Happiness
The tale of a king who failed to find happiness came flooding through my mind. Probably this is no new tale. Well, he failed to find happiness and sought the advice of his courtiers. The wise ones advised him to wear the shirt of happy man. So, king’s men were ordered to search for a happy man’s shirt. Though there were many people who had shirts on but none were happy. To cut the story short, they finally found a happy man but it turned out that he had no shirt. The tale, of course is not meant to be taken literally; yet the sagacity it implies is very much significant.
It is difficult to decide what happiness is, for we cannot agree on a single definition that is common to all. One’s man’s idea of a happy life will be entirely different from another. I’m in my hand now holding a bar of Cadbury chocolate. Perhaps to a child, having a bar of Cadbury would make him so happy. The child is easily contented. He was sad and now contented because of the bar of Cadbury. Very simple minded indeed. Should we all be as child like ? Keeping things simple in life. Ponder!!!
Before we try to decide what brings happiness, we have to be quite definite what sort of happiness we aim to achieve. For example, there is the sort of happiness aimed by those who free themselves from all worldly entanglements. Such people believe that desire for wealth and material pleasures are the root of all discontentment; Theoretically, it stands to reason that as long as there are unfulfilled desires and thwarted ambitions there will be discontent and hence unhappiness. The average man will find little happiness in life which he has nothing that he can call his own. Besides, when you have nothing to strive for, is life worth living? So, as far as the bulk of humanity is concerned, the “happiness” derived from a complete absence of wealth and material pleasures is no happiness at all.
When we try to seek how material conditions and pleasures can create the contentment that results in happiness, we will be forced to admit that there can be no common standard to decide this. Some may consider wealth as the first of these conditions, others there may be who differ. Again, granted wealth is one of the conditions for happiness, we will find it difficult to answer how much of it is needed to make a happy life. This will apply to all the other factors that one can think of. Health, social position, security in life, fame and education- all or some of these may be enumerated as factors essential to gain happiness and to what extent happiness is achieved? For all these, there cannot be one universal measure. So it is futile to attempt to give a single answer to gain happiness.
Since all the material factors that contribute to a happy life may fail to produce happiness if the individual concerned is not contented with what he has it may appear that this feeling of contentment is the most decisive factor in the chase for happiness. The story of Alexander-the Great, with the Greek philosopher Diogenes, brings out the conflict of the two views on happiness. The philosopher wanted to show the foolishness of the Great Conqueror’s soaring ambition. “After you have conquered Athens,” asked the philosopher, ”what then?”
“I will conquer Persia”
“And after Persia?”
“I will conquer the world.”
“And after you have conquered the world?”
“I will take it easy and enjoy myself.”
“Then why?” ask the philosopher, “can’t you take it easy and enjoy yourself now?”
Wisdom lies in choosing a sensible mean between the two. It is cowardice to run away from life and live like a hermit. At the same time, to run ceaselessly panting after the pot of gold at the foot of the rainbow that always evades you is to fill your cup with tears and sorrow. One should take life easily and at leisurely stride. As Mr. Wilson or ‘Lotus Eater’ asked, “Why should life all labour be?” Such an attitude may enable one to achieve certain measures of happiness- all that is needed is that mental capacity to feel contented with one’s lot in life, whatever it be. But did Mr. Wilson had a happy life when he died overlooking the Bay of Naples? It may be asked in the face of harsh realities of life, when insurmountable obstacles choke one’s ambition, when one’s cherished hopes and desires burst out like bubbles as if by the pin-pricks of a malignant fate, is it humanly possible to feel contented and wrap oneself in happy thoughts? As what about how Madame Mathilde complained about her fate? See the effects? Well, I don’t know! All I am certain is that nothing can make your life happy unless you know how to feel happy. Life is not always a bed of roses. Think of happy thought, stay with happy people. They sent good vibes. Smile.. it does wonders. SMILES from me.
