Towards Happiness – प्रसन्नता की ओर

14.03.25 06:00 AM

The upcoming episode of the Inspired Living podcast with Revered Swami Shantatmananda is a foray into happiness, its real meaning, the secret of being joyful and practices we can adopt to feel this joy even when circumstances around us may pull us down. Stay tuned.

Poem and artwork (watercolors and pastel colors) by Smt. Saswati Ghosh

Happiness

A fairy danced on moonlit beams,
Weaving joy from whispered dreams.
With stardust hands and laughter light,
She painted hope in darkest night.

The Fairy of Joy twirled high in the air,
Her laughter dancing without a care.
She said—
"Like autumn leaves, that swirl and play,
Happiness shines throughout the day."

The Fairy of Love, with a heart full of grace,
Said softly—
"It’s in a silent glance, a warm embrace,
A whispered word, a hand held tight,
A flicker of hope in the toughest night."

The Fairy of Magic waved her wand so grand,
And said—
"Happiness lies in your own hand!
Not in the stars, not far, not wide,
But in your heart, where dreams reside!"

Then they kissed the petals, spun the air,
Left golden sparks in hearts laid bare.
Their wings held songs of love untold,
A magic touch, so soft, so bold.

Happiness, they sighed—
"Is always free,
Not, in lands, beyond the sea.
It lives in you, it sings, it stays,
An eternal gift in endless ways."

Searching for Happiness 
by Dr. Hema Raghavan

Happiness is intangible and immeasurable. It is easier to cover the blue sky in folds of cloth than to define happiness. Waiting for happiness is like 'Waiting for Godot', a seminal play where two men keep waiting for the titular hero, Godot who never turns up. The dialogue between the two waiting men as given under reveals the emptiness of happiness: 

VLADIMIR: Say, I am happy. 
ESTRAGON: I am happy. 
VLADIMIR: So am I. 
ESTRAGON: So am I. 
VLADIMIR: We are happy. 
ESTRAGON: We are happy.
VLADIMIR: (Silence) What do we do now, now that we are happy.

We are all the time in pursuit of happiness without knowing what that happiness is! Today's trend all over the world is to search for happiness and that too insta happiness. So what is happiness - the hedonism (pursuit of insta pleasure and self-indulgence) of the modern times or the eudaimonism (philosophy of well-being and virtue ethics) of the earlier times?

Lasting happiness rests with peace of mind, with a stress-free life. Modern scientists in particular, quantum computing scientists have found, that those with a spiritual practice or who follow religious beliefs tend to be happier, less depressed and less anxious than those who don’t.

The Bhagavad Gita, speaks of 'ananda' as happiness, engendered by good thoughts and good deeds. One can experience true bliss through evenness of temper and mind. 'Ananda', is not a fleeting emotion or a temporary state of mind as it is the inherent nature of the 'Atman' or the self. It is not dependent on external circumstances. It is the unchanging, eternal bliss that arises from realizing one's true nature as the self that belongs to the eternal Self.

How to cultivate Ananda? It is through introspection and self-inquiry, through meditation, living in harmony with Dharma (ethical conduct) and grateful surrender to the Lord with humility for granting us our life’s blessings. The Gita also says that happiness rests in accepting God’s dispensation- the good and the bad, because He alone is the Do-er. A Tamil saying is no leaf can move without His bidding. Such an acceptance is possible if one gives up the arrogance of do-ership and surrenders to God the Do-er.

Christianity makes a distinction between Joy and happiness. Joy is permanent as it is divinely bestowed on us. God talks about earthly pleasures and tells us that every good and perfect thing is from above. But the Biblical definition of joy is very different from the cultural view of happiness. Joy comes from His presence, His strength, His deliverance of men and women from grief and suffering.

The concept of happiness in Islam is known as 'falah'. 'Falah' is pleasure and peace that can be enjoyed by all individuals in life and after life.

The best way to summarize happiness as gleaned from all religions is to see ‘that everyone is a house with four rooms- the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. Most of us tend to live in one room most of the time, but unless we go into every room every day even if only to keep it aired, we are not a complete person.’  These can be best attained through Karma Yoga (selfless service), Bhakti Yoga (devotion), Jnana Yoga or Buddhi Yoga(enquiry of what is real and what is unreal) and Raja Yoga (mastery of the mind).

The Happiness Exercise

By Smt. Neha Phull

In the prime of my youth, I feel invincible

The promise of life ahead brings glorious visions in its flair, 

The exuberant options fill joy in the very fabric of my air 

Expecting that peace and playfulness will be my constant companion

The cells of my very being will dance in gleeful union

With youthfulness in decline 
and the appearance of fine lines 
I notice I am merely crawling amongst the crowd
Carrying the burden of survival, 
The years are vanishing like the cloud
The hope of acquiring happiness in the world has dimmed
The joy and playfulness have far been skimmed…

When I looked at the scenes of life through another lens
I found, that my perspective needs a complete cleanse 

Happiness is not the end
You begin with happiness 
The gleeful dance doesn’t come
But it is with the feeling of glee 
I dance to life’s rhythm
It is the exercise of happiness 
Through the ups and downs 
That makes every moment worth living
Not letting disappointment make me drown

It is not over 
There are moments I have yet to see
There are places I am yet to be
With this new learning
Can I now add life to my years?
Can I now begin with happiness?
And also spread the cheer…

वास्तविक आनंद क्या है?

