My parents were interested in an Indian Guru Tej Parkhi for some time. They bought some of his small, easily readable books. They contained some nice pearls of wisdom. Here’s one that I found quite interesting. It talks about the various stages of happiness that we experience as we go through life. None is better than the other, they are merely stages, but it helps to know what it is we are experiencing.

Every person experiences multiple stages, different stages in different situations. Our energies fluctuate, and so do our sources of happiness.

In the eternal quest for happiness, we go through seven levels of happiness until we attain what we have always wanted… ultimate bliss…

1) Artificial happiness does not even actually exist.

It is just little material pleasures that makes a person feel happy for a moment.

Retail therapy is one of the biggest examples of this happiness. One pays more than required for something they don’t need. They then mistake those few moments where they can forget the mundane boredom of their lives, for happiness.

2) Second hand happiness : This is pleasure derived by making fun, taunting, bullying or troubling others.

Making fun of others is very commonplace these days, and this is a clear indication that the person has not learned to connect with the universal source. Again, this is not really happiness, it is merely the act of trying to make another look smaller so that one can forget one’s own flaws for a while.

3) Stimulation happiness : This happiness is aroused by excitement.

Excitement could be found in adventure sports like bungee jumping or river rafting, or even in more common incidents in life, like doing something new, achieving a goal, winning something, etc.

During excitement, the mind stops working for a few moments, and one comes in touch with the Source. People then chase exciting activities to experience that again and again.

4) Formula happiness : This kind of pleasure is created by applying a formula.

For example, the formula for some people might be Movie + Dinner = Enjoyment.

5) Happiness through service : This is the first amongst higher levels of happiness where an individual derives happiness out of serving others.

The ego slowly starts to dissolve in this state, and one is able to see that everything is one. Thus, bringing a smile to others brings great joy.

6) Divine happiness : In this kind of happiness, a person experiences joy due to his devotion and surrender to the Higher Self.

The one thing that prevents us from being happy, is stress. Stress comes when we are resisting the present moment. When this resistance starts fading and is replaced by devotion and surrender, our inherent happiness starts to surface.

7) Eternal Bliss : This ultimate stage of everlasting pure happiness – everything is happiness.

In this stage, the union with the Source is complete. There is no one to surrender, there is no one to surrender to. One becomes an embodiment of the pure bliss that the universe already is.