The Secret of Happiness

The Mystery Series topic “The Secret of Happiness” Discourses by Swami Swaroopananda ji on Aug 30, 2025.

Summarized by Brni. Jyoti Chaitanya ji

The Secret of Happiness

Universally, the one thing that every creature lives for is Happiness. Everything we seek; education, job, money, family etc. is for the sake of happiness alone. Happiness is the ONLY thing that we want purely for its own sake. Yet the definition of jagat seems to be dukha-mayam only (sorrow riddled). However, our ancient spiritual traditions have revealed one truth in this regard. That life is sorrow only for the ignorant, for those of knowledge, life becomes ever a joy. Thus, Swamiji impelled us, “Here and now, decide!… REFUSE to be unhappy anymore!” How? By comprehending the unique mechanism of happiness : 

1. Understand that people cannot give you misery, if you refuse to take it. Also, if you never take it, you will fell no compulsion to ‘give it back’ to them. ‘न अनुशोचन्ति पण्डिताः’ (BG 2.11)
2. Apprehend how you are placing your happiness in the wrong locus: Impermanent sources can never yield permanent happiness : ‘यो वै भूमा तत् सुखं न अल्पे सुखमस्ति’  (छन्दोग्य उपनिषद्) 
3. We look for happiness in erroneous ways : 

• If the happiness was the nature of objects then the same object would give every person happiness. The fact that one object can give someone joy and another one sorrow implies that happiness is not inherent in that object. Even the same object gives the same person joy at one time and sorrow at another. 

1. Realize that happiness CAN be found in objects, BUT stay rooted in the understanding that that happiness WILL be impermanent. THEN enjoy! (with awareness.) If not, temporary joy WILL end in sorrow.  

So, are we ready to become the seekers of that which is permanent and lasting? To do this we must first correct our thinking. Vedanta reveals these insights:

1. Realize : nothing is wrong with the world. It IS finite and constantly changing. It is expecting permanent and everlasting happiness form an ever changing world by which you precipitate you own sorrow. यावद्वित्तोपार्जन सक्तः तावन्निजपरिवारो रक्तः | पश्चाज्जीवति जर्जर देहे वार्तां कोऽपि न पृच्छति गेहे (भज गोविन्दं – 5)
2. Your desire for objects is cultivated. What we let in through sense organs, seeps into to incite:  ‘ashantasya kutah sukham’. Thus keep your sense organs in the right atmosphere. 
3. All desires arise first as an impulse… just wait. Postpone your desire and it will fade in intensity. Give time for knowledge to enter and take over. 
4. Be wise to the Happiness equation : 

      Number of desires fulfilled / Number of desires entertained  = Happiness

• Instead of increasing the numerator, decrease the denominator 
• But what happens when the denominator goes to zero? Happiness = Infinity! प्रजहाति यदा कामान्सर्वान्पार्थ मनोगतान् | आत्मन्येवात्मना तुष्टः स्थितप्रज्ञस्तदोच्यते || (B.G 2.55)

Thus in a quiet (non-desire riddled) mind, atma sukham is reflected.  Discovering that happiness of a mind turned inward, that happiness is your own. No one and nothing can ever take that one away!