Pursuit of Happiness Versus Attainment of Ananda

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s current visit to the United States is a great opportunity to introduce western audiences -- particularly policy makers, CEOs and cutting-edge entrepreneurs, thinkers and scientists -- to the Indian subcontinent’s aspiration to attain to Ananda, what the Oxford dictionary describes as the “highest state of being”. While the pursuit of happiness is the accepted goal of all Americans, to experience Ananda is the most sought-after lakshya, goal, of India’s people. Just as Swami Vivekananda – incidentally, our prime minister shares his first name, Narendra, with the revered sage of Bengal – awed the west with his revelatory address at the World Parliament of Religions in Chicago in 1893, in which he spelt out the core universal values of Hindu philosophy, so too, PM Modi could reveal the unique Indian concept of Ananda and explain the ways to attain it.Whereas the pursuit of happiness entails discovering ways to celebrate and satiate the senses via all creature comforts, with tasty food, sublime music, heady fragrances, 24X7 entertainment, stunning visuals, loving/sensual touch and so on, it is clear that such happiness is derived from the external world, with all its bells and whistles. And so, the chase is on, in pursuit of happiness, that more often than not eludes the one pursuing it, for there is no limit to what one needs in order to reach that level of satiation and contentment that signals you to call off the chase.In the case of Ananda, that is loosely translated as Bliss in English -- there is no strictly equivalent word in the English language because the concept of Ananda is itself alien to the west – one does not pursue it; one does not chase it; for Ananda is not an external phenomenon that one can pursue and obtain. Ananda is within the individual, it is an internal state, that needs to discovered and experienced without having to depend on externalities that may sometimes prove to be encumbrances rather than enablers… Ananda could be attained in a spartan ashram, where one may not have access to luxurious comforts nor sensory satisfaction. One may even be in physical discomfort or pain, yet that does not deter one’s potential to attain Ananda, for Ananda is attained when it becomes clear that it is not something to be pursued, it is something to be discovered in oneself. Ananda is not on the same plane as happiness. And attainment of Ananda is the right of every human being.A cruise ship, for example, has everything that can cater to the senses – entertainment, tasty food, good music, beautiful sceneries, swimming pools, spas where you can enjoy massages that help ease your physical pain, and sweet fragrances wafting around you. All of these can certainly make one happy, up to a point. And then they become par for the course, but they do nothing to elevate the individual’s consciousness. M K Gandhi, at the forefront of India’s freedom struggle, could experience Ananda even in prison, with no comforts. He could write a commentary on the Gita, as he was full of peace within. Gandhiji could make the connection with Ananda. It is clear that while Ananda is an inside job, Happiness is an outside job, so to speak.Now that Ananda has found a place in the English lexicon via various dictionaries, it is a good time for leaders like PM Narendra Modi to present this concept at the global high table just as he did with Yoga. In fact, practice of yoga is the physical preparation that leads one to experience Ananda. While happiness, being external, may come and go, Ananda, being internal, stays. One only has to peel off the layers to discover it within. Yoga, exercise, frequenting the gym and other physical disciplines can become tools to attain Ananda provided the intention and attitude are aligned with the lakshya. When a yogi experiences Ananda, for instance, he feels Oneness, which is what Vasudaiva Kutumbakam (the world is one family), is all about.PM Modi needs to meet other thinkers as a thinker himself, introducing them to the various aspects of India’s high philosophy. And words like Ananda, Yoga and Vasudaiva Kutumbakam should enrich the etymological treasure of global languages, with all its diversity, depth and deep, uplifting philosophy.