How to Be Happy in Life?

The simplest answer to how to be happy in life is to think about the happiness of others. Param Pujya Dada Bhagwan says, “If a person were to use his mind, speech and body for the happiness of others, then he would never be short of happiness in worldly life.”

Ultimately, when a human being attains Self-realization, eternal happiness is attained in life. But until Self-realization is achieved, if you want to live a happy life, walk on the path of service and benevolence.

Giving happiness to others

Happiness is only real when shared! The rule is such that if we use what we have for others, then we will be happy. Not necessarily big tasks, but through simple actions like giving away something you like to others, feeding animals and birds, feeding the poor or hungry people, extending necessary assistance to elders, providing grains or medicines to the needy, etc., also, happiness will effectuate within us. It is because God resides within every living being; when we satisfy someone’s heart, then the God within that person blesses us. We give one donation, and in return we receive the fruit of a thousand donations; similarly, when we help others also, the fruit that we receive is manifold.

When we give happiness to others, we experience happiness ourselves. The reason for this is found in spiritual science. There is the presence of Soul inside everyone and the Soul itself is an abode of happiness, a source of infinite happiness. When we give happiness to a living being, we experience the happiness of our own Soul.

Here, from Param Pujya Dada Bhagwan, we get an easy solution to find joy in life.

Questioner: What should one do in order to attain peace of mind? Should we take care of the needy, the weak and the poor or should we pray to god? Or give to charity? What should we do?

Dadashri: If you want peace of mind then you should give what you have to others. Tomorrow bring a bucket of ice-cream and feed everyone and tell me about the happiness you feel at the time. These pigeons jump with joy even before you throw the grains to them and when you throw the grains to them, you are giving away something of yours, at the time observe the joy you feel within. If a person falls down and breaks his leg and is bleeding and you tear off a piece of your dhoti to make a bandage for him, you will feel tremendous joy within.  

However, in this Kaliyug, the narrow-mindedness of using one’s own for oneself only, and advancing ahead, the tendency of taking over even others’ belongings, has become widespread. When we take away others’ belongings for free, at that moment, inside we might be happy, that, ‘I got something.’ But there is nothing free in this world. Anything we take without our rightful claim on it, gets credited into Nature’s account, which we have to later repay along with interest. Although for some time, it may seem like we got happiness, but eventually, it will lead to immense suffering.

While the entire world believes that happiness comes from hoarding, it is important to realize that using our cherished possessions for the benefit of others is actually the true path of happiness. We often think money or success will teach us how to be happy, but that is rarely the case.

Param Pujya Dada Bhagwan says that, “Religion begins with having an obliging nature.

One’s own happiness begins from the very moment you give anything to others. ”

He says that, “What is the nature of worldly life? God resides in each and every living being, so if you cause any distress to any living being, if you hurt them, then adharma (misdeed) will arise. If you give happiness to any living being, then it will give rise to dharma (good deed). The result of adharma is contrary to what you desire, and the result of dharma is in accordance to what you desire.”

The moment a person starts giving happiness to others, true religion begins, and one who does not care about his own happiness, but rather has a constant intention of how to remove the other person’s obstacles, that’s when compassion begins.

His entire life, Param Pujya Dadashri had maintained this very goal, ‘Whoever I come across should definitely attain happiness.’ He never had a single thought about his own happiness. This intent is reflected in many instances of His life.

Since childhood, Param Pujya Dada Bhagwan had an obliging nature. When He was small, He lived in a small village called Bhadran. His elder brother lived in Baroda, hence Param Pujya Dadashri had to do back and forth trips to Baroda for business work. In those days, it was not that easy to travel from the village to city. Certain things were not available in a village, and many people had not even been to Baroda. Therefore, whenever Param Pujya Dadashri went to Baroda, He would ask everyone in the village, “I am going to Baroda, do you have any work there? Do you need anything from there?” Then someone would say, “Bring me a dhoti.” Now, when buying the dhoti, suppose the cost of dhoti at that time was twenty-five rupees, then Param Pujya Dadashri would buy it for twenty-five rupees. And then, He would give it to the person who had requested it, for twenty-three rupees. He would add in two rupees from his own pocket. Because He did not prefer to bargain. Moreover, if someone in the village says, in Baroda, dhoti costs twenty-three rupees only, then the other person would feel bad that Dada took two rupees as His commission. Instead, taking two rupees less would make the other person happy that they got for less. Param Pujya Dadashri had such nobility that He would spend His own money just to bring happiness to others.

From a very young age, He had told his friends that these hands are made for giving, not for asking. So if anyone is in need of anything, even in the middle of the night, do tell me, I will provide every help to you; but if I show up at your house in the middle of the night, then do not keep fear in your mind that He must have come to ask for something!

Even in business, never a thought would occur to Param Pujya Dadashri about how to earn more money. On the contrary, how do I help the other person, how do I show ways for someone to earn more money in his business, how do I help someone get a job, help through some acquaintance, all day long, He would be busy in such thoughts for others.

