HAPPINESS

• Happiness may be defined as “being in harmony/synergy in

the state/ situation that I live in”.

• Happiness :-
1. is a state of liking;
2. is a state of mind or feeling characterized by contentment,
love, satisfaction, pleasure or joy;
3. consists of positive emotions and positive activities;
4. is of three kinds: pleasure, engagement, and meaning;
5. freedom from want and distress;
6. awareness of right order of things;
7. assurance of one's place in the universe or society;
8. a state of inner peace; and
9. a state where we feel good in most of the walk of life
 HAPPINESS: ACCORDING TO BUDDHA

• The path to happiness starts from an

understanding of the root causes of suffering.

• Buddha believed that suffering (dukkha)

ultimately arose from ignorance and false
knowledge.

• Buddha proposed the Eightfold Path for

elimination of suffering (dukkha).
BUDDHA’s EIGHTFOLD PATH
 HAPPINESS: ACCORDING TO SOCRATES

• Socrates had the following ideas about happiness:

1. All human beings naturally desire happiness.

2. Happiness is obtainable and teachable through human

effort.

3. Happiness is directive rather than additive: it depends

not on external goods, but how we use these external
goods (whether wisely or unwisely).
 HAPPINESS: ACCORDING TO SOCRATES
4. Happiness depends on the “education of desire” whereby the
soul learns how to harmonize its desires, redirecting its gaze
away from physical pleasures to the love of knowledge and
virtue.

5. Virtue and Happiness are inextricably linked, such that it

would be impossible to have one without the other.

6. The pleasures that result from pursuing virtue and

knowledge are of a higher quality than the pleasures
resulting from satisfying mere animal desires. Pleasure
is not the goal of existence, however, but rather an integral
aspect of the exercise of virtue in a fully human life.
 HAPPINESS ACCORDING TO CURRENT RESEARCH
• In the recent years, there has been a dramatic upsurge in
scientific studies on the science of happiness or to put it simply,
discovering what makes happy people happy.

• Fortunately, many of these studies point to specific ways of

thinking and acting that can strongly impact our sense of
happiness and peace of mind.

• Researchers have identified at least seven habits of happy

people:-

1. Express your heart. People who have one or more close

friendships are happier. Try to develop the ability to express
genuine interest in what people say, and respond in encouraging
ways. It is a powerful way to enrich relationships and cultivate
positive emotions.
 HAPPINESS ACCORDING TO CURRENT RESEARCH

2. Cultivate kindness. People who volunteer or simply care for

others on a consistent basis seem to be happier and less
depressed.

3. Regular physical activity. Regular exercise has been

associated with improved mental well-being and a lower
incidence of depression.

4. Find your flow. If we are deeply involved in trying to reach a

goal, or an activity that is challenging but well suited to our
skills, we experience a joyful state called "flow." Many kinds
of activities, such as sports, playing an instrument, or
teaching, can produce the experience of flow.
 HAPPINESS ACCORDING TO CURRENT RESEARCH
5. Discovering Meaning. Studies demonstrate a close link
between spiritual and religious practice and happiness.
Spirituality is closely related to the discovery of greater
meaning in our lives.

6. Discover and use your strengths. Happiest people are those

that have discovered their unique strengths (such as
persistence and critical thinking) and virtues (such as
humanity) and use those strengths and virtues for a purpose
that is greater than their own personal goals.

7. Show gratitude. Grateful people have been shown to have

greater positive emotion, a greater sense of belonging, and
lower incidence of depression and stress.
 PROSPERITY
• The feeling of having or making available more than
required physical facilities is prosperity.

• Almost all of us feel that wealth alone means prosperity

and try to explain this phenomenon on this nonexistent or
half fact.

• We are trying to achieve happiness and prosperity by

maximizing accumulation and consumption of physical
facilities.

• It is becoming anti-ecological and anti-people, and

threatening the human survival itself.