Converting Action into Bliss
OUR
'IF-THEN' ACTION PREDICAMENT
We perform action to achieve a specific outcome. If we achieve that outcome, we are happy; if we don’t achieve the outcome, we are disappointed.
Over a long period of many such cycles, our happiness becomes contingent upon the outcome. We believe that we will be happy only if the outcome takes place -- the ‘If-then’ Model of happiness. ‘If’ my children listen to me, ‘then’ I will be happy; ‘if’ I can attain that promotion ‘then’ I will be happy; ‘if’ I lose the last 10 lbs., ‘then’ I will be happy. Many of us live with this, ‘if-then’ kind of operating model in our heads.
A good experience can make us temporarily happy, but it reduces to a normal personal baseline of happiness as time passes. In 1971, two psychologists, Brickman and Campbell, coined the term ‘hedonic treadmill’, to explain this experience, the gist of which is that people tend to return to their baseline level of happiness, regardless of the positive or negative experience that they go through.
Another corollary to the baseline level of happiness is the idea of 'habituation'. It takes more and more escalation of experiences to achieve the same level of happiness. From basic milk chocolate, we move on to try different flavors, then to gourmet varieties, all in pursuit of the same amount of happiness. This is also what leads to the potential for addiction.
ACTION AND THE PURUSHARTHAS
According to Sanatana Dharma (the eternal truth), we take actions towards four main pursuits (purusharthas) which represent the reason (why we do what we do):
· Kama (desire; actions to satisfy our biological needs and psychological needs)
These (not so) coincidentally lead to different forms of happiness:
· 'Kama' actions lead to pleasure or comfort
Over the course of our lives, all these pursuits are helpful at various stages and times, though the overall goal of humans is freedom from suffering, self-realization or moksha which results in bliss.
Taking actions in the mode of Kama, pleasures do yield a form of happiness, unfortunately it is not long lasting or sustainable. The first bite of chocolate tastes delicious but what happens when we have been munching on it the whole day? Are we still able to enjoy the chocolate? Besides the possibility of an upset stomach because of our ‘lobh' (greed), the happiness that comes from the first bite will be very different to the one that comes from the tenth bite.
Some actions are undertaken because of habit/routine/ritual – exercising or meditating after awakening. It’s just something we have gotten accustomed to doing without much thinking or reflection. These actions lead to some sense of comfort from the repetition of familiarity. [The difference between an action taken repetitively to grow and learn versus one taken to meet a biological need is in the undertaking of a challenge vs the desire for comfort or familiarity.]
Actions in the mode of ‘Artha’ also does not lead to permanent happiness. Getting your first job turns into pursuit of your next job, a raise, a promotion, certifications, awards, titles. There is some sense of satisfaction and accomplishment at each level, but it does not build upon itself. Artha pursuits are based on desire which has been sublimated from biological and psychological to more economic; from more immediate to deferred. Yet this delayed gratification, though it motivates us to work hard and achieve, and accumulate objects, does not lead to accumulation of happiness.
So as we can see, there is some happiness in the actions taken above. However, that happiness is fleeting, requiring ongoing reinforcement in order to be replenished, leading to attachment to the action, creating a demand for more such action in order to further stimulate the “good feeling” – generation of habits which we get stuck into or in extreme cases, addiction to an action.
These actions based on Kama and Artha create “bondage” and “suffering” because their undertaking is necessarily linked to a need for repetition and escalation of such actions in order to continue to generate happiness; and because they are inherently self-centered, thereby creating more distance between self and others.
When we pursue actions based on Dharma – doing the right thing, or what needs to be done based on values and meaning – the happiness starts to become more lasting and more foundational. It builds upon itself with each such action, leading to fulfillment and joy. We start to become gratified by knowing and doing the moral thing. Our motivation shifts from self-centered desire to the welfare of others, and the basis of our actions shifts to service, helpfulness, kindness, respect, gratitude. With the distancing of actions from self-centeredness, we start to break the bondage of attachment and desire. This creates greater clarity about the right thing to do, and doing the right thing reinforces the process by resulting in fulfillment.
As we turn towards the pursuit of Moksha, actions are taken towards a deeper understanding of the true Self and a realization of the universal connectedness of all beings. These actions lead to harmony and balance. As we undertake actions on this basis, they are permeated with devotion, compassion, love. With liberation, the experience of happiness is an everlasting bliss, state of peace, and unconditional love.
The challenge for us arises when we don’t understand the different kinds of happiness and how to build upon them over time. Sometimes we get “stuck” in a particular mode of “action – happiness” without realizing it because that is what we have learned or been socialized for. The issue with Kama and Artha pursuits is that they are based on self-centered desires which lead to bondage (attachment to the desire and the object of the desire) which leads to suffering (craving for the object of the desire when it is absent or wanes). Dharma grounds us and shows us the way out of suffering by providing a different mechanism for action – purpose and meaning rather than desire and accumulation. And Moksha provides the final release by converting all action itself into the pure expression of bliss and love.
