Inner Truth: What is Happiness?

Happiness is the goal of life. It is extremely important, then, to understand just what happiness is. I think it is fair to say that people in all times and all places have desperately sought the answer to the question “What is happiness?”, and yet it remains fundamentally unanswered.

There are many people who possess great material wealth but are unhappy. Some of them might be mean or do nothing but fight and quarrel with others. Likewise, it is certainly possible to be very poor and yet to be pure of heart, to see beauty in all things with the spirit of a poet, and to enjoy great happiness.

Happiness is something very personal. Of two people in similar circumstances,one may be unhappy and the other happy. People are all different, and perceive things differently. The reality of people’s lives is infinitely diverse. For instance, there are women who, though they seem to have good fortune when they are single—possessing youth, beauty and wealth—may end up extremely sad and unhappy when they get married. Living like a princess in a palace and wearing finery is not happiness. In fact, it is stifling and boring, illusory and empty. Though such a person may seem to be very happy, it is all a show; in reality, their happiness is extremely fragile and fleeting.

On the other hand, there are also many people who may appear to be suffering misfortune, but are, with strong determination and dignity, forging a life condition of immense happiness that is like a magnificent painting to behold.

If everything always goes our own way, we’ll never be able to fully savour real happiness. It goes without saying that happiness cannot be found in a life of ease and idleness. The diamond of happiness can only be found by making our way into the deep mountain recesses of life with great effort and exertion. It is not to be found in idly seeking fun and pleasure amid the bustle and bright lights or leading a lazy existence. In the end, all happiness and unhappiness is to be found within our hearts.

The author is president of the Soka Gakkai International Buddhist association, a peacebuilder and a prolific writer

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