Students at end the extra classes after the school hours. The clerk of the school office comes earlier and goes late from the office. The Principal is anxious about the result of school. The teachers devote their vacant periods in correction work. Why is there such a struggle in the temple of learning (school) ? The idea underlying this struggle is to make life happy and prosperous.
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Meaning of happiness:
The questions arise what happiness is ? Is happiness to possess wealth ? Does poverty lead to happiness ? Do you think that pleasure is happiness ? The experience of life gives negative answers to all these questions. The rich who have all comforts and luxuries, are not free from cares and anxieties. The poor struggle for their bread and butter. Those who mistake pleasure of happiness do blunder. Then what is happiness ? Happiness is a thing which cannot be defined. It is a relative term. What is happiness to me, may be trouble for you. The drunkard feels happy in wine which I hate from the core of my heart.
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Difference between pleasure and happiness:
Let us see whether pleasure leads us to happiness because the world is running after pleasure. In reality pleasure and happiness have no relation which each other. Pleasure is temporary while happiness is ever lasting. I eat sweets and get pleasure form them. They fail to give me happiness. Happiness is the aim of life, while the pleasure is a hurdle in the way which leads to happiness. Our senses feel the pleasure but they cannot lead us to happiness. Pleasure is external, while happiness is internal.
How can happiness be attained
There are few things which, in my opinion, make our life happy. The first is health. I hear people saying, “When wealth is lost nothing is lost, when health is lost, something is lost.” The loss of health makes us unhappy. The last words of one of the richest men of the world give us the idea of the importance of health. While dying he said, “I shall cheerfully give up my all if I can but enjoy a good meal.’
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The second important factor of happiness is peace and contentment. We should remain satisfied with what we have. Though progress of our life lies in dissatisfaction, yet a progressive life is far way from true happiness. A contented man never feels jealous of the wealth of others. Freedom from worries and anxieties leads us to happiness. A Sanyasi living on alms he gets is happier than a rich man who rolls in wealth. Satisfaction is life and dissatisfaction is death.
Social service is a third factor of happiness. In order to be happy we must have a spirit of social service. The strong should help the weak, and the rich should help the poor. All great men life Gandhi and Shastri found peace and happiness in the social work.
The religious and the pious life is the fourth of happiness. It gives us peace and happiness. Religion is the matter of heart and not of sense. A happy man is he who surrenders himself to God.
Last but not the least is some noble work which gives us happiness. We should spend leisure hours in reading good books. We should develop taste for artists things like paintings, dancing and music. These things will create atmosphere for true happiness.
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Conclusion
A happy man is he who is honest and sincere, who does his duty well, who does not forget his Creator in life and who is fully satisfied with what he has. One cannot find happiness is wealth and pleasures which makes us greedy, selfish and proud.