Happiness

Happiness

Due to certain actions, we experience pleasure or grief. So, first let us understand where these experiences happen in us. So, what we need to understand is that it is only in our mind that we feel happy or sad etc., meaning all that happens to us from the external stimulus are processed by the mind and intellect which decides if it is good/bad, happiness/sadness etc.

So, what we can clearly understand is that the actual place where we feel happy or sad is in the arena of our mind!!!

Mind by nature is outgoing, what do we mean by this? It’s very simple mind by nature cannot sit silent and it keeps jumping from one activity to another and cannot remains silent. Because of which its works in an overdrive and intellect also functions in similar manner to keep the minds confusion and thoughts at check. If this is the situation, there is bound to be actions and reactions which affects the person and he experiences these dyads (happiness/sadness, pleasure/griefs etc.).

When such is the situation it is practically impossible to experience happiness all the time as the mind is completely occupied with activities in search of happiness from external sources, though happiness happens in the arena of the mind, it confuses itself by getting attached to the stimulus and thinks that it (stimulus) is the source of his/her happiness.

Lottery winning (Stimulus)-----------> Mind receives/processes information ----------> Experiences happiness within (experienced within).

Now in the above situation for a poor person, if he wins a lottery as above he will feel very happy, at the same time when a person who is not interested in money wins the lottery does he feel happiness? Absolutely Not.

So, from the above example we can clearly understand that happiness is within and not from outside as the person who is not interested in money does not feel any happiness. So, stimulus here does not decide on what we feel.

In simple context, the source of happiness is within us and we must look inwards to achieve a type of happiness that is unconditional and unaffected of the things that are happening and surrounding us.

Meaning the happiness that was experienced when one wins a lottery can be replicated without he winning the same lottery and enjoy same state of blissfulness. In fact, the inner bliss that we are discussing here is say 1000 times more potent than what you enjoyed when one had won the lottery.

It is this we call it as absolute happiness (in Vedanta it’s called Ananda), which is ever existent (Sat in Vedanta) and it is in the form of absolute awareness (Cit in Vedanta)

That’s the reason the nature of our true self is explained as Absolute existence, Absolute consciousness and Absolute Bliss which is nothing but Satchitanada.