Vedic approach to Happiness

 

Vedas divide happiness into three categories, based on the means by which the happiness is acquired by a person.  Swami Paramarthananda calls them as Kama ananda, Dharma ananda and Moksha ananda based on the concepts.  We shall call them as Kamananda, Dharmananda and Mokshananda and see them one by one starting from Kamananda.

The term Kamananda means the pleasure derived through the desired or desirable objects. So it means all the sense pleasures enjoyed in the world through contact with sense organs like sabda, sparsa, rupa, rasa, gandha i.e. sound, touch, form, taste, smell.  In short all forms of sense pleasures come under Kamananda.  Vedas do not condemn them but only advise moderation in their enjoyment. All legitimate, Dharmic sense enjoyments are accepted by Vedas and Vedas even prescribe pujas to attain these pleasures. Taittriya Uanishad in anuvaka 4 of Sikshavalli speaks of Avahanti homa wherein food and drink, clothes and cattle are prayed for. This is the most popular Ananda, all over the world.   In fact, when one talks about happiness, others understand it only as Kamananda, the materialistic sense pleasure.

Dharmananda means the happiness that a person derives by following a Dharmic way of life. The life style governed by Dharma is called the Dharmic way of life and the teachings or instructions of Vedas come under Dharma which can be classified into three categories.  They are sadbhavana, satguna and satkarmani i.e. healthy attitudes, healthy or noble values and healthy or noble actions.  All the three are equally important and they complement each other.

Of these three, sadbhavna, healthy attitudes, is the first and others will follow.  Vedas repeatedly mention that one must have a healthy attitude towards the world in which one is living.  Since the world is readily available to one, it is taken for granted and so one does not have a proper attitude to it and this leads to abuse and exploitation of nature and environs.  Vedas prescribe varieties of upasanas / meditations in which one is asked to dwell upon the wonderful universe with the wonderful variety of planets, oceans, rivers and mountains besides all living beings.  Taittriya Upanishad (1-7-1) prescribes a upasana on “The earth, the sky, --- the fire, the air, the sun, the moon, the stars, the waters, the trees -----“that brings about the awareness of the world around us.  The earth has got not only all basic resources but also everything for the fulfilment of all human aspirations i.e. Dharma, artha, kama and Moksha. One has to learn to appreciate this universe and this appreciation should change to reverence as expressed through Vedic mantras as “Namasthe Vayo (Salutations to Air)”.  This reverence will come when one looks upon the universe as Visvarupa Iswarah. Therefore, one’s attitude towards the universe must be one of bhakti and this Vivarupa bhakthi is a part of Dharmic life.  The reverence towards the entire universe of things and human beings as a manifestation of Iswara, besides looking upon all that one has got as a gift from Iswara is the first component of Dharma, sadbhavana.

The next two categories, satguna and satkarmani, are based on one fundamental principle; “Happiness ever, Sorrow never” that governs everyone’s attitude in life.  Sukham is universally sought and Dukham is universally avoided irrespective of nation or religion. Therefore, Vedas say, a Dharmic life is a life which takes into account this universal quest.  So Vedas say, don’t cause pain to others by word, thought or deed.  Even where pain is to be caused due to extraordinary circumstances, as in the case of a doctor inflicting pain in the course of treatment, efforts should be made to keep it as minimum as possible.  “Ahimsa paramo Dharmah” is the scriptural saying emphasising the paramount nature of Ahimsa and Swami Dayayananada Saraswathi says, “All other values are nothing but an extension or derivative of Ahiṃsa only'.  So Ahimsa, which is a fundamental seed value is the second component of Dharma, Satguna.

Applying the principle that everyone desires happiness and no one welcomes sorrow, we can say that the noblest action is Paropakara wherein one helps to relieve the sorrow of the others, known or unknown, voluntarily without any expectations except their happiness.  Veda Vyasa declared after writing the eighteen puranas that the lesson to be learnt from the puranas is: “Paropakara punyaya, papaya para pidanam (helping others confers punya and hurting others, papa)”.  In creation, Nature is doing this as said in the following verse: 

Paropakaraya phalanti vrkshah, paropakaraya duhanti gavah, I

paropakaraya vahanti nadyah, paropakarartham idam sariram II.

Trees bear fruits for consumption of others, cows give milk for the benefit of others, rivers flow giving water to people (others), (Same way, this human) body is for helping others.

And Paropakara, wherein one increases the happiness and relieves the sorrow of others voluntarily without any expectations is the third component of Dharma, satkarmani.

        So a Dharmic way of life is following these three i.e. Viswarupa Bhakthi, Ahimsa and Paropakara, in one’s life to the extent possible and the joy derived through adherence to  the practice of Visvarupa bhakthi, Ahimsa and Paropakara is called Dharmananda.  And Vedas say, Dharmananda is quantitatively and qualitatively much superior to Kamananda.  Dharmananda will also preserve the earth as livable for the future generations as it involves no exploitation of nature.

            Mokshananda is Ananda derived through Moksha.  Moksha is freedom from Self-ignorance and consequent Self-misconception.  Vedas say that one’s true Self is Athma, the Brahman, whose nature is infinite Ananda only. From ignorance of one’s Self, Athma, arises the misconception that one's Self is the body-mind-complex with its limitations.  From this arises the biggest misconception that one has to get happiness from outside. Vedas say that whatever happiness one derives from external sources are the ones that external sources are bringing out from oneself like the reflection in the mirror.  They are only mirroring one’s inherent happiness for only Athma is Ananda svarupa and not anathma.  Both the Kamananda and Dharmananda that arise from external sources are the Ananda brought out from one’s inner core, the Athma, only.  If one follows the disciplines of Jnana Yoga starting with the study of scriptures under the guidance of a competent teacher, one will discover this fact that the primary source of all his happiness is his inner Self, Athma. Then, as said in Bhagavad Gita (3-17) such a person will be rejoicing in one’s Self only (athmarathi) being content in one’s Self (athmanyeva cha santhushtaha).  Mokshananda is the greatest Ananda, greater than Dharmananda and Kamananda, as attaining Mokshananda, all the struggle of one for happiness ends.  That is called Liberation; freedom from Self-ignorance; freedom from Self-misconception; freedom from struggles to attain happiness.

(adapted from Swami Paramarthananda’s talk)

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