What we talk about when we talk about happiness - Chapter 2

If one were to critically look at each of one’s goals (having a successful career, having enough money, being in satisfying relationships, being healthy) and ask why does one want to attain them the simple answer would be to ‘be happy.’ Why do I want a job? Because I want to make money. Why do I want to make money? Because I want to live in comfort. Why do I want to live in comfort? Because I want to be happy. So, in a way, through all of our pursuits what are truly seeking is happiness.

The human pursuit of happiness is essentially seeking happiness from the external world (from objects, people or situations). We travel to newer places, buy cars or houses, get in and out of relationships in the hope of attaining happiness but we soon discover that the happiness is not a certainty and even when it is it is short-lived. We find ourselves stuck in a perpetual cycle of short-lived happiness generated by attainment of an object, anxiety about retaining the object and sadness brought about by losing the object or the happiness associated with it.

The feeling of happiness involves ‘I’ the subject of happiness and the object of happiness is the external world (objects, people and situations). For happiness to be inherent in an entity of the external world it will have to be the nature of that entity just as sweetness is the nature of sugar. If a car or music or a book had happiness as its nature it would give happiness to everyone and at all times just as anyone anywhere in the world would be able to appreciate the sweetness of sugar irrespective of when or how many times he consumes it. Now that clearly does not seem to be the case because no entity of the external world gives universal happiness and therefore it is likely that happiness is the nature of the subject ‘I’.

The desire for happiness is something that we are born with and even if one were to try very hard one would not be able to give up on this desire and be comfortable remaining unhappy. The pursuit of happiness although fraught with a lot of pain is one that cannot be given up because it is inherent to who we are. Understanding ones need for happiness and managing it well is one of the ends of a spiritual pursuit.

The frailty of pursuit of happiness - Chapter 1

Of all the living beings, humans are conscious beings and this makes a human being aware of his existence and aware of the environment he exists in and the same lends itself to an inevitable possibility for assessment of one’s standing with respect to the environment one exits in by way of comparison. Such comparison invariably results in a sense of inadequacy and humans therefore set and pursue goals throughout their lives to overcome their perceived inadequacies. The goals or objects of pursuit are called purushartha (पुरुषार्थ) and they are categorized into 3 types based on the primary driving factor for pursuing these goals.

1.       Artha purushartha (अर्थ पुरुषार्थ)  – Any goal that is pursued to ensure that a man feels secure and protected is artha purushartha (अर्थ पुरुषार्थ). Food, clothing & shelter are some of such goals whose ends ensure that man is kept alive & out of danger and in a broader sense anything that is necessary for human existence can be considered as artha purushartha (अर्थ पुरुषार्थ). While animals are programmed to pursue artha purushartha (अर्थ पुरुषार्थ) and do the same driven by their instincts, humans pursue artha purushartha (अर्थ पुरुषार्थ) consciously.

2.       Kama purushartha (काम पुरुषार्थ) – These are goals pursued when one has ensured that there is no threat to one’s existence through accomplishment of artha purushartha (अर्थ पुरुषार्थ) and they are pursued to achieve aesthetic or sensory pleasure. Desire for relishing delicious food, appreciating good music or enjoying a loving touch are examples of kama purushartha (काम पुरुषार्थ). 

3.       Dharma purushartha (धर्म पुरुषार्थ) – Humans have free will which means that in any situation a human being can choose to do something, not do something or do something differently and this is tremendous freedom which no other living being enjoys. In creation, this freedom is backed by dharma (धर्म) or righteousness so the free will doesn’t run amok and wreak havoc. When an animal apprehends danger, it can gore a person to death and yet have no regret because the animal only knows that it needs to survive but doesn’t know that the person needs to survive too. Human being however knows that he needs to survive and so does the animal and this two-fold knowledge backs ones free will and creates a counterforce. A universal matrix of values (nonviolence, truthfulness etc) is given in creation to human beings and this forms the basis for all of one’s interaction with the world and ensures social order. A right-minded human cannot transgress any of these values without feeling guilty. Living a life in conformance with these values becomes a purushartha (पुरुषार्थ) when the driving factor is attainment of comforts here or hereafter.

Dharma-artha-kama purushartha are together called as preyas (प्रेयस्) or that which is desirable. Most of one’s lifetime is spent in pursuing preyas (प्रेयस्). A discerning person though would eventually discover the frailty of this pursuit because attainment of no goal gives lasting or complete satisfaction and most goals would turn addictive with time where one doesn’t get any joy when they are attained but is fraught with pain when they are not attained. And it is from this realization that one’s spiritual journey begins.