What is Happiness?

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What is Happiness?


What is happiness? Happiness is a mental state which can be attained through the culture of the mind, and is therefore different in origin to physical sources such as wealth, name, fame, social position and popularity which are merely temporary source of happiness. Whatever we do, we do essentially for happiness.

People think they can find happiness in money, so they try their best to be wealthy, but when they are wealthy, are they happy ? If wealth is a source of happiness, then wealthy people would be happier than poor people, but we find in many cases that the ordinary people who are not very well-to-do are happier than rich.

Now, how to obtain happiness, how do we define happiness ? Happiness is a state, a metal state, which is agreeable one's nature, satisfies one's nature, and it can be applied to such level as : material, emotional, intellectual and spiritual.

Now, first, material or physical level. A person at this level, being materialistic, will be interested in material gain. So there is no wonder why many people are not interested in any religion, because religion, as you know, does not give anybody directly material or physical wealth. How many do you think there are in the world who have lost interest in religion ?

To most people material gain is so very important. When we are busy, we are busy about gain, money ; what for? For physical pleasure, happiness, comfort, dress, food, home, any physical convenience; so we can realize that most of us are rather materialistic.

Next is the emotional level. People who are on this level are very sensitive, and are mainly concerned with likes and dislikes, pleasant and unpleasant feeling, sensations. They judge things according to their emotions, no matter whether their judgment is wrong or right. These emotional people are interested in devotional has no ceremony very dull.

The third level is intellectual. Those who are of this level are mainly concerned with reasoning, studying things intellectually. They find happiness in literature and science, ext.., gaining happiness through intellectual pursuits, but being mentally active they are not so active physically. They know many things through their reading or learning, but in practice they are not active.

The fourth is the spiritual or moral level. Those who are on this level are concerned with service and sympathetic understanding, they emphasise the importance of justice or fair dealing ; they are realistic. So you see, each person acts or reacts to things, criticises, feels and judge according to his own particular nature, according to his own particular level. Knowing how and why we differ in thinking, feeling, judging and on our outlook in life, we are able to make ample allowance for other types to act according to their nature, thereby cultivating a sense of tolerance, patience towards others.

The Buddha advised us all to be like geologist and not the ignorant villagers. We should use our bodies not only for pleasure but for service, so that whether we have sought it or not we shall have a perfect figure, perfect health. The Bodhisatta acted everywhere he went for service mentally and physically, even in his last life as the Buddha. You remember the story of a sick monk who fell in his own filth ? There was nobody to help him. The Buddha without hesitation took the dirty, filthy clothes of the monk and washed them himself, there being nothing in the world below his dignity.

Since everything in the world is subject to impermanence there can be no true and lasting happiness in the material things of this world. This would be a most pessimistic outlook were is not for the fact that there is a way out, a real happiness beyond the material, which changes it to a realistic and optimistic outlook.

Culture is the answer ; culture not necessarily of the body but of the mind, and further, of the higher moral nature, to achieve Nibbāna.