Understanding Happiness: A Vedantic Perspective

The pursuit of happiness has been the one of the most prominent goals of humanity since time immemorial. However, understanding and experiencing happiness varies across cultures. While the dominant understanding on happiness has developed from the Euro-American cultural background there are other significant conceptualizations present in the Eastern philosophical and cultural traditions like India and China. It has been noted that Eastern psychologies offer rich insights into human phenomena which are equally universal in nature because of their long-standing civilizational experiences. Drawing from these traditions would make the discourse on happiness culturally informed and more comprehensive. Furthermore, Indian tradition which considers bliss as the essential nature of the individual personality can contribute immensely in understanding and realizing lasting happiness. This paper explores the types and nature of happiness as expounded in the Vedantic tradition in the context of Indian psychology.