By: Dr.Savita
Source: The Daily Guardian https://epaper.thedailyguardian.com/2025/10/31/delhi-01-november-2025/
Dated: November 1st, 2025
What makes us happy reveals a few things about us. First, our maturity. Children are naturally drawn to simple pleasures. As we mature, we ideally seek deeper forms of happiness. A child feels happy having a candy. A teenager would not care much for a candy, and their biggest source of joy might be their new mobile phone. For a businessman, happiness may be synonymous with wealth and the comforts it buys. An elderly couple may find happiness in the company of their friends, children, and grandchildren. A yogi might not need anything at all to feel happy: they generate their happiness by thinking positively and meditating.
Our sources of joy also reflect our values and state of mind. If we find joy in helping others, it shows that empathy and connection matter to us. But if our joy comes only from status or material gain, it indicates a materialistic focus and the desire for external validation. Someone who needs constant stimulation or escapes (such as frequent shopping or drinking) might be trying to avoid taking a deeper look within themselves because of the inner discomfort that would cause. On the other hand, someone content in silence may be more at peace inwardly.
While all kinds of happiness feel good in the moment, their depth, duration, and impact vary widely. Sensory gratification, such as from having candy, or playing with gadgets, is short-lived and dependent on external objects. It can lead to cravings or even addiction, especially if we seek happiness in substances such as tobacco or alcohol. Such gratification is not fulfilling in the long run, and indulging in unhealthy habits can damage our physical and mental health.
Happiness derived from relationships, achievements, and recognition is more lasting than that found in sensory pleasure. It also helps to build our self-esteem, strengthen social bonds, and contributes to the development of a positive self-identity. But such happiness is still vulnerable to external factors. People’s circumstances and moods change, and that may affect their relationship with us. And while recognition is gratifying, it comes with a risk: the better known we are, the more exposed we become to criticism and calumny.
The most meaningful and sustainable happiness is the one that arises within, from self-awareness, having a purpose in life, and the practice of meditation. Inner or meaningful happiness is not only more fulfilling and sustainable than momentary pleasure, it also leads to personal growth and well-being. The important thing is to grow in our understanding of what truly fulfils us. Do I want to keep chasing joy, find it occasionally, and then resume the chase? This lifelong chase will leave me tired, weak, and discontented.
A peaceful, stable state of contentment is so much better. When I know myself to be a soul and live by my original qualities of purity, peace, and love, the fragrance of these virtues naturally imbues my life with happiness. It is when the soul violates its original nature that unease, pain, and sorrow arise. The more self-aware we are, the more we can distinguish between what gives us fleeting pleasure and what brings lasting joy. This recognition enables us to make wiser choices that bring easy and constant happiness.
BK Dr. Savita is a Rajyoga teacher
at the Brahma Kumaris headquarters in Abu Road, Rajasthan.
