In these war-torn times, with distress all around, is there a deficit of happiness? What is happiness? Is it sometimes found in the simplicity of letting go and living in the moment? An old man’s wisdom might help us.
A wise old man, lived in a small village, eons ago. In the entire village, he was known as a source of great wisdom and advice. People from across the world, would seek his counsel. One day, a young man sought his counsel and asked him, if he was the happiest person in the world? The wise old man smiled and replied, that he was indeed the happiest person in the world. The young man was intrigued and asked him as to what his secret was of becoming the happiest person in the world. The wise old man thought for a moment and then said that it was due to two things that he learned in life.
Now the young man was even more eager to learn what those two things were. The wise old man said, the first thing was to avoid holding onto grudges or harbouring resentment and forgiving and letting go any anger or negativity, one may feel towards others. The young man nodded in understanding and asked, what the second thing to avoid was? The wise old man chuckled and said, the second thing was to avoid worrying about things that are beyond our control and focus on the present moment and accept what we cannot change.
The young man was amazed at the simplicity of the old man’s wisdom and said, “That’s it? Forgiving and letting go of grudges and not worrying about things beyond our control?” The wise old man smiled and replied, “Yes, my dear friend, that’s the secret to happiness.
It’s amazing how much lighter our heart feels when we let go of the past and live in the present. Can we eschew our conflicts, wars and hatred and find that happiness? Afterall, we live for a few years, not sure if we would ever be back on this earth again. Our ego cannot be bigger than ourselves, for we all merge into the ‘truth’ that we came from, in the ultimate.
Actually, happiness is a complex and multifaceted emotional and psychological state punctuated by feelings of contentment, joy, well-being, and satisfaction. It is a positive and pleasurable emotional experience that is different for each one of us. It is our emotion, our joy, laughter, love, and gratitude. It involves life satisfaction, positive outlook, pleasure, enjoyment, fulfilment of goals and values. It certainly is subjective, but can those subjects be war, maim and torture?
In Childhood, happiness could be exploration, and the excitement of new experiences. Adolescents experience a wide range of emotions, and happiness, are influenced by self-esteem, peer relationships, and academic achievements. Young adults often experience happiness through personal and professional achievements, such as education, career development, and establishing independence. Happiness during middle adulthood can be influenced by career stability, family life, and personal accomplishments. Older adults often experience happiness through family, intergenerational relationships, and social connections. Though researchers in psychology and neuroscience will keep researching happiness and its nature, it must internalise the old man’s wisdom to be real.
While it’s true that the experience of happiness is associated with chemical processes in the brain, there is more to it than just chemicals. It is indeed associated with the release of certain chemicals, or neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin, in the brain. However, this is just one aspect of the complex interplay of biological, psychological, and social factors that contribute to happiness. Besides there are subjective experiences, psychological factors, cognitive and emotional factors and social and environmental influences. Probably, happiness is holistic that considers all of these elements.
How does Hinduism define happiness? While there isn’t a single, universally accepted definition of happiness within Hinduism, ‘Dharma’ or duty and righteousness, ‘Karma’ action and consequences, ‘Moksha’, spiritual liberation, ‘Bhakti’ or devotion, ‘Yoga’ and meditation, contentment and detachment, ‘Seva’ or Service and pilgrimage to sacred places bring happiness and spiritual merit. Happiness in Hinduism is not merely a fleeting emotional state but is often tied to spiritual and moral principles, the pursuit of a harmonious and meaningful life, and the quest for spiritual enlightenment and liberation from suffering. Certainly, happiness knows no war and conflict be it in any religion.