Re: Define Happiness Philosophically?
hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~~
namasté
I have read many ( good) views above. For me, Happiness is the quality and not its application. Simular to an ocean (happiness) and a wave ( happy). Being happy comes from that ocean happiness. I would not say I am happiness, but would use the words 'I am happy'. Just as I would not say, I am sadness, but that 'I am sad'.
So, where is that ocean ? We get a hint by the modern day definition of happiness: the condition of well-being.
- well = wave
- being = the ocean
Before you can experience this 'well' , one must first 'be'. It strongly suggests that Being is the ocean of happiness that 'wells-up' into the experience called happy.
Hence, many people look for the triggers that will allow this 'being' to well-up into the experience of happy. that new car, bike, house, wife, visit, game, etc. made me happy' - but then that feeling erodes and one looks for another happy trigger.
If one cracks the code on this and comes to know that residing in the home of where happy comes from ( Being) , then they reside within happiness. Then no one thing will be the source of happy, as one resides in the ocean of it.
This is called Self-facing. It is drawing back (pratyāharā) to one's own Being, the ocean. One experiences nirākāṅkṣa - expecting or wishing nothing , wanting nothing to fill up; complete within their own Self.
So this happiness for me is contentment in and of the SELF.
iti śivaṁ
यतस्त्वं शिवसमोऽसि
yatastvaṁ śivasamo'si
because you are identical with śiva
_
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