ACTION AND THE YOGAS
Combining our understanding of actions and how they relate to the Purusharthas with the guidance of the Yogas (karma, raja, bhakti, gyana), which are each paths leading to ‘Union with the Universal,’ we understand further how to convert our various daily actions into bliss.
· Actions taken in service (karmayoga) deliver satisfaction from helping others
All of these ‘yogic’ actions arise from a state of fullness and are not based on needs to be filled. They do not create more craving, or desire, or attachment, or any sort of addiction, and are in alignment with our higher Self (that which we are trying to unify with) rather than our ego-driven lower self (that which thinks of itself as a separate being). This is the crux of why these actions lead to lasting, spiritual happiness.
ACTION AND THE THREE GUNAS
The gunas are the subtle elements of nature which make up all matter. They are of three types (tamas, rajas, and sattva). Preponderance of one type leads to a different kind of action. There is considerable intersection of the Gunas with the Purusharthas and the Yogas as well as a difference in emphasis which helps us further understand how action is related to happiness.
In tamas, one is inclined towards indolence/ inactivity/ lethargy/ inertia with a goal of finding pleasure or comfort. A tamasic individual will want to sleep and avoid strenuous activities.
In rajas, actions are based more on passion or activity. The pursuit of these actions is to accumulate wealth, fame, experiences, etc. with the goal to achieve a sense of accomplishment or satisfaction. A rajasic individual will want to be busy and active, but these activities may not necessarily lead to fulfillment.
In sattva, actions are taken towards equilibrium which leads to peace of mind, harmony, balance. A sattvic individual will want to do good for the world, help others, create unity.
These elements are not a fixed quantity in any individual. They fluctuate over time, and can be modified through many different interventions (such as the Yogas) so that our actions and behaviors change over time as we move from tamas (inaction) through rajas (action) to sattva (equilibrium), and then ultimately rise above sattva as well (the hold of material nature) to moksha (liberation).
ACTION AND OUTCOMES
One of the most essential teachings about action comes from the Bhagavad Gita, Ch 2, v 47:
karmaṇy-evādhikāraste (you have a right to perform your prescribed duties)
mā phaleṣhu kadāchana (but you are not entitled to the fruits of your actions)
mā karma-phala-hetur bhūr (never consider yourself to be the cause of the results of your actions)
mā te saṅgo ’stvakarmaṇi (nor be attached to inaction)
This central lesson from Sri Krishna is that outcomes (fruits of actions) are not in our control. What is in our control is performance of our duties (taking action). If we break this down further, based on other teachings in the Gita, the only thing we have in our control is the inputs to the action. There are four key inputs (each aligning with one of the Yogas) which we do have within our control:
· Clarity – Knowing the right thing to do – Gyanayoga
“ACTION TO BLISS” EXERCISE
1. Observe: What connection do you see between your actions and happiness?
The father of “positive psychology,” Martin Seligman, describes a framework of happiness which is fairly similar to the approaches that we have discussed above. He defines happiness as resulting from pleasure, engagement, and meaning. We can roughly map pleasure to Kama and Tamas; engagement to Artha and Rajas; and meaning to Dharma and Sattva. Notably he does not have a separate dimension which correlates with Moksha (and beyond Sattva/ beyond any desire or attachment to matter).
He further breaks down happiness into past, present, and future activities.
Past: Contentment, Satisfaction, Serenity, Pride
Future: Hope, Trust, Optimism, Faith, Confidence
Present: Which he separates into
Pleasures: Ecstasy, Thrill, Orgasm, Delight, Mirth, Exuberance, Comfort
Gratifications (or Flow*): Based on strengths which support the development of Virtues (Wisdom/ Knowledge, Love/ Humanity, Courage, Justice, Temperance, Spirituality/ Transcendence)
“Pleasure is a powerful source of motivation, but it does not produce change/ learning/ growth. It is a conservative force that makes us want to satisfy existing needs, achieve comfort, and relaxation.”
Seligman describes Flow or Gratification (which Aristotle called Eudaimonia) as “part and parcel of right action. It cannot be achieved by any bodily pleasure, nor chemically induced, nor attained by any shortcuts.” Gratifications “engage us fully, becoming absorbed and immersed, losing self consciousness, do not habituate easily, and are undergirded by our strengths and virtues. While pleasure marks biological satiation, flow (gratification) marks the achievement of psychological growth.”
“Strengths and virtues wither during a lifetime of taking shortcuts to achieve pleasure rather than the hard work (challenge/ effort/ discipline/ determination) which leads to gratifications.”
* Flow is a heightened state of experience described by another leading figure of positive psychology, Mihaly Czikszentmihalyi.
