Would you rather be virtuous or happy?

The quest for a happy life engrosses every human being. But every- one tends to define happiness in a distinctly individualistic fashion. Philosophers and thinkers have attempted to define a happy life. The Hedonists have a simple notion that happiness consists in the gratification of physical appetites. There are others who believe that happiness is attainable through the acquisition of material goods. The more intellectually inclined tend to think that happiness lies in the pursuit of literature, arts and philosophical thoughts. Emotional satisfaction which is to be found in human relations – love for one’s parents, wife, children, etc., and friendship – also gives one happiness. To R. G. Ingersoll, “Happiness is the only good”, but to Shelley it is something elusive; he sings:

Ye seek for happiness – alas, the day!

Ye find it not in luxury, nor in gold,

Nor in fame, nor in the envied sway …

The definitions are varied, But all of them suggest that happiness is a state of mind and that different people derive happiness in different ways. To some it is physical gratification or emotional satisfaction; too many it is intellectual. There are many who believe in the saying, “Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die”. But the be-all and end-all of life do not consist in eating and drinking and that happiness cannot be derived from these two elemental activities. There are also people whose mental make-up is such that they derive a lot of happiness if they arouse jealousy in others and ‘feed fat’ the grudge and hatred they have against their enemies.

One would wish to be happy and at the same time be virtuous. One need not make a choice between being happy and being virtuous. That is to say, one would like to lead a virtuous life that would give happiness too. No one can be perfectly happy. Life is a mixture of joys and sorrows. There is the fact of the existence of suffering too. Unhappiness or pain accompanies the experiences of birth, illness, failure to satisfy desires, separation from friends and loved ones, old age, and death. Even the more fortunate are unable to ward off old age and death. This is a basic truth about life which is mentioned in all the religions of the world.

The Buddhist philosophy speaks of suffering as a universal problem of life in a world that is finite and changing. A second truth that Buddhism upholds is that suffering is caused by desires or cravings. These desires tend to grow or increase as we attempt to satisfy them. A man wants ten thousand dollars, then he wants a hundred thousand, then a million, and his wants do not cease. This kind of desire is the real cause of unhappiness, but it is encouraging to know that it is within our control and that something can be done about it. If men rise above desires and ally themselves with values to which these desires are irrelevant, they may find a serenity unaffected by any of the calamities that befall them.

A third truth mentioned in Buddhism is that desires can be destroyed or blotted out. There is also a fourth noble truth in Buddhism and this truth is that we have a way out through the Noble Eightfold Path. Buddhism mentions the fact that evil and suffering can be removed if only we have the right knowledge about the nature of our self.

One may derive happiness from life by following the Eightfold Path. The Eightfold Path insists on right understanding, right aspiration or purpose, right speech, right conduct, right mode of livelihood, right striving or effort, right mindfulness and right concentration. One’s happiness is very much dependent on one’s virtuous conduct which in turn consists in the elimination of lower nature, including selfishness, and in the attainment of peace and contentment, joy, insight, and love and compassion for all living beings.