Aim Of Spirituality: Happiness

[shivraj]

Everyone desires happiness. Happiness is our nature. But happiness is temporary. The quest of spirituality is the quest for permanent happiness. The quest for true happiness. A kind of bliss that does not diminish with time. Man seeks this permanent happiness in his day to day life, but in the process gets entangled in illusory happiness or false happiness.
False happiness is found in indulging the palette
False happiness is what you derive out of winning a lottery
False happiness is what you derive when you get a promotion
False happiness is found in taunting or even harming others
False happiness is seeking happiness in praise

All the examples of false happiness discussed above are categorized as lower levels of happiness. As you spiritually transform, you derive happiness from higher levels.

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Level 1 Happiness: Artificial happiness
Level 1 happiness is where happiness doesn’t even exist. If someone succeeds in not paying for a bus ticket, but yet gets to make the journey, then he or she feels extremely happy. It is pointless. Though at that moment, it appears to be very pleasurable. Just pondering over it would make it clear that there is nothing to be happy about. It is like a mirage.

Level 2 Happiness : Second-hand happiness
There is a market for second-hand cars where you buy someone else’s used car. However, second-hand vehicles or objects usually don’t last for long. Similarly second-hand happiness is derived by using others. By being sadistic. By teasing or taunting or harming others.

Level 3 Happiness : Stimulation Happiness
Stimulation happiness refers to the happiness gained due to excitement aroused by parties, loud music, etc. You watch TV and get excited about a program. This is stimulation happiness. The happiness derived out of watching a nerve wrecking football match is another example of stimulation happiness. The whole society is a prey to this kind of happiness. Happiness that is dependent on parties and picnics and celebrations. But the stimulation does not last for long. Two or three days after the excitement of the party or a match is over, you feel now even more bored. Now a higher level of excitement is required next time. Then one may turn into gambling or addiction or some thing else.

Level 4 Happiness : Formula Happiness
Many people have created formulae for happiness. If everything goes well as per their formula, they are very happy. For many, the formula is “Sunday Morning Newspaper + A Cigarette + A morning drink”. For some, the formula is “Saturday night party + a new date every time”. For children, the formula could be “a whole day of play + a movie to end the day”. For ladies, it could be “Gift + Gold = Happiness”.

Level 5 happiness : Happiness in Service
This is the first amongst the higher levels of happiness. Where an individual derives happiness out of serving others. The law of nature that “whatever you become a medium for, will multiply in your life” starts paying rich dividends on this level. So, the more one serves, the more happy one becomes. The more nature rewards, one really begins to enjoy this virtuous cycle. Many a time, this also leads to bloated egos and expectations from others. It doesn’t take long therefore to fall to depths of unhappiness from the heights of happiness derived at this level.

Level 6 happiness : Divine Happiness.
At this level, man is in love with the creator. He sings the praise of God and admires everything created by God. Everything that happens in his life is fully acceptable to him. He says, “If God desires to keep me in this state...then I am happy as I am”. He believes, “ If this is what God desires, then I have no objection to it. If God is making me cry, then I shall cry with happiness..”. It is a very state born out of surrendering. There is a level of understanding and spiritual growth out of which this happiness emanates. One is always in a feeling of gratitude and devotion at this level.

Level 7 Happiness: Eternal Bliss.
Each one of us bears the eternal bliss within, but we are not aware of the same. When you are in deep sleep and neither the mind is awake nor dreaming, nor are you aware of the body, then you are in connection with that eternal state. Every child, before the mind fully develops, is established in the same state of eternal bliss. As soon as the child’s mind develops, others condition the child that he is an individual, a body. Identification with the body is complete. Then begins unhappiness. Now the child has grown up. The individual understands that happiness can be derived only from lower levels.
If self realization occurs through the grace of Guru or God, then it means that now there is access to the eternal bliss state. This is permanent happiness which does not diminish with every passing hour. Actually, the more you access it, the more the happiness grows. Regain the eternal bliss found among children. Become child like. Not childish. For this transformation to occur, you have to learn to open up and blossom.

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Bright Happiness is the happiness beyond happiness and unhappiness. Everyone wants happiness, joy, bliss, etc. Everyone wants the same thing. But because many don’t know the path to real happiness, they find it in wrong things. Gamblers find happiness in gambling, drunkards in alcohol, while some find happiness in pulling people’s legs. The only way to permanent happiness is attaining the final truth. If you want, you can get the happiness which only increases every time you get it. And for this, what is required is understanding.

[Maguru]

Shivra, don't yu think it's possible that the pursuit of happiness has nothing to do with spirituality? Could the pursuit of happiness be an ego construct?

[Shamou]

Originally Posted by Maguru

Shivra, don't yu think it's possible that the pursuit of happiness has nothing to do with spirituality?

You can bet your butt that it is possible... I am a truly blessed and happy person... and spirituality had very little if anything to do with it...

And if you take the cases of Jesus, Mother Theresa, Gandhi et all... I don't think that they were very happy... I know that I would never had traded places with any of them...

Learning how to feel good is a science... and there is no direct path to it... each of us must explore and find his/her own way... however I am proof positive that happiness (or the state of feeling good) is possible... seek and ye shall find...
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[absvan]

Originally Posted by Shamou

And if you take the cases of Jesus, Mother Theresa, Gandhi et all... I don't think that they were very happy... I know that I would never had traded places with any of them...

Hmm.. thats a poor comparison Shamou. Not a lot of people can do or achieve what they did. Also how do you know that they were not happy? They probably were happy with themselves but they used their life for humanity.

