Samik Roy_BLP052_Happiness_September 2012

Happiness is not a feeling. It is a state of being. It is infact, one of the most essential standards for living.  We can find happiness in many different forms. One can be happy with purchasing of some precious objects which he/she was longing for or with being associated with someone loveable. Material wealth and affluence, fulfilment of one’s desires, human relationships, development of one’s potentialities and individuality, one’s own psychological state, faith in a religion and spirituality are some of the variables considered for determining happiness. The level of happiness differs from person to person. A person can earn a lot of money and still be unhappy. On the other hand, a poor person can find happiness from the very little which he/she has.

Happiness obtained from relationship is longer lasting than materialistic happiness. Such a type of happiness evolves from developing ‘trust’ in relationship between people. Trust in turn leads to ‘Respect’ of others, which in other words is acknowledging the uniqueness of others.

In order to be truly happy, a person should realize all the good things within his life as well as within the life of all people who influence his/her life. He/she should also realize that whatever has happened in his/her life in the past is for good.

Happiness does not come for free. One has to work hard to earn it and harder to keep it. At times, hardships are required are required for people to strive and achieve happiness. People should be able to adapt to their surroundings such as to get the best out of them.

The purest form of happiness can be seen in a mother’s love for her child. The child knows that he/she is under total care of his/her mother. It is an unspoken agreement between the mother and the child and the mother will do anything to keep her child happy.

In the Mahabharata, when Dharmaraja disguised as the Yaksha asked Yudhisthira, “Who is truly happy”? Yudhisthira replied, “One who cooks his own food, is not a debtor, does not have to leave home to make in order to earn his livelihood is truly happy.” This means that according to Yudhisthira, he who does not depend on anyone, does not spend more than he can afford and does not over endeavour for material things is truly happy.

Now how do we find this happiness? Since childhood, our aspirations keep on changing and so does our perception of happiness. But as we grow and experience more of this wonderful journey called life, we should understand that happiness comes most from giving. Hence it is truly said in the Bhagwad Gita , “He attains peace into whom all desires enter as waters enter the ocean, which, filled from all sides, remains unmoved; but not the man who is full of desires”.

Robin Goel_BLP033_Happiness_September 2012

When I send down the thinking probe in my brain for the meaning of the word "Happiness" no surge of brilliance came up to greet me. I felt it, but couldn't find words to express it. After some more thought I was able to give some words to this abstract feeling.

I define happiness as, "The state when a person is smiling and feeling good about himself and the world around him"

Why is happiness so important? That is again a question which puzzles a brain like mine which has always been used for solving complex mathematical equations rather than dealing with the abstract.

The whole concept of why happiness and why sorrow is somewhat alien to this brain of mine, which has been conditioned to understand data not emotions from times immortal.

When I read about the concept on various online resources I discovered a new field of science which is used to define happiness called positive psychology. In a March 2009 edition of The Journal of Positive Psychology, Sara Algoe and Jonathan Haidt say that "happiness" may be the label for a family of related emotional states, such as joy, amusement, satisfaction, gratification, euphoria, and triumph.

Another popular American psychologist Mr. Abraham Harold Maslow created the hierarchy of needs (A pyramid depicting the levels of human needs (psychological and physical)) Maslow envisioned moments of extraordinary experience, known as peak experiences, profound moments of love, understanding, happiness, or rapture, during which a person feels more whole, alive, self-sufficient, and yet a part of the world.

It is the same thing that Mr. V.S. Mahesh discussed in detail in our class on Service Marketing.

Mr. Mahesh talked about how this theory was basically a small version of what was done by Mr. Rajashekhra in Kanauj centuries ago. Their Rajashekhra (The teacher of princes of Kanauj) published that though human needs follow this particular pyramid of hierarchy of needs where satisfaction of every consecutive need leads to more happiness in person’s life and the final state of human needs is Self Actualization where he the person is lost in the flux of happiness.

But Rajashekhra not only discovered this theory century before but also gave a very rare and important connect between Karma and need satisfaction. It said that the quality of karma is best when it is done by an individual who is in a state of Self actualization. This theory has huge implications as it means that for getting the best quality of work delivery from an individual/employee he needs to be in a state of Self Actualization or as some say it Perfect Happiness.

This theory if true can have huge implications on the way organizations see and use their employees. This theory basically tells the employers that if the best work needs to be extracted from their workforce then the employees need to be satisfied at each level of needs. For this extrinsic motivation (Rewards) can only inspire employees to be maximum of state of esteem needs. For reaching further the person need to be perfectly happy.
I believe this relation between happiness and efficiency is something that needs to be explored in research as it has the potential of altering the way in which organizations operate and treat their employees today.

