If one looks at how religions treat happiness and suffering, it appears that they value suffering more than happiness. No religion seems to say—be as happy as you can be and you will reach god. Happiness is seen as temporary.
The thinking goes that anything that gives temporary pleasure must end sometime, and hence cause pain due to the ending of that pleasure. Religions seem to be almost afraid of happiness. If happiness is coming into one’s life, pain must be following close behind. Many teachings across most religions seem to be aggressively anti-happiness.
On the other hand, suffering is believed to help in raising oneself towards god. While it can be argued that if one’s life circumstances impose suffering on oneself, bearing it with patience makes us stronger and more mature; many religious people go out of their way to obtain suffering.
In many religions, one can see processions where the faithful subject themselves to lashings, beatings, and many other types of physical torture. Some monks spend years torturing their bodies. Some wear footwear with nails pointing upwards, some pierce their bodies, some deprive themselves of food and water for long periods, some never lie down even sleeping in a standing position, while others walk barefoot over hot embers. Such people believe that suffering washes sins and purifies their souls.
However, our epics teach us the importance of happiness too. One of the major Upanishads, Taittiriya Upanishad, contains the following shloka:
raso vai sah rasam hy evayam labdhvanandi bhavati. He himself is rasa—joy, delight. And certainly, one who achieves this rasa becomes anandi— filled with bliss.
If god himself is happiness, then why should we be afraid of it? In fact, we are more likely to get closer to god through happiness than through suffering. The Bible says, let the rivers clap their hands; let the mountains sing together for joy.
Mahabharata presents before us the example of Sri Krishna who stands apart in the galaxy of gods as the most fun-loving and happy god. His life story teaches us that we need not suppress our innocent joys and feelings to be divine.
He embraced happiness without deviating from dharma. We cannot expect to get closer to god through happiness which is achieved through adharma or harmful means. If a person likes smoking and becomes a chain smoker, they are more likely to cut short their life than achieve lasting happiness.
Being religious or spiritual does not mean sacrificing the simple joys of life. It does not mean leading a plain, boring life. As long as one is steadfast in one’s dharma, one can embrace happiness without any guilt.
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