Spirituality claims that we cannot find joy or happiness from the world, outside, but that’s not totally true. We do find joy and happy moments from the world and the things we like and what seems to bring us pleasure. The importance is emphasized on the word ’MOMENTS’.

The problem is that anything we receive from the outside, or from the world is temporary, just a moment of joy and happiness. But we want to have it always all the time. So, we repeat the things that give us happiness. When we get tired of one thing we find another interest. And this way we are chained in a never-ending cycle and hunger that can’t be fulfilled. As Christ said in John 4:13-14: “Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” That water springs within our hearts.

I asked Swamiji (Swami Sarvapriyananda) about happiness and he gave a very nice answer. He said, “Happiness or ‘ananda’ is our nature, so we naturally want it and search for it. The problem is that we are looking in the wrong direction. It is already in us as our self. Nothing outside needs to bring it to us. And because we always exist, we want happiness to exist always. But the happiness brought outside doesn’t last. We have to find it in ourselves as our natural state of being. Last, but not least, existence-being-awareness is what we are, and it is eternal. We don’t need anything from the outside. Let’s direct out attention towards our self, inward and see that we already have everything we need.

The other point of view which I heard from Michael James is interesting. That concerns why we feel that we get happiness from things. The mind is restless, and we want something to calm it down. Whatever it is. It can be a new car, a new relationship or a fancy dinner. Anything that would give a relief from the mind’s activity. When we’ve had our “thing” the mind is satisfied, and it immerses back to its source. Then we have a momentary peace OFF mind, as they say. What does this mean? It clearly points out that the absence of the mind is happiness. When we don‘t crave or need anything we are naturally happy, and stillness prevails. This obviously proves that we don’t receive happiness from anything outside, because happiness already dwells inside of us. We just need to silence the mind or let it be unnoticed and keep our attention on our self. ‘I am’ stands for silence and happiness.