Happiness-Self Leadership-Arun Kumar_BLP034

Happiness is your birth right. We brought happiness to this word when we were born and it’s our duty to spread happiness till we leave this world. Happiness multiplies when it is shared with others. Festivals are occasions to celebrate and share the joy and spread the happiness. He is responsible for ones happiness but happiness is not always an individual entity.

Happiness is what all humans seek. It is more important than may be money, health or relationships. It is the greatest gift in life, because when we are happy, everyone around us is happy, and we attract positive energy into our lives. So, here if we try to find satisfaction or even define satisfaction, it again is different for different persons and differs from task to task. So satisfaction is a relative word. For example we can get satisfied with a piece of chocolate cake but again if we get a delicious piece of mango cake our satisfaction towards the chocolate will decrease.

Our nature is always to seek happiness, even a man hanging himself in some way want to reduce the pain in his life. If we go by literature, some people say that only remembering the past brought happiness to them, some said that living in the present and forgetting the past and the future brought them happiness. This led Henry Begson, a French Philosopher to say that how to get happiness has been left in vague, so that each one can have his own definition. But if happiness is to determine every moment of our life we must be able to know what it actually is. Some people confuse happiness with pleasure. Pleasure depends on the time, the object, the place.

 There are three forms of happiness as explained by Martin Seligman: Pleasant life, Good life and Meaningful life were thoroughly explained as below.

1) Pleasant Life- This talks about having as many pleasures as possible and having the skills to amplify the pleasures.

2) Good Life- This means knowing what your signature strengths are, and then recrafting your work, love, friendship, leisure and parenting to use those strengths to have more flow in life. A good life essentially means living your dreams and passions.

3) Meaningful Life- It is one which consists of using your signature strengths in the service of something that you believe is larger than you are. Understanding the purpose of one’s existence to serve mankind is the underlying thinking of a meaningful life.

 

Karthick J_BLP032_Happiness_September 2012

Happiness is defined as the state of mind. Happiness is the outcome of one of the following experiences which could either be individual or combination of pleasure, engagement, relationship, meaning and accomplishment. The real meaning of happiness differs from individual to individual. I find connect between happiness and religions. Most of the religions guide people on the path to live a happy and satisfactory life. The teachings encourage people to do perform their duties with utmost sincerity and follow values while performing their duties. Values, forms an integral part of life. Values I think are an enabler for happiness. A person who leads life with values commands the respect from their peers. The peers respect the person not for his position, power, wealth or any other reasons. It is the values which enabled the person to gain the admiration and respect from their peers.  Happiness is derived out of values.  The question now is “what leads to happiness in this modern world? Is it values or the materialistic and luxury needs through corrupt means?” The religion stresses on the values, but what makes a person to seek out for materialistic and luxury needs by compromising on values? Maybe, the entire perception of a person on where happiness lies could be taking a dramatic shift from values to materialistic and luxury needs.  Who is to be blamed for this shift, should we blame the individual? Wait, the answer might lie not in the individual, it could lie in the environment the individual is in. The individual is conditioned to think on these lines. It is the people around this individual who should be blamed for corrupting the minds of the individual to do illegal activities to achieve the materialistic and luxury needs. I am not saying that a person shouldn’t aspire for the materialistic and luxury needs. The problem arises when a person compromises on values to achieve these needs. It is unfair and the person should surely be reprimanded for the act committed.

          Happiness can be achieved by values. Say, a person is aspiring to be a musician. The person should show the dedication to achieve this goal. The dedication is one of the products of the values. Then, the person should use the ethical means to achieve the stage to showcase the talent. This again is a part of values. When a person uses unacceptable means would be experiencing happiness only for a short duration of time. The person would ultimately be busted one day and would be subjected to humiliation in front of peers.

          Happiness is the outcome of one of the following experiences which could either be individual or combination of pleasure, engagement, relationship, meaning and accomplishment. Pleasure occurs when an individual derives from an activity which a person enjoys the most. Engagement occurs when a person is immersed in act which is enjoyable.  Relationship occurs due the social needs of a person. Meaning occurs when a person seeks a bigger purpose in life. Accomplishment occurs as a result of achievements experienced by the person.

          In order be happy one should look for the roadblocks which hinders them achieving happiness. Once, the roadblocks are identified solutions needs to be formulated to find alternative paths. Happiness is temporary. The mood of a person constantly changes. It is important for a person to be either intrinsically or externally motivated to continue doing the good things and adapt to new changes to achieve the happiness. The answers to happiness and the means to achieve happiness could possibly be found in our forgotten ancient Vedic scriptures as India happens to be a place where oldest civilizations existed.  

