14/05/2015
The word "Happiness" may be translated as Ananda (Sanskrit, Hindi: आनन्द , Bengali: আনন্দ) or Sukham (Sanskrit: सुखम्, Hindi: सुख, Bengali: সুখ). Now, what is this "happiness" or "Ananda" or "Sukham"? Let's ask Google. Their quick answer is happiness is "the state of being happy". It is very difficult to say what actually makes someone happy. Albert Einstein wanted "a table, a chair, a bowl of fruit, and a violin" to be happy.[Source] But everyone is not Albert Einstein.
Gautama Buddha told, "happiness" is the ultimate "freedom" from suffering (Dukkha). Swami Vivekananda too told, (which is actually the theme and main teaching of Vedanta, Gita and Upanishads too), the ultimate goal of human life is not happiness, it is "freedom". In a letter written to Mary Hale, dated 26 June 1895, Vivekananda wrote— "Freedom is the goal of the universe. "Nor love nor hate nor pleasure nor pain nor death nor life nor religion nor irreligion: not this, not this, not this."[Source]