Talking about pursuit of happiness reminded me of the movie with the same title. The story of Chris is very impressive and inspiring. However, one perspective of the movie says that happiness is about money. I disagree. Money definitely brings in more comfort but does not guarantee happiness. There have been who have become rich and "happy", lost their money and commited suicide.

What Shivraj is talking about is an internal state - pure happiness or bliss...which can be seen in the face of a baby. It does not depend on how much money you have, or what kind of house you live in or what car you are driving. Its a natural state of being.

[Shamou]

Originally Posted by absvan
Hmm.. thats a poor comparison Shamou. Not a lot of people can do or achieve what they did. Also how do you know that they were not happy? They probably were happy with themselves but they used their life for humanity.

I did not compare any thing or anyone… and I am not saying that Jesus, Gandhi or Mother Theresa were not great people… what I am saying is that they certainly were not happy people… and I would even venture to say that most of their drive was motivated by pain… the pain that they felt in seeing others suffering…

However, one perspective of the movie says that happiness is about money.

Of course happiness is not about money… but it certain helps…

What Shivraj is talking about is an internal state - pure happiness or bliss...which can be seen in the face of a baby. It does not depend on how much money you have, or what kind of house you live in or what car you are driving. Its a natural state of being.

Being in a state of pure bliss for extended periods of time is an impossibility… so, let’s just forget about Utopia… it does not exists…
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[Sam988]

That's why i don't need spirituality/religion.. i'm already happy

[AirBreather]

Originally Posted by shivraj

*snip*

What about just feeling happy about life - in general - most of the time, for no particular reason?

[Jill]

Shamou, you must not have read (or believe in) The Power of Now. Apparently if you can master "surrender" you will enter the state you say cannot exist.

It's true that you can't sustain ego derived happiness, but I believe Tolle talks about another kind that doesn't come from the ego and is not short-lived.

Beats me if it's attainable though, but it sounds like a nice goal!

[Brutha]

After doing a search inside The Power of Now the phrase happnisness is used in sentences like: "BEYOND HAPPINESS AND UNHAPPINESS THERE IS PEACE"l in the book.
That suggest that happiness isn't the goal and that you have to transcend from it.

Level 1 Happiness: Artificial happiness
Level 1 happiness is where happiness doesn’t even exist. If someone succeeds in not paying for a bus ticket, but yet gets to make the journey, then he or she feels extremely happy. It is pointless. Though at that moment, it appears to be very pleasurable. Just pondering over it would make it clear that there is nothing to be happy about. It is like a mirage.

Why is that more pointless than being happy despite of what happens in the external world?

[Shamou]

Originally Posted by Jill

Tolle talks about another kind that doesn't come from the ego and is not short-lived.

The way that I see it... if there was somehow a way of being in eternal bliss... I would have heard about it on CNN...

And the reason that I believe that it is impossible is that the mind needs contrast... unless one is sick with depression... sooner or later mood changes are an absolute must... otherwise it would get to be so boring that people would literally throw themselves out the windows...

I feel that when it's too good to be true... you know the rest...
.

[Jill]

Prolly right, Shamou, which probably explains why we all have egos just waiting to thwart all our attempts at creating a peaceful mind!

[Maguru]

I watched the character Will Smith played being interviewed and he said the reason he succeeded was because he 'broke the cycle of abandonment between father and son'. The abandonment had been happening for generations in his family. He was the first one to put his love for his son above everything else. Beautiful. This was his spiritual growth throughout the hardest time in his life.

Spirituality isn't all about seeking wealth and happiness, they are just a consequence of following your heart.

[Shamou]

Originally Posted by Jill

Prolly right, Shamou, which probably explains why we all have egos just waiting to thwart all our attempts at creating a peaceful mind!

What thwarts my attempt at having a peaceful mind is not my ego... but a beautiful wife who can run faster than I do...
.

[shivraj]

because that will be temporary... As long as you have ego and false concept of 'I' you can't be happy permanently. If someone hurts your ego you would become unhappy. When ego and false concepts of 'I' vanishes and you get understanding of who you are and how universe is operating so beautifuly you become HAPPY AND THIS HAPPINESS INCREASES WITH TIME...

[shivraj]

Originally Posted by Shamou
Being in a state of pure bliss for extended periods of time is an impossibility… so, let’s just forget about Utopia… it does not exists…

There had been so many self realized people lived on this earth, they had been in pure bliss and had reached the state which was beyond space and time..
Don't think that is impossible.

[shivraj]

Maguru

Shivra, don't yu think it's possible that the pursuit of happiness has nothing to do with spirituality? Could the pursuit of happiness be an ego construct?

Nothing wrong in looking for happiness without spirituality.. you may look for happiness in money, good career, good relationships.. but this would be like the dog which barking, grinning and chasing the car.. and at the end dog finds fruitless persuit.. when the time of death come and you review your life you would question all those things.. chasing for money, having kids.. living life which society thinks happy life.. you would question all those things... you would question purpose of life and false persuit of happiness unless you find it in you. Real I is the main source of happiness !! Then the quest of spirituality begins....

[Maguru]

Sprituality is the quest to find "I", the all important component of everything in your life.

Originally Posted by shivraj

Maguru


Nothing wrong in looking for happiness without spirituality.. you may look for happiness in money, good career, good relationships.. but this would be like the dog which barking, grinning and chasing the car.. and at the end dog finds fruitless persuit.. when the time of death come and you review your life you would question all those things.. chasing for money, having kids.. living life which society thinks happy life.. you would question all those things... you would question purpose of life and false persuit of happiness unless you find it in you. Real I is the main source of happiness !! Then the quest of spirituality begins....