Mathew John_BLP007_Happiness_September 2012

The key driving factor for humanity is happiness. This brings me to circumspect deeply as to figure what exactly the meaning of happiness is. Happiness according to me is a sense of satisfaction that is emanated out of an act of goodness done to oneself or to the world. The world throws many perceptions on the term happiness. Even terrorists are happy in successful achievement of their targets. But, is that what one could define as happiness? Where is the goodness? Where is the positive growth? Happiness is intended to touch one’s soul and bring about positivity. The word happiness is simple but the meaning cannot be described in just one sentence.

Happiness is everywhere, which means it is something which we cannot seek. Happiness is something that generates itself amongst goodness. Understanding this would bring about great change to this world. Often, people seek happiness in the form of money/pleasure. But it isn’t that simple.  Happiness is achieved only by bringing goodness to mankind. Anything which is harmful or negative cannot be defined as happiness. This raises a question. Why can’t happiness vary from people to people? Slaughter and exploitation makes certain people satisfied, isn’t that happiness to them? My answer is no. Harmful activities are the result of sheer negativity and pain. Happiness never exists amongst negativity and pain.

So then, how can happiness be achieved? What causes it? These questions are quite interrelated and can be figured out with careful thought. As you figure out, you will realise that there is a strong correlation between happiness and positivity. Both these words are mutually inclusive. Happiness is not of the flesh but of the soul present within. The flesh is only a part of one’s entity which acts according the will of one’s soul. Hence, happiness is caused from the soul. This is where worldly items like money and pleasure get beaten. Again, the emphasis is never on the pleasure required to live a life but of the excessive pleasures which brings about greed and eventually end in pain.

The first step in bringing about happiness is to be mindful of the fact that the simple things are by far the most valuable things in the world. One must also realise that the greater purpose in leading a life rests with the society as a whole and not with the individual alone. Hence, individualism has to be nipped right at the bud. The second and the final step is to spread positivity and one’s happiness to everyone around.

Stay simple and stay happy!!

Sandeep Ramadev_BLP040_Happiness_September 2012

                                                 Happiness - The ideal way of Living

I have always found dictionary giving complex definitions or explanation for something simple. Wikipedia defines happiness as “a mental or emotional state of well-being characterized by positive or pleasant emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy”.  I never knew happiness could be defined in such a complex way. For me, happiness is personal well-being. Happiness is not something that is present or given readymade. It actually comes from one’s own action. In simple terms, happiness is subjective and not objective. One person’s happiness might be another person misery. We have to realize that we are responsible for our own happiness and not due to any other external factors. These external factors are just stimuli. Based on a person’s state of mind, the stimuli either induces happiness or sorrow.

A look at Vedas and Hinduism concept states that, sukha(happiness) and duhkha(sadness) are two relative experiences and we need to arise above these states to achieve or experience real happiness(ananda). Every being is running behind this i.e to achieve real happiness, some knowingly and some unknowingly. Hinduism states stay positive in life and approach it accordingly. It states what we are currently enjoying is temporary happiness but there are higher and greater forms of happiness as we move forward. We have to keep pushing our self forward. Till we achieve that state we are just passing through different states of mind.

The difficult question is how we attain this everlasting happiness. As our life evolved, our aspirations kept changing and so does, our definition of happiness kept changing. When we were kids, our happiness meant possession of smaller goods and presence of few people. As times passed by, possession of costlier goods, presence of different people meant happiness.  So, our happiness has also evolved. Happiness can be attained only after we understand or know one self. In terms of Maslow’s Theory of Needs, Happiness is defined as more of any level. For example, if a person attains physiological level, it actually satisfies his actual needs. If he gets any more satisfaction in the same level, it gives him a sense of joy which is happiness and longs to move to next level.

Most of us hail from middle class families. To us, material success is all we yearn for and it is understandable. But one needs to understand the fact that money shouldn’t lead us to any decisions in our life. If money was everything, many Billionaires would have stopped working once they saw money. They still keep working due to their love of work they are involved in. Doing that, they are happy. Getting better from their previous output, generates a smile in their face. We have to put in the extra effort to see us move to the next level. We may not become Abdul Kalam or Anil sir overnight. But striving and putting in the necessary effort to make it to next level makes us move one step closer to what they have achieved.

Each and every one has different DNA and it is god's unique creativity to create individuals with defects. No human being is perfect but is unique. The day we realize it, we are in right track to achieve happiness. So we need to set goals accordingly and put in required efforts achieve it. It is also important to understand that we shouldn’t take our life seriously. It is fine to get few Beginner or Novice grades in your academics. It is also completely fine to doze off before the day of your assignment submission. Once in a while, it is always fine to commit mistakes but repeating it is a sin :) .

