The Pursuit of Happiness

The Pursuit of Happiness

The Taittirīya Upaniṣad (3.6.1) states:

“From Happiness, indeed, all beings are born;

Having been born, they are sustained by the pursuit of Happiness;

And they move toward and ultimately merge into that Happiness.”

This profound verse points to a central truth in the Vedic tradition: the purpose of life is the pursuit of Happiness. This pursuit is not merely cultural or psychological—it is seen as intrinsic to human nature, as if woven into our very being.

Human beings generally seek happiness in two primary ways:

1. Through the experience of objects and worldly pleasures, and

2. Through the discovery of the Self.

Each person naturally gravitates toward one of these paths based on their inner disposition. This inclination forms the basis for two legitimate lifestyles recognized in the Vedic tradition:

1. The life of engagement (pravṛtti dharma), centered on duty, relationships, and ethical enjoyment of life, and

2. The life of renunciation (nivṛtti dharma), focused on contemplation, dispassion, and the pursuit of Self-knowledge.

Both paths are honored in the tradition. Those who pursue objects and worldly pleasures and live ethically are regarded as noble, even likened to the gods (Manu Smṛti 12.90). Those few who feel a deep yearning for truth and a natural dispassion toward worldly pleasures are considered eligible for the study of Advaita.

The path of Advaita Vedanta is characterized by two key qualities: an intense desire for knowledge and a sense of dispassion. These inner traits serve as reliable indicators of one’s readiness for the pursuit of Self-knowledge and the realization of true Happiness—not through objects, but through the Self.