What do you think happiness is ?

International Day of Happiness – 20th March 2025

I am sure we have read, heard & seen social media with so much information on happiness.  However, have we been able to find it yet? 

Let me help you with what I have learnt,  my perspective – I believe in ancient wisdom which has been passed on to us 15000 years ago, when Shiva appeared on the banks of Lake Kantisarovar . The first Yoga program happened there over 15,000 years ago! This is where Shiva explored the Yogic sciences with his first seven disciples, the Sapta Rishis. He taught Yoga to SaptaRishis and from there on it kept spreading in the world. Yoga was also the philosophy of living a happy life. Yoga which is not limited to Asana or Meditation, We have forgotten that. 

I can do Yoga, will that make me happy. I can do meditation, will it make me happy as boosted by several scientific institutions around the world.  Come on, a brain scan can not teach us the state of mind. I can reach that state of mind and one incident outside in the real world, will bring it back to chaos. We are not monks living in isolation, in the Himalayas with pure consciousness. We are living a daily life in this world where we have to face all kinds of things throughout the day. So how does one remain calm? This state of mind can only be achieved by a philosophy. Something a human mind can understand process. 

So let’s talk about some of the most essential philosophies which help us live a peaceful & happy life. 

First & foremost & the simplest philosophy is to balance four goals of life. 

Lets talk about these four goals of life from something we are very familiar with & is as ancient as it can be; hanuman challisa. Hanuman Chalisa which probably everyone recits, says something very profound in its first stanza itself. 

Shree Guru Charan Saroj Raj, Nij Man Mukar Sudhari, 

Barnau Raghuvar Bimal Jasu, Jo dayaku PHAL CHARI

It means cleansing the mirror of my mind with the dust from the lotus feet of divine guru, I describe the unbleshimed glory of lord Rama, which bestows four fruits;  righteousness ( Dharma ), Wealth ( Artha), Pleasure ( Kama) & Liberation ( Moksha). 

What are these four fruits and why are they so important ? 

Artha is material, that is visible, it could be your wealth, salary that you earn, cars that you own, house that you live in, jewels that you own & other desires which you have to live a particular kind of life. Artha is all about possession & when not in balance it gives rise to obsession OR lack of self worth both result in subsequent misery. Artha when not in balance gives rise to unhealthy competition, treachery, ego. Artha when in balance it makes you passionate, purposeful & generous. 

Kama is Love, that is manifesting & binding this world together. It begins with Self Love, evolves to family, friends & it keeps finding a mate.  When not in balance it gives rise to bitterness, lust, jealousy, animosity. When in balance it gives rise to compassion, loyalty, empathy, kindness which gets extended to societies, animals & nature at large. 

Dharma is righteousness, which varies from tradition to tradition, family to family & society to society. Righteousness. It has layers, self & others & When not in balance it gives rise to judgement, prejudice, crimes & other societal nuances. When in balance it gives rise to detachment & truth. It gives rise to Karma Yoga, yes the entire Gyan that Krishna gave to Arjuna – is about Dharma, due to which Karma is done to achieve mental peace and lasting happiness. 

Moksha is spiritual, it is again vast, depending on cultures, religions & traditions. It is a self connection & connection with Spirit inside us, many call it God in outward manifestation. When not in balance it gives rise to mental illness like depression, low confidence, fear, stress & something like midlife crisis. When in balance it gives rise to Peace, Stillness & the power to be in the moment. It gives you humility. Humility is our soul’s ability that everything in this universe is happening for our growth & transformation. Humility means accepting GOD as Supreme power. Beyond human comprehension. 

Now each time people recite Hanuman Chalisa, the Hanuman Energy responds by asking ” Are your four goals identified ?  The person reciting is not answering as he / she doesn’t even know the meaning of the first stanza, how will they find four goals and then balance them. This is a problem of not finding happiness” Doing meaningless things, not finding context. Not understanding the philosophy behind the ancient wisdom.

Exercise – How to find four goals / fruits and balance them 

Now imagine these are four cupboards in your home and see which one is overflowing and which one is empty or half filled. Are they well stacked ? Are they aligning with your passions and purpose ? Are you aligning with your daily Job ? Are you growing ? Stagnant ? What needs to be changed ? Just rearrange your priorities, schedules and make a simple calendar for your daily / weekly / monthly activities. If anyone wants I can share the format which I use personally. 

So going back to the essence of this article, remember none of ancient scriptures or festivals are without a meaning, instead of just following a ritual or tradition, try to read some ancient philosophies associated with it. 

As we are 70 years old in democracy and are witnessing time changing very fast, the environment is complex with the onset of technology, AI & Robotics. We are also the largest democracy with a demographic dividend. In these times of opportunity & potential we need to invest in the process of passing on wisdom to our country. 

For 2025, I hope that you will adopt yoga. Not Asana. Not Meditation. Complete Yoga. Find a Yoga Teacher and ask them about complete yoga and find your four goals. 

Hope this simple philosophy culminates into a habit that can help to achieve the consistent state of mind – happiness. Then everything else you receive, you will be grateful for, as only you know your cupboards the best. 

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