Living Happily (2) - Don't worry, be happy !

Don't worry, be happy !

To know how to be happy, we need to know what makes us unhappy. We need to know how to be free from worries.

Definition of Economics speaks of satisfaction of human wants. Obviously if wants are not satisfied, one becomes unhappy. Human wants are further classified as needs, comforts and luxuries.

Interestingly, if one has a pet dog at home, and if the dog is not happy, the dog's owner would not be happy ! If a tiger in the jungle is not happy, that does not necessarily make us unhappy. Is not happiness relative ?

Geetaa advocates striving for Peace than for just happiness !

विहाय कामान्यः सर्वान् पुमांश्चरति निःस्पृहः ।
निर्ममो निरहंकारः स शान्तिमधिगच्छति ।।२-७१।।

He, who has forsaken all desires and lives with no aspirations whatsoever, such person devoid of all attachments and egos attains Peace !

In Preface I had underlined the words "and much more" The difference between striving for happiness and striving for peace becomes the big difference between what Geetaa advocates and what the widely read western books seem to discuss.

All the essentials for attaining Peace seem to be also summarized in the above verse - no desires, no aspirations, no attachments, no egos !

From theory of economics, we recognize that one becomes unhappy if wants are not satisfied. In Geetaa towards the end of seventh chapter and in the beginning of eighth chapter there is mention of three concepts, which in philosophy are recognized as त्रिताप three types of unhappinesses - आधिभौतिक, आधिदैविक, आध्यात्मिक physical/personal afflictions, natural calamities and spiritual and/or mental indispositions. Arjuna raises the queries -

किं तद्ब्रह्म किमध्यात्मं किं कर्म पुरुषोत्तम ।
अधिभूतं च किं प्रोक्तं अधिदैवं किमुच्यते ।।८-१।।

The words/queries which are relevant in the context of this discussion are underlined above. These queries are answered by Lord Krishna श्रीकृष्णभगवान् by the following specific phrases -

स्वभावोऽध्यात्ममुच्यते । (in verse 8-3) = spiritual or mental indispositions are by one's own nature/character.
अधिभूतं क्षरो भावः । in verse 8-4) = physical/personal afflictions are perishable.
पुरुषश्चाधिदैवतम् । in verse 8-4) = natural calamities are superhuman.

I have interpreted the phrases more in the context of त्रिताप unhappinesses/displeasures. They are equally valid for happiness ! We can rewrite the phrases to say -

स्वभावोऽध्यात्ममुच्यते । = spiritual or mental happiness is by one's own nature/character.
अधिभूतं क्षरो भावः । = physical/personal happiness is perishable/temporary.
पुरुषश्चाधिदैवतम् । = natural happenings are superhuman.

To LIVE HAPPILY,

1. Since, happiness is in one's own mind, to be happy, it is necessary to mould one's own mind/character.
2. We should always bear in mind that whatever happiness we may enjoy whenever, shall always be temporary.
3. There will be superhuman factors which will also influence what the result will be of any effort for happiness.

If happiness is in one's own mind, the natural question is how one should train one's mind to be happy. We shall discuss this next.

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