To bring out an experience from my life that gave me happiness was the time I spent interacting with kids. There is a proverb in English which states

“The soul is healed by being with children".

Time and again, I realize how true it is!! Their innocence and creativity always moved me. No wonder I wanted to work with children again and SIP days at SOIL proved me how correct I was. During one of the SIP days, we had to accompany the kids to an Amusement park. If people think getting money or promotion gives them happiness, then you must have seen these children’s eye at the very sight of the rides at the park. No money could buy you that happiness. Some where I have read that "Time we spent enjoying is not wasted time”. Every moment at the Park with those children was beyond doubt worth it.

Life is so short that you spend most of the time thinking of the outcome. I have learnt that you don't have to win at life. Life is not always about winning. Life is about participating in the game and trying to influence others so that they win. It is important to keep your life simple. Keep your expectations simple and Start Practicing being satisfied. Love people around you and have a great sense of humor. Tolerate your mistakes and most importantly forgive yourself. Give your best in all activities and roles and leave rest to God. Just be happy that you are part of a race called LIFE and savor each and every moments and milestones you been there. By doing this, you wouldn’t be sad but more happy. 

AmitSingh_BLP025_Happiness

Happiness is a concept that has inspired generations to seek the meaning of it. The quest for it has led psychologists, scientists and philosophers to come up with many theories. All the religion has happiness as the core theme in it around which all its philosophy revolves. Wikipedia defines happiness as “mental or emotional state of well being characterized by positive or pleasant emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy”. It has got different meaning for different individuals. Some looks for uniqueness of state of happiness in a subjective manner while other looks for uniformity of principles that brings happiness to all individuals.

For me happiness is a mental state when I am totally engrossed in the present without any consideration for past or future. For me it is a state of mental peace where the chattering in the mind stops and one sense a great sense of ease with oneself. All individuals has experienced these moments of timelessness in one’s life. And these experiences have been the motivating factor for individuals to undertake this quest for happiness and to search for constant state of being in it which is also termed as enlightenment.

Most of the time individuals complain about past or dream about future but never live in the present. Even during sleep very few enlightened being gets sound sleep where mind simply stops chattering. We believe that it is a state of being which is gifted to certain individuals whom we called as someone who has attained enlightenment and consciously ignore the potential that is within us to reach to that stage. When someone asked Osho that can human being collectively attain the stage of enlightenment, he answered in a very poetic fashion that man has reached the highest stage of evolution which has imparted individuality to every human being. This stage has given him/her the choice to make decision and it is up to individual to make a choice whether to attain it or not. He called this process human revolution and not evolution as it is a natural process while revolution is a result of conscious effort.

To live in the present one has to completely align the as taught by Anil Sir the different layers within the human being with mindfulness at its core. As one becomes more conscious of one’s thought, then and only then the realisation to attain happiness by being in present come into picture. The technique for meditation as preached by Osho is to just watch your thought without reacting to it (which acts as fuel for fire for the mind to harp back on past or future) and slowly and steadily the mind will stop going astray and come to the present.

In the Maslov theory of need explained by Mahesh Sir in the class, one can also find the occurrence of “Aha” moment in one’s life at the juncture when there is sublimation of energy in vertical direction which finally takes us to the stage of self actualisation. It is the stage when time, space and being mingle into one to create perfect synergy.

One can’t expect to reach to that stage in an instant. We hear so many stories as to how Buddha attained enlightenment in a fraction of second while sitting under the Bodhi tree and we all expect that moment for us to come. But we forget the effort put behind in terms of developing the sense of awareness so that it become natural in the end and in my opinion that natural stage is called enlightenment- the only source of happiness. Even while talking to Dr. Milton Bennet about his experience of volunteering and how it changed his life, he said that before going for volunteering he has this desire to develop consciousness within him and through that experience attain happiness by delving deep into the field of his interest.

I think that is the greatest learning for me to get to that stage where whatever I do I give my 100% from heart and mind and hopefully someday attain the state of Nirvana.          

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   

Shailendra Tiwari_BLP055_Happiness_September 2012

One day, a friend of mine asked me, “What is the Arcanum of your happiness? All the time you are full of energy, and I have never seen you get down”.  With a smiling face, I said that I will tell you everything, but you have to promise me that you will share this Arcanum with others. Then, told him that I just believe in one thing, God has given us everything to feel happy about, it is up to us that how we take these gifts. I also know that God is always with me for all my needs and most of the time, I know I do not need half of what I think I do. He has never let me down.

And Since I learned this secret, I am happy”.