Which of your actions lead to the various kinds of happiness (pleasure, satisfaction, fulfillment, peace, bliss)?
2. Reflect: Write or describe what you are thinking and feeling.
Journaling or writing letters has become a favorite healing approach used by many mental health disciplines. The benefits of journaling your thoughts and feelings have been a topic of widespread research and you can find many peer-reviewed scientific papers that showcase the beneficial effects of journaling for our physical and mental well-being. Getting our thoughts out of our mind and onto a piece of paper helps us organize those thoughts, understand the linkages between them, and prioritize what actions we should take.
Which of your actions lead to more lasting forms of happiness?
3. Contemplate: Design your Life!
What does a perfect day in your life look like? Many of us do not take the time to define our perfect day. Unless you put the direction in the GPS, how do you expect to move? As an action step this week, get down to the basics, define some basic words: what does happiness mean to you, what do the words success, family, relationships mean to you?
In their book, Designing Your Life, authors Bill Burnett and Dave Evans guide us with using design thinking to help us create a fulfilled and meaningful life irrespective of who or where you are in your life right now. The principles of design thinking that is responsible for the amazing technology, products, and spaces around us can now be applied to your life to create the next conscious and spiritual phase of your life.
Which actions will you choose this week to enjoy longer lasting happiness?
4. Prioritize: Decisions, Decisions, Decisions!
Did you know we make around 35,000 remotely conscious decisions every single day. The minute we wake up we start making decisions. Whether to wake up or snooze the alarm, which exercise to do today, will I let the weather affect my mood, what to eat, what to wear, which tasks to tackle for the day, how to best spend our time and energy, etc., etc., you get the picture. The fact is that in our daily lives we are actively making decisions, many times at an unconscious level. Although some forms of happiness can be influenced by internal and external factors, we still have a choice. So choose happiness as a state of your mind, start your day with Ralph Marston’s words: "Happiness is a choice, not a result. Nothing will make you happy until you choose to be happy.”
Which actions will you prioritize for lasting happiness?
5. Track: Regularly measure the progression and evolution of your happiness.
How do you quantify an intangible, a feeling? How do you quantify something subjective such as happiness? An easy tracker is by asking yourself a scaling question, how happy do you feel on a scale from 0 to 10? You can then start tracking how you feel for each of the different forms of happiness, along with performance of those behaviors/ actions which you identified above.
In today’s world you have access to many free happiness tracking tools at your fingertips. When you take the time to track your happiness, you bring awareness and feedback into your external and internal world. This can ultimately lead to longer lasting happiness by shining light on areas in your life where change may be beneficial. So, get your hands on an emotion tracker or use self-reflection questionnaires to help you measure your own happiness.
Which tracking tool will you use to track your happiness?
CONCLUSION
We may shy away from the spiritual path because we perceive it to be devoid of the day-to-day happiness/pleasure/comfort which has become the basis for our existence. What we don’t realize is that there is an even deeper state of bliss, joy, peace of mind, and satisfaction that arises from spirituality guided actions which are all more meaningful, lasting, and liberating.
We perform action to achieve a specific outcome. If we achieve that outcome, we are happy; if we don’t achieve the outcome, we are disappointed.
Over a long period of many such cycles, our happiness becomes contingent upon the outcome. We believe that we will be happy only if the outcome takes place -- the ‘If-then’ Model of happiness. ‘If’ my children listen to me, ‘then’ I will be happy; ‘if’ I can attain that promotion ‘then’ I will be happy; ‘if’ I lose the last 10 lbs., ‘then’ I will be happy. Many of us live with this, ‘if-then’ kind of operating model in our heads.
A good experience can make us temporarily happy, but it reduces to a normal personal baseline of happiness as time passes. In 1971, two psychologists, Brickman and Campbell, coined the term ‘hedonic treadmill’, to explain this experience, the gist of which is that people tend to return to their baseline level of happiness, regardless of the positive or negative experience that they go through.
Another corollary to the baseline level of happiness is the idea of 'habituation'. It takes more and more escalation of experiences to achieve the same level of happiness. From basic milk chocolate, we move on to try different flavors, then to gourmet varieties, all in pursuit of the same amount of happiness. This is also what leads to the potential for addiction.
ACTION AND THE PURUSHARTHAS
According to Sanatana Dharma (the eternal truth), we take actions towards four main pursuits (purusharthas) which represent the reason (why we do what we do):
· Kama (desire; actions to satisfy our biological needs and psychological needs)
These (not so) coincidentally lead to different forms of happiness:
· 'Kama' actions lead to pleasure or comfort
Over the course of our lives, all these pursuits are helpful at various stages and times, though the overall goal of humans is freedom from suffering, self-realization or moksha which results in bliss.
