What should I do?
What are then the lessons of contemplation on happiness and perfectibility of society? In layperson’s language, to be happy is to strive happily at all levels: physical, mental, social and environmental. Happiness at any one of these levels cannot replace unhappiness at another level. There is no trade-off. You need happiness separately at all levels. You must follow the rules of body, mind, society and environment. You must also understand that happiness is a critical idea. You want to be happy because you are not happy. If you are happy you will not strive for happiness but this will happen only when the facts and ideas are as identical: either you accept the facts or change the facts in the direction of your ideals. What is easier for you? Is there any implication of your decisions on society? Imagine that all of us develop happiness with what we are or what we can be in a natural process. We do not look for what we do not already have or what may not naturally come to us. We will be happy. But then why should we long for novelty? What is the need for innovation? Alternatively, I can think that I will be happy only when the whole world is under my control. Does it contradict with happiness of others? Can I be happy if even one other person takes this stand?
At the end, I can tell you how you can try to be happy only by telling myself how I can be happy. What I have learnt from religious as well as secular thought, from Buddha, Marx, Gandhi, Tolstoy and Jeevan Vidya. I can do a number of things:
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