Isn’t happiness the motivation for all we do?

Nice house

College Education

Fast car

Beautiful wife

Career at the Big 5

Handsome husband

Fat salary

Cute kids

Lots of friends

Drama, theater

Can we define happiness?

PleasureSatisfactionSecurityNo suffering…

EyesNoseEarTongueSkinMind

Feelings experienced through the facilities we

have

Getting down to basics

What makes us happy today?

Eating

Animals also eat!

Sleeping

Animals also sleep!

Mating

Animals also do it!

Defending

Animals also defend!

happiness as we know it

•Short-lived– How long does the chewing gum last?– How many pizza slices can one

consume?

•Not fulfilling enough– Off on the weekends / vacations– Hobbies

How different, then, are we

from animals?

Why do we work so hard for the same

things animals don’t have to?

“We are solving the problems of life!”

“There’s more to life”

“Today, we can do things faster, cheaper,

and better”

“Technology = happy life”

“Dude, I want to retire in heaven - the

Bahamas!”

No Doubt we have

progressed…

Luxurious Houses

Skyscrapers

Jet Planes

Latestmethods of

communication

Then why is there so much

suffering around us?

why are we …

•Dissatisfied?•Full of anxiety?•Stressed?•Depressed?•& above all, unhappy?

Pain

We want to remain young, But…

We want to remain healthy, But…

Ronald ReganU. S. President, 1980 -1988

Nov. 5 1994, Regan announces…

“I have recently been told that I am afflicted with Alzheimer’s disease...I now begin the journey that will take me into the sunset of my life.”

“I am the greatest”•Suffers from Parkinson’s disease…

•Can’t even lift a cup of coffee

disea

se

star

vatio

n

And

Final

ly,

death

And…at any given

time, we suffer due to…

natural calamities

other living entities

our body & mind

With so much uncertainty,

we are hoping to be happy in

the future

“But, human civilization is

meant to solve these

problems!”

True, but…•We are more insecure today

– Nuclear and biological warfare– Identity fraud

•New diseases are being discovered– Physiological– Psychological

•People are still dying– An abrupt end to all dreams and plans

Happiness does exist, however eluding it may

seem!!

Is there no happiness at all?

It’s a matter of looking for it with

the right perspective

And, that is…•We humans are made with higher intelligence

•The higher intelligence is for asking higher questions– Who Am I? Why Am I?– What is the goal of my life?– Where do I go from here?

For us to know what we want

We first need to know who we are!

Fundamental understanding

•The soul is active; body is inert•Body is the instrument thru which the soul experiences

•The body and soul are distinct

Just LikeThe driver and the car are distinct

The bird and the cage are distinct

Today, All of us focus on…

•The externals of satisfying the needs of the body only…

•Gas in the car, but driver starving!

• Cage polished; bird dead!

To continue this discussion

You are invited!

Sunday, [date & time]