विशेष:). One whose passion or need or craving (तॄष्णा) is great, is truly poor. For one, who is content with whatever he has (मनसि च परितुष्टे), how can the object of enjoyment make a difference (does not make any difference)?

It is universal that all do things to fulfill their need. If the outcome is harmonious to our memory, we become happy. In the opposite case, we become unhappy. Since the needs vary, the object that leads to happiness are also different. If we could measure the “happiness content” of the same person at different times and after different events, or reaction of different persons to the same event, we will not find any difference, even though the objects or events that leads to their happiness are divergent.

Happiness is an object neutral state of mind (भोग). Both happiness (SUKHA – सुख and misery (DUHKHA = दुःख) are nothing but KHA (ख), which means empty or void, prefixed by SU (सु) or DUH (दुः). These prefixes are object neutral and are based only on our perception of the received impulse with those stored in our memory. When we come across something, the impulse is carried to the brain through the neural network, where it is compared with similar past experiences from memory. If the past experience was harmonious or comfortable with our total experience, we call it happiness. If it was disharmonious or uncomfortable, then we call it pain. If neither, we ignore it. For this reason, the same perception can generate different feelings (सुख-दुःख साक्षात्कार) to different persons. Or it may lead to attachment (राग), repulsion (द्वेष) or confusion (मोह).

It is object neutral because the same mental state can be arrived at in various ways irrespective of the nature or manner of use of the object that generated the sensation. For example, someone can be equally happy while enjoying food or sleep, or alone looking at a beautiful scenery or interacting with dear one’s. Thus, the object that led to the specific set of mind are instrumentalities only and not happiness proper. Thus, they are secondary to the feeling of happiness (उपभोग).

Are there any standard instrumentalities for happiness?

यन्न दुःखेषु संभिन्न न च ग्रस्तमनन्तरम् । अभिलषितमाप्नोति स सुख परमास्पदम् ।

Basically, it depends on three things:
i) It should last (not intermittent – यन्न दुःखेषु संभिन्न).
ii) It should not exhaust (not over after a limited period – न च ग्रस्तमनन्तरम्).
iii) It must address the need of the moment (अभिलषितमाप्नोति).

Most of us have a few of the above. Lucky are those who have most of the above criteria. But to be really happy in life, these should not be transitory and must meet the following six universal criteria:

अर्थागमनित्यम् अरोगिता च । प्रियाश्च भाय्र्या प्रियवादिनी च ।
वश्यश्च पुत्रः अर्थकरीश्च विद्याः । षड् इमान् लोकानि सुखानि राजन् ।

There are six basic needs that must be addressed to lead to happiness.

a) Regular source of income (अर्थागमनित्यम्).
b) Disease free living (अरोगिता).
c) A loving spouse (must appeal to our taste – प्रिया भार्या).
d) A sweet natured spouse (must appeal to our culture – प्रियवादिनी भार्या).
e) Well-mannered and well established children, and finally (वश्य पुत्र),
f) Our education and training must be economically meaningful, so that we can bridge the gap if situation so arises (अर्थकरी विद्या).

These conditions are impossible to be fulfilled during most parts of our life. Thus, most part of our lives are full of misery. To overcome this, the Western philosophies and religious practices propagate what one should do to be happy (प्रवृत्ति घर्म). The Indian (including Vedic, Buddhist and Jain) philosophies and religious practices propagate what one should not do to avoid misery (निवृत्ति घर्म). This is the basic difference between Indian and other philosophies.