Our Search for Happiness
By: Nandish Ajani
Tags: Spirtuality, Chemical Happiness, Stoicism, Happiness, Meditation

A man is always in search of happiness. Whether earning more money, getting that new car, or getting married, the sole purpose that drives all those actions is to get happy. But are we really happy? A modern investment banker today is happier than our past hunter-gatherers?

There are two aspects to happiness.

Chemical Happiness

Spiritual Happiness.

In this blog, I will try to show you both the aspects and will share my personal opinion on what I think about it. Let’s first cover Chemical Happiness

Chemical Happiness

The biologist holds that our mental and emotional world is governed by biochemical mechanisms shaped by millions of years of evolution. They believe that there are only three chemicals that drive happiness: serotonin, dopamine, and oxytocin.

Whenever a mom sees her child or a person wins a lottery, or your loved one say yes to your marriage proposal. At all those moments, your brain releases these chemicals, making you happy. But after a while, those chemicals flush out, and you feel normal.

They also conclude that our biochemical system seems to be programmed to keep happiness levels relatively constant.

Perhaps it should not be surprising that evolution has molded us to be neither too miserable nor too happy. It enables us to enjoy a momentary rush of pleasant sensations, but these never last forever. If orgasms were to stay forever, then happy males would die of hunger for lack of interest in food and would not take the trouble to look for additional fertile females.

You can compare it with air conditioning that keeps the constant temperature com. Some air conditioning systems are set at 25C others are set at 20C. Human happiness also different from people to people. Some are set to both with a cheerful biochemical system that allows their mood to swing between level six and ten, stabilizing with time at eight. Such a person is quite happy even if she lives in an alienatig big city, loses all her money in a stock exchange crash, and is diagnosed with diabetes. Other people are cursed with gloomy biochemistry that swings between three and seven and stabilizes at five. Such an unhappy person remains depressed even if she enjoys a tight knit community or wins the lottery.

I bet you must have some people in your family and friends circle who are relatively always happy and some still miserable.

Spiritual Happiness

Once there was a congregation of fish, who got together to discuss who among them had seen the ocean. None of them could say they had actually seen the ocean. Then one fish said, ‘‘I think my great grandfather had seen the ocean!’’ A second fish said, ‘‘Yes, yes, I have also heard about this.’’ A third fish said, ‘‘Yes, certainly, his great grandfather had seen the ocean.’’

So, they built a vast temple and made a statue of the great grandfather of that particular fish, saying, “He had seen the ocean. He had been connected with the ocean.’’ In life, our search for happiness is like that.

Often times, we overcomplicate things. Life is simple, and you are supposed to be happy. However, life will face challenges at times but always remember that this time will also pass. You will again be happy.

Happiness can be achieved at 3 levels

Happiness in Society

Happiness in Mind

Happiness in Soul

It is generally believed that if you make others happy, you will become happy. Once a gentleman came to a doctor complaining that there was something severely wrong with him. He was hurting all over and was very sad, but all the tests came out normal. The doctor said, “There is nothing wrong with you. Go to the circus and watch the clown there. He will make you laugh.” The gentleman said, “Doctor, I am that clown.”

It is not guaranteed that if you make others happy, you will be happy.

Another level of happiness is Happiness in Mind. You can achieve this level of happiness through dedication. If you are dedicated to something you will be happy in your mind.

The final and true form of happiness is at the level of your soul. This level of happiness happens when the soul is united with the Divine. When there is no duality, no two, when you are in deep meditation, you experience this innermost joy.

The three levels of happiness are interlinked, and if you achieve the third level of happiness, you will be happy at your mind level, and you will also make the people surrounding you happy.

I believe that spiritual happiness is the correct form of happiness. With enough meditation and self-awareness, one can increase that default happiness bar and can become happier.