Search For Happiness : The Ancients Before Christianity

“All seasons are favorite for the person who holds happiness within” 47. “The greatest happiness is to convert feelings into actions” 48. “True happiness is letting go what is not wanted” 49. “Happiness is a benefit, not its prize”

Arjuna does not want to kill his family, but Krishna tells him you cannot kill the spirit only the body, so his family is not being killed only set free, and that Arjuna is fulfilling his work that the G-ds have bestowed on

Arjuna is faced with an internal dilemma during the Second Discourse of the Bhagavad Gita, and although the God Krishna seeks to help guide him towards an understanding of the meaning of his life, Arjuna is still wary of making the wrong decision. This decision concerns itself with either fighting in a civil war against family relatives, having to kill those Arjuna cares most about, or abandoning his dharma as a warrior and jeopardizing fulfilling his duty the greater Self that plays such a pivotal role in his people’s culture and beliefs. While advocating for the battle and fulfilling one’s dharma, Krishna utilizes the point that the Self – an overarching force in life – is a formless, eternal entity that cannot die and is more than the mere vessels that encompass the human beings across the battlefield. It is more important to the greater vitality of one’s existence to complete a duty to the Self rather than live with the temporary benefits of living in what may appear to be a more pleasurable life, but one with no fulfillment.

The Handbook vs. 90210 Finding happiness in life is the ultimate goal for many people; this task, however, is not easy. In a world surrounded by temptation, it is often extremely difficult to distinguish the difference between what leads to true happiness and what only temporarily gratifies. Innumerable philosophers have tried to tackle this challenge, and each has left behind various theories on how to achieve happiness. One of the most famous philosophers, Epictetus, came to the conclusion that Stoicism is the best way to find happiness in the mortal world. Epictetus lived from approximately 50-130 A.D. and the stoic movement began to catch on even earlier, around 300 B.C. (Epictetus 1).

The ‘Analects’ is a book created by Confucius’ disciples containing all of Confucius’ teachings; combined they form the set of beliefs known as Confucianism. There were 5 basic relationships: father and son; elder brother and younger brother; husband and wife; friend and friend; and ruler and subject. All of the relationships fall into 2 categories: proper conduct in the family and proper conduct in society. Now we delve into a primary source-The Analects:

The Bhagavad Gita opens on a literal and intellectual battlefield. Arjuna, a warrior by caste, faces the prospect of riding into battle against his own family. Unable to bear the thought of slaying his own family, he offers his objections to the Hindu god Krishna. Krishna, in turn, introduces the concepts of detachment and selflessness to Arjuna, arguing that while man must sometimes take action, he should not relish the fruits of his action. According to Krishna, every man has his own dharma, or duty, which he must seek to fulfill via selfless devotion. However, the Gita’s conception of selflessness does not preclude war, and the Gita also argues that mortal human lives, including those lost in battle, are ultimately insignificant. As a warrior, Arjuna’s duty is to fight, even when it means prioritizing his dharma over deep familial concerns (Flood x). On the whole, the Bhagavad Gita supports just war in the context of Hindu thought.

The pursuit of happiness is a timeless and ageless endeavor. Since the beginning of time people have searched far and wide for the source of happiness. Even the greatest minds attempt to discover the basis of all human contentment. The father of philosophy, Socrates, was one of those few that might have unearthed the key to human happiness. His understanding shaped the way that the western world sees pleasure, joy, and happiness. His views on how to obtain them are still alive today.

In Augustine’s article “Virtue and the Human Soul,” happiness is discussed in great detail. What makes a man happy? How do we obtain this happiness and where does

Happiness, an elusive eight letter word with a mighty punch! Many have sought to define happiness, but found it a difficult task to do. While reading an article published in the New Yorker by Will Sorr on July 07, 2017 titled “A Better Kind of Happiness”, I was informed that happiness is more than just a word, happiness is essential to the well-being of human health. Dating back nearly two and half million years ago an ancient Greek Philosopher and scientist, Aristotle, proposed the idea of eudaemonic happiness. He stated that “happiness was not merely a feeling, or a golden promise, but a

Another philosopher who talks about happiness is John Locke. In his statement about happiness, his focus is about that humans naturally follow the things that pleasure them and try to avoid the pain. His reasoning is based on the natural law that God made for the people in order for them to follow to. By just based on this, he argues that humans seek happiness or pleasure over pain. Furthermore, he states that God can give one the permanent happiness that a normal person desires because that it is the natural law that a human being follows under. Locke’s argument about happiness is all about the pursuit of God in order to have that eternal happiness, and never be afraid of being in pain because God is on one’s side. Altogether, in order to obtain that “happiness” that one desires, the fulfillment of God in one’s life would fulfill that happiness that it is require for a person in order to follow the natural law.

