Mankind from time immemorial has been searching for
happiness, though the definition of happiness has been evolving along
with the man's evolution. On the earliest times it was the quest to
survival from the fears-- fear of the unknown and violent forces of
natural calamities. Survival being the prime issue meant food as
needed on daily basis and some hoarding for contingencies. From the
nomadic days we have journed through various stages with needs
up gradation. However the search for elusive happiness continues.
Happiness has its own perceived parameters-- basic
needs of nomadic times to money and power of modern times. Money to
meet the ever growing materialistic needs and power to meet the
egoistic gratifications need to control others. The saints and other
wise people claim materialistic needs give temporary solace.
Ancient religious wisdom advocates freedom from lust,
anger, greed, attachment and ego and replacing these with compassion,
love and charity. Good intentions; thoughts and deeds and power to
forgive is another mantra propounded by moderate religious teachers.
Radical teachers on the other hand religion is best served by forcing
their thought and killing those not agreeing is in order.
Heaven and hell is another concept satisfying lots of
believers about redemption of the deeds by the almighty.
It is also an experienced fact that almost ninety
percent of human body is on auto pilot. Mundane activity like
blinking of the eye to serious activity like functioning of mind
appear to be “just happening”. Psychologists call it the
sub/un/supra conscious; intuition, emotions parts of this mind and
spiritual thinkers calling it the soul/deeds manifestation.
Science and spiritual thinkers slowly appear to be
interlinking the auto emotion/thought origination with the soul/other
mind states.
In this evolution, psychologists, spiritual thinkers
and scientific experimentation what appear to be emerging is
something like this-
*We have a peaceful soul, which is beyond the physical
body
*Our mind has numerous parts and the crucial supra/sub
conscious are perhaps on auto mode
*The emotions and thoughts emerge here.
Negative emotions like lust, greed, anger, attachment
and ego agitate whereas love, compassion
* Auto generated emotions/thoughts are manifestation
of pain/joy stored there.
* Fulfilment of external aggressive gratification of
manifestations give happiness, however, the duration of this
happiness depends till surfacing of the next.
The crucial aspect is to be aware of the source of
emotion in the body/mind before it manifests into powerful desire
demanding immediate fulfilment. This awareness enables analysis and
response to the manifestation. Developing the capability of emotion
awareness is a slow, difficult and tedious process requiring change
of a well en grained habit.
The soul's state is peace and its comfort is with love,
compassion and tranquil activities . One has to identify what gives
prolonged activity happiness. This is one's joy foundation base.
Slow emotion management from painful to peaceful
through awareness and response perhaps is the way to joy, that is,
encompassing happiness always
