Posted:
Originally posted by: vishmewell
@ Laxmi - Great points!!!
You have given a wide array of things that can make you or for that matter anyone happy. And most people would have experienced at least 90% of what is on your list. So my question for you is, when one has so many blessings they can count, why is a man (not literally man, I meant man in a general term) still unhappy??? Why is the man always in the pursuit of happiness??? why do we need these instances to be happening to us on reoccurring basis? The very fact that we need these incidents on a reoccurring basis, are they not temporary? If they are temporary, what is eternal truth? Should our pursuit not be for eternal happiness rather than temporary material happiness?
Arre Vish, bechari Laxmi ne itni simple post likhi thi aur tumne usse itne saare complex questions poochli 😆😆!
Regarding your questions, let me try answering them 
......
......When one has so many blessings they can count, why is a man still unhappy???
Human beings are greedy, and whatever they have they always want more. Their expectation levels are always high, and everyone wants to touch the sky! Like how Maslow stated in his 'Hierarchy of Needs' theory, human needs consists of 5 levels, namely :
Level 1 ----> Physiological needs (food, clothing, shelter)
Level 2 ----> Security needs
Level 3 ----> Social needs (love, friendship, belongingness)
Level 4 ----> Self-esteem needs
Level 5 ----> Self-actualisation needs
So from Maslow's theory itself its clear that there is no end to human needs, and if there is no end to needs, obviously people remain unsatisfied. Thus, they are not completely happy with what they have as they want more.
Everybody has what they need, but when they keep aspiring more, their focus shifts from the blessings they already have to what they dont have and what they need to aquire, thereby ignoring their blessings. This restricts them from being totally happy, as at any given point in time they have some unfulfilled need or the other inside them on which their current focus is on.
Why is the man always in the pursuit of happiness???
Man is always in the pursuit of happiness as they dont know how to be happy with what they have. They dont realise happiness is just next to them, all they have to do is look around with a non-greedy attitude. They 'think' they will be happy if they get 'something', but inspite of attaining that 'something', they dont attain that happiness as then 'something else' that they need crops up. This goes on like a chain till the end of life.
Why do we need these instances to be happening to us on reoccurring basis? The very fact that we need these incidents on a reoccurring basis, are they not temporary? If they are temporary, what is eternal truth? Should our pursuit not be for eternal happiness rather than temporary material happiness?
Thats because people believe 'maya' to be real and tend to attach their happiness to maya. They are not able to differentiate between 'maya' and the REAL TRUTH.
Eternal truth is what is permanent. And eternal happiness is basically about making peace within ourselves and accepting the REALITY, the TRUTH, and being able to be happy with THE TRUTH than with the help of 'maya'. Everything else other than the real TRUTH is 'maya'. And people who get carried away by 'maya' are the ones whose happiness is determined by temporary / external pleasures and sources. By attaching yourself to 'maya', you are giving power to that temporary aspect to control your happiness and emotions. And since its temporary, so will be your happiness. TRUTH is permament, and the one who has accepted THE TRUTH and is happy with it has found the way to eternal happiness.
As far as the various elements of happiness that Laxmi has stated is concerned, they might be temporary compared to eternal happiness, but compared to many other materialistic and short lived sources of happiness, they are of a more permanent nature as they are simple pleasures of life, you dont have to go too far to find them.
Itti Si Khushi Sab TV
Udne Ki Aasha
