Happiness

"Happiness which is like poison in the beginning, but comparable to nectar in the end, and which, arises from the purity of one's intellect-that happiness is spoken of as born of sattva." Bhagavadgita 18.37.

     Happiness is perceived by the mind of every being. Every perceiving being has the same ability to experience happiness, and every being desires it. An ignorant mind evaluates the current state of an imagination based on its recognition and thinking. The feeling of happiness is an expression of the quality of that imagination. A feeling of happiness in a being whose imagination is divided into "I" and "Non-I" arises from various relationships established by the mind between the parts of the imagination. Based on observing the imagination, the mind sets out the ways of fulfilling its notions, and if the observed and expected fulfilment of the notions agree, a feeling of happiness occurs. If the expected state differs from the observed one, the feeling of happiness is lost. The mind then tries to change the observed state by various interventions within the imagination, in order to bring the observed state into agreement with the expectation. Often, however, the expected state is unconsciously adjusted so that it meets the observed reality, and the feeling of happiness is replaced with lower degrees such as satisfaction or bearability.
     This way of experiencing is very impractical. Happiness depends on fulfilling some constructed relationships between separate parts of the observed imagination. Since the observed imagination is usually dependent on facts beyond one's influence, happiness is seldom achieved. If happiness is achieved from time to time, its existence is perpetually threatened by subsequent changes in the observed imagination and by a certain routine, when the experienced happiness becomes ordinary and its rarity vanishes.
     If the observed imagination is perceived in its entirety as a picture produced by the mind, the being is always content at least. The experience of such beings (enlightened, self-realised, liberated), however, tells us that such a being permanently dwells in bliss that cannot be threatened by any manner of change in the experienced imagination.