Vedic approach to happiness (01/01/2019)

Firstly, I wish you a happy, healthy, peaceful and prosperous new year, 2019!

And today, I propose to talk on the topic of the Vedic approach to happiness. And, this is based on a well-known portion, named ānanda mīmāṃsa, which occurs in taittirīya and bṛhadāraṇyaka upaniṣads. Ananda mīmāṃsa meaning, an analysis into the nature and means of ānanda.

            The Veda divides happiness into three categories, based on the means by which the happiness is acquired by a person. The concepts are there in the Veda; but, I am only giving them three different names. Those three types of happiness, are kāma ānandaḥ, dharma ānandaḥ and mokṣa ānandaḥ.

            The word kāmaḥ in this context means, all the sense objects in the world which are capable of giving us sense pleasures when we contact them through our sense organs. Here, the word kāmaḥ means, not desire; but, the desired or desirable objects. kāmyate iti kāmaḥ. [karma vyutpatti]. And the sense objects can give us ānanda - śabda sparśa rūpa rasa gandha – sound, touch, form, taste, and smell. Varieties of music, varieties of eatables, varieties of colours - they all can give us happiness. That happiness is called kāmānandaḥ. In simple English, all forms of sense pleasures will come under kāmānanda, which is seen as New Year revelries and parties.

            This kāmānanda, sense pleasures, are not entirely condemned by the Veda; but, are advised in moderation. All legitimate, dhārmic, sensory enjoyments are accepted by the scriptures. Veda even prescribes pūjās to get those pleasures. There is a homa, called āvahanti homa. "āvahantī vitanvānā I kurvāṇācīram ātmanaḥḥ I vāsāgṃsi mama gāvaśca I annapāne ca sarvadā I ..." [taittirīya upaniṣad - śīkṣāvallī -anuvāka 4]

            'I should have wonderful food, clothing'. All of them are asked for. They all come under kāma ānanda only. I don’t have to talk much about this; because, kāmānanda is the most popular ānanda, all over the world. In fact, when we talk about happiness, the world understands only kāmānandaḥ! That there are two other types of ānanda is introduced by

the Veda which are dharma ānandaḥ and mokṣa ānandaḥ. kāmānanda is well known.   

           Dharmānandaḥ means, the happiness that a person enjoys by following a dhārmic way of life. And by dhārmic life what we mean is, a life style that is prescribed by the Veda. And dharmic life means, a life style governed by dharma. I generally present the vaidika dharma in 3 categories. sadbhāvanāḥ, sadguṇāḥ, satkarmāṇi. Healthy attitudes, healthy values and healthy or noble actions or activities. All put-together is called dharma. All the three limbs are equally important and complimentary.

            Of them, the first one is sadbhāvanāḥ - healthy attitudes. And while talking about healthy attitudes Veda repeatedly mentions, that we should have a healthy attitude towards the very world in which we are living. Because, unfortunately, since the world is already available for us and we are born into that, we take the world for granted. And when we take it for granted, we don’t understand its value, its glory etc; and therefore, we don’t have a proper attitude. Because of that alone, there is destruction, abuse, exploitation; and the world becomes unfit for our very living itself.        

Therefore, Veda talks about varieties of upāsanās/meditations in which we are asked to dwell upon the wonderful universe and the wonderful earth and the wonderful environment – consisting of animals, plants, human-beings and nature - rivers, mountains etc. All of them you don’t take for granted; may you meditate on them regularly, ppreciating their glory, their designs. A beautiful upāsanā in taittirīya upaniṣad [anuvāka 1.7.1] talks about bringing awareness the stars, the sun, the moon, the plants, the rivers, the oceans, the animals. All of them are gift given to us; a fantastic and marvelous, well-designed universe!

            We cannot create even a blade of grass! But, all of them are provided to us; the best resources are available. And the whole earth is a specially designed house where life can be sustained. They are struggling to find life elsewhere. But, the conditions are not favorable. The Earth has got all ideal conditions to sustain life! And not only all basic resources are there, everything is provided even for the fulfillment of all human aspirations - dharma artha kāma mokṣa! And, we have an extraordinary brain by which we can discover more and more and we can create more and more and enjoy more and more. Only, we have to learn to appreciate this universe. And this appreciation should change to admiration. And the admiration should change to reverence. "namo brahmaṇe namaste vāyo". In fact, we have to do namaskāraṃ to vāyu; because, in some of the cities vāyu is so polluted that even living is becoming difficult! Chennai is also progressing towards that. So, vāyu we take for granted. Veda says, revere the vāyu. "namaste vāyo; tvam eva pratyakṣaṃ brahmāsī". Thus, appreciate the universe; admire the universe; revere the universe. 

