What is true happiness, and what drives us to live happily on this earth? Lately, this question has been revolving in my mind. There was no way I could get it off my head. There was a lot of reading about this, from Indian philosophy to Tolstoy, including Greek philosophy. It is like firing a cannon to kill a fly. I recently read the book "Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience" written by a Hungarian psychologist Mihali Sikzentmihali in 1990 with great attention. The author of the book, like me, posed a simple question. We need most to make our lives happy and live happily.
The code of joy and happiness seems unfamiliar to all of us. But what are we not doing in the hope of getting these two? It is safe to say that almost all of us have somehow managed to bring pleasure to our lives. Many of them are engaged in dreaming while keeping their arms around them! The world is like a dream. But as soon as the rash of the dream begins, the unbearable pain of life is crushed by the intolerable unhappiness. Then it seems that no one is happy. The Hungarian author discusses the nature of the flow of happiness. Happiness is a physical and mental state when a person forgets about the universe. At that point, the person becomes entirely focused on the task at hand. Nothing but that work can make that person impatient. That work is the ultimate attainment and peace of that person for that time. Properly finishing the work is the ultimate meditation and duty of the person. According to Csikszentmihalyi, there is a time when a person has a strong feeling of peace, excitement, or joy in his mind, and he becomes oblivious of the whole universe, which is the moment of the best blissful experience. When we feel happy, we all cherish and cherish it for a long time — it is a flow of joy and happiness, the same happiness as the author sees.
Surprisingly, my little grandson explained this simple but ultimate truth to me beautifully and fluently. My serious study and research on happiness and bliss seemed to vanish instantly. I am delighted with the childish wisdom of this little boy. As if simplicity is the best. This young boy, who is only twelve years old and is studying in class seven in a high-quality school in Dhaka, is very focused on art and studies. During the short period of my visit to Bangladesh, whenever I got a chance, he would come to me to showcase his diverse aesthetic craftsmanship. Sometimes he would look at me with great admiration if in case there was a hint of appreciation about his work from me. But I can swear that I was fascinated by the art of this calm, gentle and talented boy. I blessed him. I said in unspoken words, grow graciously with confidence, be a good human. My grandson told me the mysterious and complicated code of happiness that day. I asked him when he was happiest. Which is his favourite work, and which time is the most beautiful and joyful? In a prolonged, childish manner, the answer is that I love reading and drawing. The joy for me is having the things I like, such as when my parents encourage me to learn art or when they bring me things used in art. And happiness is my inner feeling. Like when I sit down to draw something, I become so engrossed in my drawing that I don't understand what is happening around me after a while. When the work is finished, I see that I have created an excellent painting style. That heavenly feeling of that moment is the ultimate happiness for me. And the work that I did was my favourite thing at that time. I am overwhelmed by the adolescent wisdom of Dadubhai (grandson).
Pleasure and happiness are not the same - one (pleasure) depends on the external state, and the other (happiness) arises from the internal state of mind. Only a peaceful, calm, and pure mind, free from any extreme desires and external materialistic forces, is the source of true happiness. We live today in a turbulent and complex world of attainment and materialism. Chaotic and full of worldly desires. It is impossible to achieve peace and harmony in such a situation unless one person can suppress all desires. An ocean of consciousness and perception is essential for happiness. Many in the world never want to feel unjustly comfortable; Some are truly happy, while others are unjustly happy.
Are we really happy? Everyone in the world wants to be happy and live in peace. That's normal. When I think back to my childhood, I get overwhelmed. My childhood life was full of joy, peace, excitement, and happiness. Despite being in poverty, I have enjoyed every moment—a massive gap between now and then. Now, we live in a digital age with all the technological advances. With the growing middle-class family and the pace of globalisation, we have experienced tremendous economic growth and development, rapidly changing our way of life. However, life in the rural areas of Bangladesh was difficult in the 1970s or 1980s. Most of the people in the past depended on agriculture and allied activities. Gradually people started moving from villages to big cities and suburbs in search of better education, employment, healthcare, and better opportunities. It seems that this effort for the overall development of the people will continue. The tide of development is rapidly swallowing up even cities like Dhaka, Chittagong, Comilla and other major cities. Bangladesh is now a developing country, and soon it will be one of the top 25 major economies globally. Although we are all still cherishing and nurturing our cultural heritage somehow, we have to adapt to the world in this age of globalisation and technology to create new opportunities. We are learning to live with a promising future at the cost of our emotions, feelings, peace, and harmony.
Eudaimonia is a Greek word. Greek philosophers like Plato and Aristotle used Eudaimonia to emphasise the true meaning of happiness. According to Aristotle, Eudaimonia is a process, and happiness is one of our favourite activities and should be seen as the result of the action. Eudaimonia's primary purpose in Greek philosophy is to achieve the best happiness for a human being. Happiness and a meaningful life include morality, virtues, principles, dignity, and ethics. How can we be good people? How can we meet our unique potential? Hence the basic underlying principle or core message of Eudaimonia. To achieve this kind of Eudaimonic happiness, we all need to work hard, build our virtues, adapt to the current situation, and balance our actions with the right wisdom. In Eudaimonia, happiness is not something we own. It is not a tiny pleasure, nor is it our social or economic position; this happiness is not to worry about how we live our lives regardless of our past, to be satisfied with the present situation and not to worry about what has not yet been achieved. Pleasure or consumerist philosophy are all unique concepts; The opposite of eudaimonia.
Ancient Greek philosophers such as Aristotle, Plato and others saw that happiness (Eudaimonia) was the ultimate goal of human life and that morality was the proper application of wisdom. Therefore, it is an essential prerequisite for happiness to have a moral and responsible lifestyle. Based on personal observations, philosopher Epicurus concluded that a pleasure-seeking attitude is the norm of humankind and that it begins in our infancy when we are born. We all expect happiness, pain, or sorrow unexpectedly. The most enjoyable activities provide great pleasure and free us from pain and anxiety. So, these pleasures are most conducive to our peace of mind. Therefore, Epicurean happiness releases pain and stress that leads us to the ultimate joy or peace. Epicurus believed that external stimuli had little or no effect on happiness. Personal happiness is not conditioned by wealth, marriage or winning the lottery; Or beautiful or impeccable to look at. These are not permanent. For him, the greatest secret of happiness is to be free from external things and to be satisfied with the simple things that constantly take away the frustration.
In today's world, the concept of happiness has a close thematic and relative meaning. It is a mental state of personal well-being conditioned by positive emotional feelings that lead to happiness. Pure happiness is not possible in how we all live in this world. Our lives are full of desires, falsehoods, worldly pursuits, endless excitement, anxiety, and immorality. It is possible to achieve temporary happiness but not true happiness. Pure happiness is truthful, compassionate, and not filled with any unnecessary greed for complex aspirations. To achieve this, one has to practice and make a habit of concentrating on familiar things.
Real happiness that is lasting and unadulterated always looks poisonous or bitter at first, but in the end, it is like nectar. True creativity, innovation, and true inner happiness come through destruction, pain, and trouble. To achieve true happiness, we all need to have the courage to face all kinds of pain, suffering, problems, and illnesses. But are we ready to face those pains and problems? Can we be more moral? Can we live a simple but pleasantly happy life based on socially responsible work, ethics, principles, and not based on any false expectations or unexpected aspirations? Happiness with simple joy should be the ultimate goal of all of us. Like my little grandson, we seem to be lost in the bliss of an infinitely beautiful heavenly happiness in all our work.