By Smt. Shilpi Sharma

आप एक छोटे बालक के व्यवहार का अवलोकन कीजिए। नवीन व सुंदर खिलौने देखकर वह अति प्रसन्न व जिज्ञासु भाव से खेलने लगता है यह उसका आनंद है, और हम इसे मिथ्या भी नहीं कह सकते। परंतु कुछ देर बाद उसकी दृष्टि माता को ढूंढने लगती हैं और अपने सामने माता को ना पाकर वह व्याकुल हो जाता है। अब उसकी रुचि रंग-बिरंगे, ‌मोहक खिलौनों से हट गई है। संसार की कोई भी वस्तु उसकी व्याकुलता को शांत करने में असमर्थ है। अब वह केवल अपनी माता का सानिध्य व दर्शन चाहता है। हम सांसारिक मनुष्य भी उस बालक की भांती है, भौतिक वस्तुओं का सुख हमें आनंद देता तो है, परंतु क्षण-भंगुर होता है। स्थायित्व का अभाव मिथ्या बोध देता है ।जब हमारी अंतर पुकार के स्वर में भौतिक सुखों के प्रति विरक्ति और परमात्मा  के प्रति समर्पण का प्राकट्य होता है; तब ईश्वर की उपस्थिति का अनुभव हमारे हृदय को वास्तविक आनंद से भर देता है। सेवाकार्य या किसी की सहायता करते हुए संतोष होता है, आनंद नहीं क्योंकि मैं कर्ता नहीं हूं। ईश्वर ने मुझे माध्यम चुना है। परमेश्वर के प्रेम की परिधि में ही आनंद है। हम सभी के जीवन में अनेक बार ऐसे अवसर आते हैं जब हम इस आनंद की अनुभूति करते हैं। एक ऐसे ही अवसर का अनुभव साझा करती हूं।

पिछले वर्ष एक शनिवार की सुबह सालासर बालाजी मंदिर दर्शन की तीव्र इच्छा हुई। करीब 6 घंटे के सफर के लिए हम दोपहर से पहले निकल चुके थे। यात्रा में एक के बाद एक अवरोध आने लगे। कभी सड़क कार्य तो कभी रेलवे फाटक और इस कारण अनुमानित समय बढ़ता ही जा रहा था। रात्रि 9:00 बजे मंदिर का प्रवेश द्वार बंद हो जाता है और इसी वजह से मन अशांत होने लगा। तभी अचानक तेज बारिश होने लगी, अब तो समय पर पहुंचना असंभव प्रतीत हो रहा था। जल भराव और बढ़ते अंधेरे ने कार की गति को धीमा कर दिया। हमने सब प्रभु की इच्छा पर छोड़कर निश्चिंत भाव से नाम संकीर्तन करना शुरू कर दिया। मन हरि भजन में इतना मगन हो गया की लग रह था कि हम मंदिर में ही है। इतने में एक एस यू वी कार हमसे आगे चलने लगी; बड़ी गाड़ी के चलने से सड़क का पानी हटता गया और हमारी गति भी बढ़ती गई। मंदिर से कुछ दूर पहले तक वही गाड़ी हमारा रास्ता बनाते हए चलती रही और  ठीक पहले दूसरी ओर मुड़ गई। अब बारिश भी बंद हो गई थी। प्रवेश द्वार पर सुरक्षा गार्ड्स खड़े थे। हमारे प्रवेश करते ही उन्होंने द्वार बंद कर दिया। मेरी दृष्टि वहां लगी दीवार घड़ी पर गई, जिसमें समय हो रहा था 8:58। बालाजी दर्शन ठीक 9:00 बजे हुए। बारिश रूक चुकी थी परन्तु मन सच्चे आनंद में भीगा हुआ था। व्याकुलता और समर्पण ही सच्चे आनंद की कुंजी है।

Happiness Quiz - Who said this?

“As long as we require someone else to make us happy, we are slaves.”

Swami Vivekananda

"The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts."

Marcus Aurelius

“Happy is the house that shelters a friend.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson

“It is the very pursuit of happiness that thwarts happiness.”

Viktor Frankl

“The secret of happiness, you see, is not found in seeking more, but in developing the capacity to enjoy less.”

Socrates

What makes you happy
When do you experience joy
Can happiness can be pursued? Share your views in the comment box below. We would love to hear from you.

Wishing our Readers a Happy and Joyful Holi

RKM GURUGRAM