Param Pujya Dadashri says that since childhood, He had this benevolent nature, which became a very big reason in awakening the knowledge of the Self (Self-realization). The same spirit of helping others, the same obliging nature for others then got transformed into the spirit for welfare of the entire world. Thus, helping others is happiness; while we look outside for how to be happy, the real answer often lies within.

Do not hurt anyone

The law is that if you give happiness to others, you will get happiness and if you give pain, you will get pain. If we are causing hurt to those around us, then we cannot expect happiness in return.

Param Pujya Dada Bhagwan says that, “In just one statement, understand the law of this world, of all the religions in the world, ‘The one who wants happiness should give happiness to other living beings and one who wants misery, should make others miserable.’ Give whatever suits you. Now, someone may ask, “How it is possible for us to make others happy, we do not have money.” So it is not that happiness can only be given through money; you can keep an obliging nature with them, run errands for them, or give advice. You can oblige others in many ways.”

He says that a person should maintain an obliging nature. In doing so, you will bind merit karma. Not only that, even if someone has harmed us, if the understanding prevails that it must be some account of the past which got settled, but today, I don’t want to cause any hurt to them; even that shall bind merit karma. On the other hand, when any living being is hurt, or even an intention to cause hurt occurs, with that, demerit karma gets bound. In life, based on our merit karma, we experience happiness, and based on our demerit karma, comes suffering.

Hence, if we cannot give happiness to others, we are unable to serve others, no problem, but do not cause hurt to anyone. Even if one has one hundred percent intention that I do not want to hurt anyone, and yet we end up hurting someone, then our efforts should remain in how to reduce the impact. Whatever strength we have, we should use it to alleviate the suffering of others. By doing so, there won’t remain any reason for any suffering to arise in us. If we have our intention to help the other person in their difficult times and we genuinely wish for the other person to be happy, then naturally, circumstances shall arise such that because of us, the other person finds happiness. Maintaining such an intention is the key to not just how to be happy but also how to stay that way consistently.

Give happiness even to those who hurt us

Param Pujya Dada Bhagwan says that, there is nothing else worth learning in life; giving happiness to others is all that needs to be learnt. He says that we should open the store of happiness. No matter how much someone causes us suffering, we must accept it, but we should give happiness, happiness and only happiness to everyone.

The principle is that if we bring peace to someone’s heart, Nature will bring peace to ours; but if we cause someone pain, their mind will be wounded, ego will be hurt, and in return, they will hold a grudge.

Generally, in helping others with a pure heart, people get scared of being deceived. Here, Param Pujya Dada Bhagwan provides a beautiful solution of how to be happy by helping others despite deceits.

Questioner: Nowadays, in trying to appease someone’s heart, one’s pocket ends up getting picked.

Dadashri: Never mind that your pocket gets picked. It must be a [karmic] account from the past [life] that is being repaid. But if you appease someone now, then the reward for that will definitely come and I will even give a hundred percent written guarantee for this. I must have given happiness [in the past] and that is why I am receiving happiness right now. My ‘business’ is indeed to open up a ‘store of happiness’. You should not open up a ‘store of unhappiness’. A ‘store of happiness’; then, whoever wants happiness can come and take it, and if someone comes to give unhappiness, then you should say, “Oh! There is still some pending for me; give it, give it.” You should put it aside. So, if someone comes to give unhappiness, you should accept it. You have the [pending karmic] account, so of course he will come to give it, won’t he? Otherwise, no one comes to give unhappiness to me.

So open up a ‘store of happiness’ so that all you do is give happiness to everyone. Do not give unhappiness to anyone. Those who give unhappiness, someday someone stabs them with a knife, isn’t it? He sits around waiting [to take revenge]. Those who take revenge do not do so just for the sake of it; they are avenging their unhappiness.

Cultivate the nature of a superhuman

Since childhood, Param Pujya Dada Bhagwan had an obliging nature, and at the age of twenty-five, His friends would call him Superhuman. If someone liked something of His, He would lovingly give it to them right away.

Param Pujya Dadashri says that a person who behaves equally, gives as he gets, is called a human. That is, giving happiness to those who gave you happiness and giving sorrow to those who gave you sorrow, that is called being human. Those who take away the others’ happiness, that falls into a beastly nature. Snatching away others’ happiness, cheating others, betraying trust of people is all said to be wildness. But one who gives away his own happiness for others to enjoy, alleviates the suffering of the distressed is called superhuman and he goes to the celestial life-form. No matter how much the other person obstructs him, cheats him, hurts him, yet he remains helpful in such a manner that the other person is not harmed, that is the nature of a superhuman. In reality, by snatching away that which belongs to others, we lose our own human virtue, and by giving to others, we help ourselves become superhuman.

These tips show you how to be happy in life regardless of your age, background or financial status.