In this world, that has prevailed since infinite time and which shall continue to prevail for infinite time, each and every living being is constantly hunting for happiness. The ant finds happiness in a piece of sugar, moths feel happy in the light of the candle. A hungry animal is happy on getting food. And human beings feel happy in the material pleasures of the five senses. In order to attain happiness, humans are blindly running after material things such as money, property, house, car, wealth, relations, children, etc.

 

Then when one does not find happiness from those, he tries searching for happiness through other things such as food, gossip, music, party, drinks, intoxicants, TV channels, internet surfing and social media. Through all these means, one does find happiness, but does that happiness last forever?

 

If we just think about it, then the happiness gained through these things makes one feel happy, while on the other hand, the same thing makes the other person feel sad. For example, one person feels happy while eating a laddoo, while another person, who does not like laddoos, does not experience happiness in it. One feels happy in the cold air of the fan, and the other catches cold under that very fan and hence feels unhappy. So the question arises that the happiness which is not eternal happiness, how can that be called happiness?

 

Moreover, if the happiness-yielding instruments exceed beyond a point, then the same instrument becomes the cause of unhappiness too. One who is fond of fritters feels happiness in eating fritters. But what if he is fed fritters beyond limit? The whole world has believed happiness in making money. Nevertheless, when money is less than what we need, we are unhappy and when the money exceeds the limit, then the worry of preserving it causes unhappiness too. So a thought comes (to our mind) that the happiness which when increases or decreases causes unhappiness, how can that be called happiness?

 

Happiness derived from external means is happiness of dependence. What if you are engrossed in reading a thriller novel or an interesting book and someone suddenly comes and snatches the book away? What if you are watching your favourite program on TV and someone changes the channel? This happiness is relative happiness. A man is living happily in his four-room flat and when he sees his friend’s bungalow, he feels inside that, “How nice it would be if I also have a bungalow?” Not only that, when he comes home, the wife says, “I also want a bungalow like your friend’s!” From that very point, that 4-bedroom flat starts giving pain. And if you look at the friend with a bungalow, in his house there is a servant, a doorman, a cook and it’s a family of husband and wife, but there’s not an iota of happiness there.

 

A constant infight is always on, they are having to take sleeping pills at night and the blood pressure medicines have to be eaten every day. So a question arises that the happiness that is relative, which is dependent, how can that be called happiness?

 

If we further think, then every means of happiness is after all having an end. Going out on an international trip with the family makes you happy, but after returning, once again the same routine life worries! When you get success, you feel satisfied. But after achieving success, if you do not get to eat, if you do not get to sleep, will it work? That is why happiness is that which does not end.

 

If happiness is to be defined, then happiness must be such that after which there will never come unhappiness again. We’ve enjoyed a lot of material happiness; because of which we do get momentary satisfaction, but contentment we do not feel.

 

If worldly happiness increases, then man gets haughty, and worldly happiness is imaginary. When married, both husband and wife feel very happy, the groom feels like he’s a King of the whole world. But soon after marriage, as quarrels, fights and clashes happen, it gives that much pain also.

 

Parents feel very happy when children are born, but when children grow up and back-answer, the pain they feel is also that much. Even when money increases, one experiences tremendous happiness, but the worry of preserving that money, the rat race to earn more makes it equally painful. Whereas the happiness of the Soul is eternal happiness, the happiness that remains forever. Once it comes, that happiness does not go away. Such eternal happiness arises when one attains the knowledge of one’s own form, when one realizes one’s self.