Some other insights for Human beings:

“A human action is the type of action that separates human beings from animals, because it involves the use of reason and intelligence. An action may be performed for a limited goal, but that goal is a means to larger goal which is a means to another even larger goal, and so on, until one reaches the final goal, to which one is destined”

Everyone wants to be joyful. Many people spend large sum of money to get happiness through various mediums like shopping, eating, travelling and other unnecessary expenses, which give them satisfaction, but temporary.

Sometimes, I wonder what gives a person real joy, then a lot of twinning thoughts start running through my mind. Money? Good Health?  Friends? Beauty? A good figure? Power? Greed?. This often cue’s me of some lines, “Oh, if I could have a million dollar, I would be the happiest person in this world”. However, these are just materialistic things, which can never satisfy you for a long time.

On the contrary, they would give you only temporary satisfaction and, that too just because you create an image of a different world full of imaginations and illusions in your mind, that these things entail to happiness.

The English word "happy" is simply defined as, "Fortunate, lucky, cheerful, contented, characterized by or indicative of pleasure, etc.”  True happiness is not shallow and is not based on external stimuli. True happiness is not material; it is not inherited, and cannot be acquired through any recipe of human origin.

 According to me, happiness is “The holistic experience you would get after doing something for the society, selflessly, for which God has sent all of us. Therefore, together we can make this world a better place to live where we help each other to attain a certain level, where everyone of us respects the humanity, rather than giving any place to things like hatred, fighting for petty issues and pulling down each other.
This way we can help ourselves by giving back to the society what it gives us. This  would certainly lead to  happiness which we can’t get following the way where there are certain forces  , that are attracting us towards itself and , would give us utmost gratification , but , for a cumbered  period. That, too just because we have a certain imaginative image in our mind which is ravishing but would lead nowhere. “

I am also going through a holistic experience as, I got an opportunity to contribute to the society selflessly by connecting with the people in an NGO .This NGO is also doing a splendid job by raising the level of all the people who are below a certain level. They are struggling for their basic needs. So, I got a chance to serve for this social cause and I am very happy and grateful to God for giving me such an enriching opportunity that filled my heart with all the good things. I feel obliged that  I am doing something in my life, for these people who are in need, which I could have never done if, I would have followed the same tempting path which leads nowhere, and that most of us are following.

Happiness in different religion talks about infinite wisdom, Your karma, Dharma, Bliss/Nirwana and Virtues, as most of it is related to the spirituality and almighty god.

According to Bible – “Happiness is related to Jesus who wants to give all his people gift of joy, No matter what is happening in your life presently, He is offering all of us joy to the fullest. Maybe you have lost all your possessions in some natural disaster, or perhaps you have broken up with your family. Or maybe you have lost your job and thereby all mediums of support are cut off. Whatever be the circumstance, you can still feel happy as you can feel the joy of his all the time. In addition, when you have Jesus you have everything in this world. Such joy and peace comes to us because we completely trust the One who is in control of all the circumstances of life, and He has promised to supply all of our needs”

Bible laws for happiness-

The Bible says that those who fear the Lord are happy, Happy are those who keep God's laws, Happy are those who have children, Happy are those who do not condemn self, Those who trust in the Lord and those who require wisdom.

Buddhism- There is no limit to joy. Happiness has no end. When you are standing in the love of God, every cell in your body jumps for joy. You breathe in and out with the entire universe. In this state, your life is fulfilled. This is how God means us to live, intoxicated in love and joy. And through our joy, God receives his joy. The joy of man is the joy of God; and the joy of God is the joy of man.

Hinduism “Bhagwat Gita”- It is said: ‘He who is unattached to the external world and its objects, and is attached to the inner Self, will attain supreme happiness, which is everlasting. That is, happiness is subjective and not objective. The same person, place or thing that brought happiness at one time, may bring misery at another. Why does this happen? This happens because we are responsible for our happiness or sorrow, and not the external objects of the world. We think that somebody brings joy; this person brings misery, etc. All this is not true. The external persons, places, and things are only stimuli. These stimuli affect the brain and bring joy or sorrow in us, depending upon our state of mind.

Looking at different aspects of the life with a different horizon all the religion have a common definition of Happiness which states that” Almighty has given us everything .And, we should not look for happiness in external it is within us and related with the virtues of life. The Holy Spirit rests on him only who has a joyous heart. This so-called happiness is only a faint reflection, a little spark of the brilliant sun of bliss, which is hidden within. This is only a shadow of that eternal bliss that is waiting to be exposed. Our so-called happiness and misery now, are nothing but different states of mind. Happiness also means attaining a state of self-actualization that is pertained to the almighty.