Happiness is the fundamental objective of life. This bold statement is unanimously agreed upon among generations of people on every corner of our planet. However, the real question that has been contested for centuries is the true meaning of happiness? The true meaning of happiness is one of the most highly debated philosophy topics in history. Most famous are the writings of Aristotle and John Stuart Mill who both paint very opposing pictures of happiness. Mill believes happiness is obtained through pleasure and the absence of pain. On the other hand, Aristotle insist happiness is obtained through living a fulfilling, virtuous life. This passage will examine Aristotle 's and Mill 's views on happiness as well as give an opinion one which philosophical theory is most convincing.

There are many theories surrounding happiness, and the pursuit of happiness. Some believe that an external force must be present to bring about happiness, while others argue that happiness is individualized, and is completely up to a person's internal mindset of whether he or she is able to achieve and maintain happiness. Aristotle, a significant ancient Greek philosopher, believes that happiness requires an action. He affirms that there are many factors that play into someone's happiness; including materialistic things, which help support this state of being. His claim is that happiness is a holistic approach to life and must be achieved by living virtuously with moral character. Aristotle also indicates that happiness is not a moment in time, but rather a journey of exploration by way of living harmoniously, through a pursuit of achieving life’s goals and desires. He adds that a life of happiness is driven by virtue and emotions, which all play a role in achieving optimum happiness.

In the book it states, “. . . Evil would still cling to us when we’d killed these men her, with their bows drawn”(p12: 36). This shows that he is concerned about bad karma. After Arjuna tells Krishna his reasons why he does not want to fight, Krishna begins to tell him it is his dharma to fight in this war. He states, “Do not become a cowardly eunuch, Son of Pritha; this is not fitting for you. Let go of this lowly weakness of the heart and stand up, Scorcher of the Enemy!” (p16: 3). Krishna is telling Arjuna being a warrior is what he was born to do and a warrior should never be weak. Krishna also says, “Death is fixed for those who are born, and birth is fixed for those who die; since such an end is certain, you should not grieve” (p23: 27). He is basically telling Arjuna the way of life, so he should not be worried since this is the cycle of life. Krishna proceeds to tell Arjuna this is his dharma as a warrior. He suggests, “If you will not engage this fight for the sake of dharma, you will have shunned your own dharma and good name, and shall cause harm” (p25: 33). Meaning if Arjuna believes he should not fight because of what he thinks is his dharma, he will destroy his real dharma of being a warrior and will cause himself bad karma. Krishna then talks about yoga in action. Krishna says, “The person who has practiced yoga, restraining all these senses, should sit, with me as a pinnacle;...” (p32: 61). This

According to the philosophy of happiness (14, 15, 16 & 17), Aristotle stated the factors that make happiness as good health, money, relationships and good moral behavior. Aristotle pointed out that happiness was the ultimate desire for human being leaving nothing more to be desired. The happiness is sought for its own sake unlike other things which are sought in order to achieve happiness. Aristotle understood that for an individual to be happy one must be of good morals and can suffer to achieve the greater happiness later in the long run. Many individuals believe that

At first glance, happiness is a state of mind that many, if not all people aspire to achieve in their lifetime. What exactly is that state of mind is up for debate among the east and the west, and varies between different cultures, traditions, and religions. In the west, happiness is mostly associated with success, wealth, fame and power. In the east, happiness can be viewed as freedom from mundane occurrences such as the occupation of western powers from within a country, the end of war, poverty and famine, and liberation of the false self. In contemporary times, and with the arrival of eastern philosophy, religions, and traditions in the west, many are turning inwards and using a tool believed to have more power than an atomic bomb, the human mind. In China, India and various other Asian countries, the mind has long been a powerful tool used to liberate one from suffering, the cyclic cycle of life, as well as a means to reach enlightenment and immortality. However, the mind is only a tool, and not the way per se.