THE PATH TO HAPPINESS

The question of happiness is the central and the ultimate problem of humanity.

Since ancient times there have been two philosophical-spiritual ideologies about the secret of human happiness.

Vicente de Carvalho (1866–1914) famous Brazilian poet, thus affirms his idea of happiness:

 

“This happiness that we suppose,

Miraculous tree, which we dream about...

Yes, it exists: but we do not achieve it

Because it's always just where we put it

And we never put it where we are.”

 

Is there such happiness, “a miraculous tree, which we dream about?”

What does it consist of?

How to achieve it?

How to preserve it?

Happiness does exist, not outside of us, where we generally seek it, but within us, where we rarely find it.

What does happiness consist of?

What is happiness?

According to the Greek philosopher Epicurus (341-270), happiness consists in the possession and plenitude of material goods; the happier man is, the more he possesses, has, enjoys.

Another Greek philosopher, Diogenes (412-323), taught that happiness consists in the renunciation of all material goods; the less man possesses or desires to possess, the happier he is, because misfortune consists either in the fear of losing what one has or the desire to possess what one cannot possess; who spontaneously renounces the possession of material goods and the very desire to possess them is perfectly happy.

However, while there are elements of truth in these philosophies, there is a flaw in the heart of the matter. Happiness consists neither in possessing nor in possessing material goods, but in the internal attitude, that man creates and maintains in the face of possession or lack of it. What decides is not, in the first place, what man has or does not have, but how he knows how to possess or not.

That is, what is decisive is not the greater or lesser objective quantity of things possessed, but the subjective quality of those who possess these things. This quality, however, is the conquest of the man himself, not some gift of unexpected circumstances. Man's happiness can only depend on something that depends on him.

Possession or even the desire for possession may enslave man - and it is possible that possessing goods do not enslave the possessor.

The central question is not to be possessor or non-possessor - but rather to be possessed or not possessed by material goods. There is no evil in possessing - all evil is in being possessed by the possessions. To be free is to be happy - to be a slave is to be unhappy.

True happiness, therefore, cannot consist of something that happens to us, but something that is created by us. External quantities happen to us - internal quality is created by us.

Everything depends on our inner attitude, on how we possess or do not possess; or, in Jesus' words, depends on “poverty by the spirit” and “purity of heart”, that is, in the freedom and inner detachment of man.

The possessor can be free from what he possesses - and the non-possessor can be a slave to what he does not possess.

Another Greek philosopher, Zeno of Citium (334-262), founder of the Stoic school glimpsed this great truth and taught his disciples that happiness consisted of a permanent inner serenity, both: facing pleasure or displeasure, serenity based on perfect harmony with the “Cosmic Laws”, that the perfect and happy man should maintain an attitude of absolute serenity, a balanced and rational attitude facing pleasant and unpleasantness of life.

Stoicism is certainly in antiquity the philosophy of life that has most approached the solution of the central problem of humanity: it understood that happiness does not consist in having or not having, but in being; not in external fullness or emptiness, but inner vitality; not in objective circumstances, but subjective substance.

The eminently rational Stoicism has failed only in one point: to want to banish from human life the affective and emotional elements which it considers incompatible with the serene rationality, indispensable to a perennially happy life. However, the fact is that the affective zone is part of the complete man; to exclude it from human life is to build happiness on a block of ice.

A perfect and true philosophy of human happiness must necessarily have a positive and constructive character for emotion and affection are elements which also are an integral part of human nature, and without that integrity, there can be no real and permanent happiness.

At this point, the Gospel of Jesus represents the ultimate solution.

Also, the Bhagavad Gita and the Tao Te King, these pearls of oriental wisdom, make man's happiness consist in the total interposition of his nature by the spiritual consciousness, thus realizing the cosmic man, the happy man.

With that, is possible to conclude that happiness:

1)- does not consist primarily of possessing or not possessing certain quantities of material goods, although it is necessary to possess some comfort to continue in our higher evolution;  

2)- that happiness cannot be based only on one part of human nature, but must be built upon total human nature;

3)- that there must be perfect order and harmony between all the parts of human nature; it is not possible to affirm one human element over another; there should be no elimination or substitution, but perfect integration.