The Concept of Happiness in India

Happiness does not exist in any external object, but only in us, who are the consciousness that experiences happiness. Though we seem to derive happiness from external objects or experiences, the happiness that we thus enjoy in fact arises from within us. The philosophical and theoretical literature on happiness is abundant in India. Ancient texts and scriptures like the Vedas, the Upanishads and the Bhagwad Gita have explored the nature of happiness, and the insights gained from these writings are still relevant to Indian people, influencing their conceptions of happiness and guiding them on how to lead a happy life (e.g., Bhawuk, 2011). The collectivist perspective takes into account that while some people are purely hedonistic in their approach and a few are spiritual in nature, a vast majority falls in between, and that there are enormous individual differences in the needs and aspirations of people. Keeping this in sight, the Indian seer and sage established a social framework and ground rules for good life, which ensures the wellbeing of all (Kiran Kumar, 2004). Many other ancient texts of India elaborate on the nature and sources of happiness. Indian treatise on medicine, the Ayurveda describes the concepts of sukhswarup (happy life), dukhswarup (unhappy life) and health (or swastha).