| This is the fifth and final article in the series | | | | Arjuna is transformed. In my own case, reading |
| reviewing The Happiness Hypothesis: Finding | | | | the gospel and hearing a well phrased sermon |
| Modern Truth in Ancient Wisdom by Jonathan | | | | among a community of believers give me a |
| Haidt. First, I want to share with you my thoughts | | | | strong sense of well-being. |
| on the role of the divine and sacred in modern life. | | | | Haidt points out that the little voice is often the |
| Second, I want to look at the difference between | | | | main obstacle to spiritual advancement. How true |
| "finding happiness" and "being happy." | | | | that is. I see my own little voice drawing me back |
| In the previous article I looked at the Adversity | | | | to the material and profane, elevating my ego |
| hypothesis and the Virtue hypothesis. The first | | | | over the spiritual, and trying to convince me |
| holds that in order to grow you need to | | | | (often successfully) that it is easier to stay home |
| overcome setbacks in your life. The second | | | | then to go to church. Of course, some may say |
| assets that you need to practice virtue to be | | | | that one can still connect to the sacred without |
| happy. I realized that both notions can give my life | | | | necessarily going to church, temple, synagogue or |
| deep purpose and meaning. | | | | wherever. |
| In this article I look at what Haidt calls the "ethic | | | | Love and work |
| of divinity," peak experiences or moments of self | | | | Haidt returns to the notion of the happiness |
| transcendence, the importance of love and work, | | | | formula, which I looked at in article 3: H(appiness) |
| and finally what I term asking the right questions | | | | = S(et point) + C(onditions) + V (oluntary |
| about happiness. | | | | activities). He asserts that people look for a set |
| Ethic of divinity | | | | of principles and goals that guide their actions or |
| Haidt proposes that the social world has in fact | | | | give meaning or value to the choices they make. |
| three dimensions. The first has to do with | | | | A key idea for Haidt is that you have to get the |
| closeness: close versus distant kin, and between | | | | conditions right to be happy. Love and work are |
| friends versus strangers. The second has to do | | | | crucial for happiness. It is also critical to pursue |
| with social hierarchy in our relationships with | | | | and have the right goals. Some, however, may |
| others. The third deals with the moral dimension | | | | not agree with this equation entirely. There is |
| or divinity. Human beings perceive divinity and | | | | much evidence coming from spiritual traditions |
| sacredness in the world, although it may not | | | | affirming that human beings are inherently happy |
| necessarily exist. The existentialist Sartre said that | | | | and do not realize it. |
| life is empty and meaningless. However, one idea | | | | Tolstoy said it beautifully, "One can live |
| or interpretation I took away from attending the | | | | magnificently in this world, if one knows how to |
| Landmark Education Forum recently is that "life is | | | | work and how to love, to work for the person |
| empty and meaningless and it is empty and | | | | one loves and to love one's work." Your work |
| meaningless that life is empty and meaningless." | | | | may be just a job for you, or just a career. |
| One way human beings give a sense of meaning | | | | However, if your life work is a calling, it will most |
| to life is through the ethic of divinity. Indian | | | | likely give you a sense of intrinsic fulfillment and a |
| culture, for example, believes that living in a pure | | | | sense of flow. For me, my work as a writer and |
| and holy way is a means to spiritual and moral | | | | teacher is a calling. I get tremendous joy, flow, |
| advancement; it becomes a visceral experience. | | | | and identity from writing and teaching; I am |
| As a Christian myself, I believe that the body is | | | | connected, engaged and committed. |
| the temple of the Holy Spirit, as St. Paul says, and | | | | Asking the right questions |
| should be treated with reverence and respect. I | | | | So we can ask ourselves two questions. What |
| must admit that I get pleasure in going to church; | | | | should I do to have a good happy, fulfilling and |
| it allows me to step out of my profane existence. | | | | meaningful life? How can I be happy and fulfilled? |
| Peak experiences | | | | There is really no answer to the first question. |
| Haidt refers to A. Maslow's work on peak | | | | You cannot find, acquire or achieve happiness |
| experiences, joyous and exciting moments in life | | | | directly. As Haidt says, you have to get the |
| that produce feelings of intense happiness and | | | | conditions right. You need to be coherent in all the |
| well-being. Applied to a religious experience (which | | | | levels of your life; you need to be in relationship |
| does not necessarily represent the "truth"), these | | | | to something beyond yourself; and you need love |
| moments provide a state of self transcendence. | | | | and a calling. There is really no answer to the |
| People perceive something vast, something | | | | second question either. It is like asking yourself |
| beyond their existing mental structures. Such | | | | how can I breathe. Just like breathing, happiness |
| moments create an opening for change, and even | | | | happens. It is living in the moment and having a |
| transformation. Haidt relates beautifully the | | | | blast. |
| dramatic climax of the Bhagavad Gita in which | | | | |