Happiness to Absolute Bliss

Happiness or pleasure or bliss is ultimate aim of everybody’s life. Some find happiness in luxuries, electronic gadgets, some in art and music, some in adventures etc. etc. But happiness from any activity last very fast. Failure in achieving another pleasure or miseries causes pain. In fact, pleasure and pain appear cyclical. There is always a search for eternal bliss.

Western psychologists have based the happiness index on various needs and activities. Maslow theory of human needs viz. physiological, safety, social, self-esteem and self-actualisation, stress on these motivational factors for happiness. Seligman’s acronym PERMA summarizes five factors correlated with happiness i.e. pleasure derived from material things, engagement in activity of interest, relationships, meaningful & purposeful activities and accomplishments & goal achievements. Whole of the western psychology revolves around meeting the needs of self. (Both theories are discussed later here.)
 
Modern Medical Science has found correlation between happiness and release of a few hormones such as Dopamine, GABA, Serotonin and Endorphins. The levels of secretion of these hormones are dependent on the lifestyles adopted and various factors such as positive thoughts, regular exercise, yoga, meditation, gratitude, achievements, challenge of achievable goals etc. (more details are discussed later here.)

Duration of Happiness

1. Short Term: Sumptuous feast, good outing, gambling, watching favourite movie or TV show, wearing branded cloths, driving sports cars, etc. have brief durations of happiness. The principle of diminishing returns applies to the happiness from these material things.
2. Medium Term: The longer duration of happiness is function of four dimensions viz. challenge, skill, love and focus on the activity. If one feels challenge in the activity, he works hard to achieve it. The given task should be achievable as per skills of the person with great efforts. Third is, one should have complete love to achieve the activity. Lastly, hundred percent focus need to be applied like Cobra snake which prepares to attack on the object with three attributes:
   1. With hood, he avoids all other distractions.
   2. Pay attention to the object, with full detachment of anything.
   3. Without caring the fruits of his action.
3. Long Term: Through following complete eight limbs of Patanjali Yoga and when Samadhi is attained, all desires, ignorance, afflictions, sufferings, impressions etc. retire and absolute bliss rise. (More details are discussed later here.)

Wisdom of Bliss in Hinduism
Ancient rishis (scientists) thousands of years ago deeply probed and experiment the happiness more from angle of permanency & longevity and to find eternal bliss.         They observed that everything (person, place, age, moment, ego, love, sorrow etc.) goes, is transient; only our consciousness & supreme consciousness (Jivatma & Parmatma) are permanent. They identified causes of pains and devised a comprehensive path for eternal bliss as under:

1. One realises that the universe is full of pains right from birth till death, pains of birth, pains in studies, pains after marriage, unsatisfied desires, pains in jobs/profession/business, pains of old age, pains of fear of death etc. which are intermittent with momentary pleasures.
2. The school of thoughts conclude that ignorance is the cause of miseries. Ignorance is absence of awareness that we are consciousness (Brahman/almighty) and not body, mind & ego. So, pleasures and miseries are part of body, mind & ego and not belong to consciousness.
3. Sensual pleasures create impressions, impressions create memory of pleasures, memory of pleasures creates attachments to it, and attachments inspire to do good or bad karmas/actions which accumulate karmas, called as Karmashya (कर्माशय). Rebirth is inevitable till fruits of all the karmas are extinguished.
4. Due to Karmashya or external stimuli, impulses generate. These impulses inspire actions and activities. Decisions to take actions & activities are of two kind viz. habitual decisions and aware decisions.
   1. Habitual decisions: Mostly people take habitual decisions which are based on mind sets and already programmed within.
   2.  Aware decisions: Before organ of actions get assent from conscious to express, intellect has power to choose and modify. One can use his intellect to analyse & rationalise the impact of sensual vibrations and nullify its impact and extinguish past karma without harm. It is easy to said than done. But with conscious practice, one can achieve it.
5. Our body and mind are programmed in three attributes viz. Sattvic, Rajas and Tamas.
6. Sattvic are virtuous attributes such as truthfulness, self-restraint (senses & mind), purity (in thought, actions & speech), Non-injury to others (in thoughts, actions & speech), simplicity (austerity & non accumulation of anything beyond needs), love, selfless service, generosity, compassion, freedom from enmity & let go (from thoughts, actions & speech), contentment, equality, balance & moderation in intake of anything and self-surrender to almighty.
7. While fulfilling our needs & desires and behaving with others, Sattvic attributes go a long way to derive Happiness every bit of moment.
   1. Our personal needs drastically reduce by leading simple, contented and self-restraint life. Balance & moderation in intake of anything reduce pains.
   2. Relationships with spouse, family, friends and relatives become more healthy and happy with the attributes of truthfulness, non-injury (by thought, speech & actions), love, freedom from enmity & let go (from thought, speech & actions), equality and selflessness instead of selfishness.
   3. Compassion, generosity and selfless service to the society bring long lasting happiness and satisfaction.
8. To search eternal bliss, Hinduism has given four purpose of life Dharma, Artha, Kama and Moksha. Moksha brings eternal & permanent bliss. Our consciousness ultimately is destined to merge into universal consciousness (almighty) but when liberate from ignorance. When no duality is there, conflicts, differences, hatred, negative feelings go and positive feelings and pleasures comes in.
9. By self-surrender to almighty, all karma (actions) becomes absolute happiness and life becomes celebrations. It has following four stages:
   1. Work and worship – doing the karma with sattvic attributes and worshipping and loving the personal god.
   2. Work as worship – Doing the karma as worshipping the god.
   3. Work is worship – Feel karma itself is god.
   4. No duality – Oneness i.e. realising self and everybody is Brahman (almighty).
10. Eight limbs of Patanjali Yoga Sutra is systematic way to achieve happiness not only in day to day life, but also ultimate bliss. These limbs are the steps to improve external behaviour, internal control, improve health, decision making & focus by observance of righteous actions. (More details are discussed later here.)

Medical Science on Happiness
continued........

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