Who doesn’t want to be happy? Happiness is not only for humans, but for the animal kingdom too. Human happiness, in general, can be based on different issues, outcomes, and sources.
A hungry human, if they get a nice meal, obviously becomes very happy. Don’t you think so?
We had a Bengali poet and writer, Jibanananda Das, who wrote a vivid picture of hungry people:
“The world is prosaic in the state of hunger,
the full moon is like scorched bread”
Our philanthropists such as Warren Buffett and Bill Gates are feeding hungry people around the world and enriching the education and technological expertise of the people so that they can survive in this competitive world.
There are billionaires around the world but not everyone has the same attitude as Buffett and Gates. However, I find one billionaire from India who died recently at the age of 86. He is widely known as Ratan Tata.
Dispatch readers may remember the first cheapest Tata nano car in the market. He is not a billionaire because he gives most of his money to a trust, which looks after benevolent activities.
Once one of his friends told him to donate 200 wheelchairs to handicapped children in an ashram.
“Certainly,” he reacted.
When the time came, his friend said why not come with me and deliver yourself. So, he went and delivered all 200 wheelchairs, and the kids were riding and very much happy with unimaginable joy.
Suddenly one kid came forward and grabbed his leg. He asked what happened my dear? Do you want anything else?
No sir, I am seeing your face so that when we meet in heaven after death, I can recognize you and thank you again.
Ratan Tata became pretty shook up hearing the kid’s narrative. He realized that true happiness lies in serving others not in material possessions. Hats off to Mr. Ratan Tata.
What about Gates’ and Buffett’s ideas of true happiness?
Bill Gates said, “True happiness comes from prioritizing commitments, being generous, and spending time with family. On the other hand, Warren Buffett has said that true happiness comes from doing what you love, and that you should enjoy your life.
I wonder what our religions say about true happiness. According to the Bible, “True happiness is a gift from God that comes from knowing and obeying God and trusting in His promises.” The Quran reminds Muslims to be kind to others; that will make a person happier.
But I find an elaborate explanation of the Hindu’s sacred book, Gita, where Lord Sri Krishna said, “True happiness can only emanate from a peaceful mind that is not dependent on any external agents and remains unperturbed in every situation”, and at the same time, he described three different happinesses one would come across:
• Pure happiness: It arises from the elevation of the soul. It requires lots of discipline and it feels like poison in the beginning but nectar at the end.
• Result oriented happiness: This is not a kind of permanent happiness but rather temporary.
• Slothful happiness: This is not real happiness but a tiny sense of pleasure.
Should I tell what I feel about true happiness?
One of my psychiatrist friends always mentions that I am like a super benevolent human though I am not rich. Others’ happiness makes me truly happy. I am not a billionaire or a millionaire, and I am totally ignorant in dealing with money matters. But I try my best to help people along with my wife. One thing for sure, I try to be peaceful in my state of mind.
Jiben Roy, a native of Bangladesh, teaches chemistry and pharmaceutical sciences at Mississippi University for Women. He writes occasional column in the Dispatch. His email address is [email protected].
Jiben Roy, a native of Bangladesh, teaches chemistry and pharmaceutical sciences at Mississippi University for Women. His email address is [email protected].
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