Conclusion

We have learnt that although there is a general agreement that we all want to be happy, there is no well defined meaning of the term happiness. To be happy is to think to act in manners believed to be leading to some desired goal which is considered to be legitimate in a given cultural setting. It is also clear that individual happiness cannot be separated from cultural and prevailing ideas of happiness. Is it not true that some people have become happy be attaining nirvana (a most private attainment) only in those cultures in which nirvana was a legitimate goal? In a setting that does not value nirvana pursuing nirvana may not lead to happiness. Romain Rolland (2010) who wrote Ramkrishna Paramhansa with great reverence also wrote in the book that if Ramkrishna Paramhansa was born in Europe he would perhaps be living a miserable life of torture for his fits, if he was born in Europe. We may close this lecture by making two hypotheses of happiness:

(a) an individual’s happiness is heavily dependent on society; and

(b) it is possible to build societies in which people feel happy to act in accordance with principles of peace and harmony.