            Then the next two are sadguṇāḥ and satkarmāṇi. Healthy values and healthy actions. Healthy values and noble actions prescribed by the Veda are based on one fundamental principle. It is beautifully given in a ślokā - sukham me sarvadā bhūyāt ; duḥkhaṃ mābhūt kadācana I itīcche sarva sāmānye te jñānād eva siddhyataḥII - all the living beings, including human beings, have got two instinctive desires. Being instinctive, they are universal. There are so many desires which vary from individual to individual. They are subjective, acquired and variable desires. But, this ślokā talks about two universal, instinctive desires of all living beings. They are sukham me sarvadā bhūyāt - let me be happy. When? sarvadā - always. Let me be happy, always! This is the desire, whether a person is an Indian or foreigner; or, a Hindu or a Muslim or a Christian; or, a male or a female; or, even an animal or plant! Therefore, sukham is one desire for all.

            The other instinctive, universal desire is, duḥkhaṃ mābhūt kadācana – I should never have sorrow. Do you want sorrow at any particular day of the week, or at a particular hour of the week!? No. sukha bhāvaḥ and duḥkha abhāvaḥ are universal desires. And therefore veda says, dhārmic life is a life which is led by taking into account these two universal desires. So, when my life is based on these two basic desires of every living being, and I don’t violate or contradict that, my life is in harmony with the universal craving. Therefore never give pain to others. Always be alert. And, always try your best not to give duḥkhaṃ or pain to others, even by thoughts or words or deeds. Never give sorrow. And even if pain is to be given during extraordinary circumstances, try to make it as minimum as possible, to get the things done appropriately. manu smṛti says, advena ca bhūtānāṃ alpa droheṇa vā punaḥyā vṛttiḥ tāṃ samāstāya vipro jīved anāpadi I vipraḥ - a vedic follower - should have a philosophy of life that 'I will never give sorrow to others'. Even if he has to, that should be as minimum as possible, like a doctor giving minimum pain during treatment. This is considered the most important value; a healthy value. It is said - ahiṃsā paramo dharmaḥ. And, Swāmĩ Dayānanda Saraswatĩ says, 'all other values are nothing but an extension or derivative of ahiṃsā only'. When it is said, "satyaṃ vada", what is the message? By telling lies, by giving wrong information, we are hurting others; therefore, 'don’t tell lies' means, ahiṃsā. 'Don’t cheat others' means, ahiṃsā. Thus, all values are based on one fundamental seed value, which is ahiṃsā. Therefore, dharma consists of bhakti, which is healthy attitude. dharma consists of ahiṃsā, which is the fundamental value. So, healthy attitudes, healthy values.

What is the third one? satkarmāṇi. What do you mean by noble karma? Noble karma we can easily understand! It is that which fulfills the basic desires of all living beings. [Do you understand what I am trying to arrive at?!] Nobody wants sorrow. Therefore, what can be the noblest karma? Whatever I do to alleviate or remove the pain of others. Like, a few nice words.

            Even though we cannot spend money, a few nice words or whatever help I can

give to alleviate the pain of others - duḥkha abhāvārthaṃ. Or, the other one. What is that? Everybody wants happiness. Whatever help I can do to give or improve the comfort and joy of others. Whatever I do for para duḥkha nivṛtti or para sukha prāpti. All these actions - which are done directly or indirectly - they are all satkarmāṇi. A beautiful verse says -

aṣṭādaśa purāṇeṣu vyāsasya vacanadvayam I paropakāraḥḥ puṇyāya pāpāya parapīḍanam There are 18 purāṇās. Each purāṇā running into thousands of verses. skanda purāṇaṃ is 80000 and odd verses, bhāgavataṃ 18000 verses and so on. So many purāṇās have been written! Many people will wonder, where do we have time to study? The entire essence of all the purāṇās I will tell you in one ślokā. In that, the first line of the ślokā is introduction. aṣṭādaśa purāṇeṣu vyāsasya vacanaṃ dvayaṃ - vyāsa condenses their essence, in just 2 ststements :: paropakāra puṇyāya, pāpāya para pīḍanaṃ. para upakāraḥ - do whatever help you can do. No doubt we all have so many commitments and responsibilities; we have to earn money, we have to raise the family, we have to settle children, we have to buy house for children - [in fact we have to one house each for every child!]. Thus, we have got so many desires centered on me and my family. May you fulfill those desires. But, may you also give some time for paropakāra puṇyāya, pāpāya para pīḍanaṃ. May you alleviate the pīḍa - the sufferings – of others; may you give any help you can. Allot some time for any voluntary work you can. [We find many volunteers are doing voluntary work during weekends; just going to some temple and cleaning; or, going to some temple and collecting prasāda and visiting hospitals and giving to patients there].

            So many methods of paropakāra and parapīḍa varjanaṃ are there. Do whatever help you can, whatever be the scale. Veda doesn’t prescribe the scale. veda says, you decide that; but, do something or the other.

