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
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Medical Science on Happiness
According to modern science, our body and mind are acting and reacting to the external stimuli. These external stimuli are transmitted through communication system of around one trillion neurons. These neurons carry the external messages received by five sense organs (ear, nose, skin, eyes & tongue). The sensory information goes to the central nervous system (Brain & Spinal cord). The central nervous system decides the actions and responses to these messages through motor neurons as well as by ductless glands or endocrine glands. The endocrine glands are connected in brain through hypothalamus. The hypothalamus based on the stimuli regulates the release of various hormones which responds to emotions and stress besides regulating sleep, hunger, thirst etc.   
 
There are empirical evidences that several hormones such as Dopamine, GABA, Serotonin and Endorphins, have their role in increasing happiness level. However, the levels of secretion of these hormones are dependent on the lifestyles adopted and various factors as under:

1. Dopamine is responsible for reward driven behaviour and pleasure seeking. If you want to get a hit of dopamine, set a goal and achieve it. Extroverts tend to have higher levels of Dopamine. Listening music of liking plays a positive impact on Dopamine level. Postponement, self-doubt, and lack of enthusiasm are linked with low levels of dopamine.
2. GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) increases focus and creates a sense of calmness. It increases naturally by practicing yoga and meditation.
3. Serotonin increases the level of confidence and self-esteem and regulates mood. Culture brings experiences that facilitate serotonin release. The levels of Serotonin increase by having sense of purpose, positive thoughts, reflecting on achievements and daily exposure of sunlight for 20 minutes. Appreciation and gratitude remind achievements.
4. Endorphins reduce pains and stress. Its release is induced by regular exercise and laughter.    

 
Psychology on Happiness
Abraham Maslow in 1943 presented a popular theory of motivation & psychology, called as hierarchy of needs viz. physiological (food, shelter, water, clothing etc.), safety (personal, emotional, financial, health & well-being), belonging and love (family, friends & society), esteem (recognition, status, importance, attention, and respect from others; self-confidence, independence & freedom), and self-actualization (outside higher goals, in altruism & spirituality, desire to reach infinite)  to describe the pattern through which human motivations generally move. The theory has profound impact in the organisational system. But it is a great insight to understand motivational factors of happiness of individuals.
Positive psychology has correlated various factors with happiness. Seligman's acronym PERMA summarizes five factors correlated with well-being:

1. Pleasure (tasty food, material enjoyment etc.),
2. Engagement (or flow, the absorption of an enjoyed yet challenging activity, hobbies),
3. Relationships (Spouse, family, friends and social ties have turned out to be extremely reliable indicator of happiness),
4. Meaning & purpose full (a perceived quest or belonging to something bigger), and
5. Accomplishments & achievements (having realized tangible goals)

 
Patanjali’s eight limbs of Yoga
Rishi Patanjali prescribed eight limbs of the self-discipline of Yoga. Happiness, awareness and peace emerge with practice of each rule under the limbs. The eight limbs are as under:

1. Yama (Self-restraints from violence, falsehood, theft, incontinence and collecting beyond needs),
2. Niyama (observances of rules- purity, contentment, austerity, self-study and self-surrender to almighty),
3. Asana (posture),
4. Pranayama (regulation of breath),
5. Pratyhara (abstraction, withdrawing from outside distraction),
6. Dharna (concentration), Dhyana (meditation), Samadhi (trance). When Samadhi is attained, all desires, ignorance, afflictions, sufferings, impressions etc. retire and absolute bliss rise.

Brahman is Satchitananda i.e. truth, existence/consciousness & bliss. The realisation of Brahman is absolute bliss and happiness. Ignorance is removed after manifestation of true knowledge, duality of living beings disappears, karma becomes selfless service and love becomes devotion & bhakti. When no duality is there, conflicts, differences, hatred, negative feelings go and positive feelings and pleasures comes in.
 
Hence, one can be happy not by material gains but by leading systematic life, by positive thoughts, actions, relationships and righteous approach and selfless service.
 
Reference:
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Positive_psychology
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Happiness
3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maslow%27s_hierarchy_of_needs
4.https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-athletes-way/201211/the-neurochemicals-happiness