            Thus, dharma consist of three principles. sadbhāvanā = viśvarūpa bhakti. satguṇaḥ = ahiṃsā. satkarmāṇi = para upakāraḥ. If these three we follow to the extent possible, it is called a dhārmic way of life. Veda says, this dhārmic way of life itself will give immense joy; a joy derived by giving joy! Because, in paropakāra, we give joy and increase our joy. A win-win situation in which both benefit. The other day, I read in an auto-rickshaw - give joy and discover joy! The whole humanity will enjoy! And, when everybody enjoys, it becomes my also! This ānanda is called dharmānandaḥ.

            And Veda says, dharmānanda is quantitatively and qualitatively much superior to kāmānandaḥ. And you know how much superior? Taittirīya upaniṣad says - te ye śataṃ, hundred times superior is the dharmānanda that we can enjoy. And once we start enjoying dharmānanda, kāmānanda will appear sour or bitter!

            Materialistic society promotes kāmānanda. Vedic society promotes dharmānandaḥ. Veda doesn’t condemn or criticise kāmānanda. It only says, may you gradually promote yourself from kāmānanda to dharmānanda, which will preserve the earth also. In kāmānanda unchecked exploitation of worldly resources is taking place. It will make the Earth unlivable. But, dharmānanda will make the Earth livable for us & for the coming generations also! This is, dharmānandaḥ.

            Now, what is the third one? mokṣānandaḥ. This is also the teaching of the Veda.  mokṣānandaḥ is the ānanda derived through mokṣa. In kāmānanda, kāma is the means of ānanda. In dharm-ānanda, dharma is the means of ānanda. In mokṣānanda, mokṣa is the means of ānanda. mokṣa means, liberation or freedom or release. Freedom from what? Release of what? Dropping of ignorance and misconception. Ignorance and misconception with regard to what? veda says, self-ignorance and self-misconception that we have. We think we know ourselves well; but, in the vision of the Veda, we do not know ourselves. And, if it is only pure ignorance it is bliss; but, it is ignorance followed by misconception also! And there are several misconceptions. The fundamental ignorance is: to be happy we have to get happiness from the external world; to be happy we have to depend on the external sources; [in modern language, we have to outsource happiness!] And this is based on our conclusion - a thoughtless, un-enquired, unquestioned or unchallenged conclusion - "I have to get happiness from outside; I don’t have happiness."  According to Veda, that is the worst misconception. And, Veda makes a diagonally opposite statement. A mind-blowing, un-swallowable, unacceptable, almost laughable statement. Veda says, I am the only source of happiness. It first says, I am the source of happiness. You will then challenge that, 'looking at my face Swāmĩjĩ, do you say that?' How you can say, 'I am the source of happiness?!' But, Veda says 'yes, you are'. veda says, "not only you are the source of happiness. You are the only source of happiness; there is no happiness coming from outside". ātmā ānanda svarūpaḥ. Anātmā duḥkha svarūpaḥ.

            Naturally, we will be questioning it. "How come? I am deriving happiness from the external world. When I enjoy music [music season] or when I enjoy nice food or when I meet people, I am deriving happiness". Veda says, when you say, 'I am deriving happiness from the external things and beings', really speaking they are not giving you happiness. They are only bringing out the happiness which is already in you; which is hidden in you as your core nature. So, those happiness-giving-objects are nothing but a mirror to show your own happiness. They are only mirroring your happiness! When you bring a mirror in front of you, you see a very beautiful face. Veda says, mirror doesn’t give you that charming face. Mirror is only mirroring the face that you already have. Similarly, both kāma ānanda and dharma ānanda are the ānanda brought-out by the external objects from within our own inner core. They are just brought to our mental plane. The inner happiness surfaces and appears in our mental plane!

            This is the truth; but, we may not accept that. Veda says, if you are willing I have got a beautiful teaching and training program by which you can discover this fact for yourself. By which you will discover that ānanda which is our own, which puts an end to all our struggles; because, I need not go out in search of happiness with a begging bowl, pleading 'you give me joy', 'you give me joy'. Nothing need give me joy; because, I have got my own! yastvātmaratireva syādātmatṛptaśca mānavaḥḥ I ātmanyeva ca santuṣṭastasya kāryaṃ na vidyate II [bhagavad gĩtā 3.17] After mokṣānanda all the struggle for ānanda ends. That is called liberation; freedom from ignorance; freedom from misconception; freedom from

struggles to get happiness from outside. 

            kāmānanda is great. dharmānanda is greater. But, mokṣānanda is the greatest. And Veda says, 'on the happy New year day may you resolve to gradually promote yourself from kāmānanda to dharmānanda to mokṣānanda!' This is the Vedic message which I wanted to share on this New Year day, happily!