Taking actions in the mode of Kama, pleasures do yield a form of happiness, unfortunately it is not long lasting or sustainable. The first bite of chocolate tastes delicious but what happens when we have been munching on it the whole day? Are we still able to enjoy the chocolate? Besides the possibility of an upset stomach because of our ‘lobh' (greed), the happiness that comes from the first bite will be very different to the one that comes from the tenth bite.
Some actions are undertaken because of habit/routine/ritual – exercising or meditating after awakening. It’s just something we have gotten accustomed to doing without much thinking or reflection. These actions lead to some sense of comfort from the repetition of familiarity. [The difference between an action taken repetitively to grow and learn versus one taken to meet a biological need is in the undertaking of a challenge vs the desire for comfort or familiarity.]
Actions in the mode of ‘Artha’ also does not lead to permanent happiness. Getting your first job turns into pursuit of your next job, a raise, a promotion, certifications, awards, titles. There is some sense of satisfaction and accomplishment at each level, but it does not build upon itself. Artha pursuits are based on desire which has been sublimated from biological and psychological to more economic; from more immediate to deferred. Yet this delayed gratification, though it motivates us to work hard and achieve, and accumulate objects, does not lead to accumulation of happiness.
So as we can see, there is some happiness in the actions taken above. However, that happiness is fleeting, requiring ongoing reinforcement in order to be replenished, leading to attachment to the action, creating a demand for more such action in order to further stimulate the “good feeling” – generation of habits which we get stuck into or in extreme cases, addiction to an action.
These actions based on Kama and Artha create “bondage” and “suffering” because their undertaking is necessarily linked to a need for repetition and escalation of such actions in order to continue to generate happiness; and because they are inherently self-centered, thereby creating more distance between self and others.
When we pursue actions based on Dharma – doing the right thing, or what needs to be done based on values and meaning – the happiness starts to become more lasting and more foundational. It builds upon itself with each such action, leading to fulfillment and joy. We start to become gratified by knowing and doing the moral thing. Our motivation shifts from self-centered desire to the welfare of others, and the basis of our actions shifts to service, helpfulness, kindness, respect, gratitude. With the distancing of actions from self-centeredness, we start to break the bondage of attachment and desire. This creates greater clarity about the right thing to do, and doing the right thing reinforces the process by resulting in fulfillment.
As we turn towards the pursuit of Moksha, actions are taken towards a deeper understanding of the true Self and a realization of the universal connectedness of all beings. These actions lead to harmony and balance. As we undertake actions on this basis, they are permeated with devotion, compassion, love. With liberation, the experience of happiness is an everlasting bliss, state of peace, and unconditional love.
The challenge for us arises when we don’t understand the different kinds of happiness and how to build upon them over time. Sometimes we get “stuck” in a particular mode of “action – happiness” without realizing it because that is what we have learned or been socialized for. The issue with Kama and Artha pursuits is that they are based on self-centered desires which lead to bondage (attachment to the desire and the object of the desire) which leads to suffering (craving for the object of the desire when it is absent or wanes). Dharma grounds us and shows us the way out of suffering by providing a different mechanism for action – purpose and meaning rather than desire and accumulation. And Moksha provides the final release by converting all action itself into the pure expression of bliss and love.
ACTION AND THE YOGAS
Combining our understanding of actions and how they relate to the Purusharthas with the guidance of the Yogas (karma, raja, bhakti, gyana), which are each paths leading to ‘Union with the Universal,’ we understand further how to convert our various daily actions into bliss.
· Actions taken in service (karmayoga) deliver satisfaction from helping others
All of these ‘yogic’ actions arise from a state of fullness and are not based on needs to be filled. They do not create more craving, or desire, or attachment, or any sort of addiction, and are in alignment with our higher Self (that which we are trying to unify with) rather than our ego-driven lower self (that which thinks of itself as a separate being). This is the crux of why these actions lead to lasting, spiritual happiness.
ACTION AND THE THREE GUNAS
The gunas are the subtle elements of nature which make up all matter. They are of three types (tamas, rajas, and sattva). Preponderance of one type leads to a different kind of action. There is considerable intersection of the Gunas with the Purusharthas and the Yogas as well as a difference in emphasis which helps us further understand how action is related to happiness.
In tamas, one is inclined towards indolence/ inactivity/ lethargy/ inertia with a goal of finding pleasure or comfort. A tamasic individual will want to sleep and avoid strenuous activities.
In rajas, actions are based more on passion or activity. The pursuit of these actions is to accumulate wealth, fame, experiences, etc. with the goal to achieve a sense of accomplishment or satisfaction. A rajasic individual will want to be busy and active, but these activities may not necessarily lead to fulfillment.
In sattva, actions are taken towards equilibrium which leads to peace of mind, harmony, balance. A sattvic individual will want to do good for the world, help others, create unity.
These elements are not a fixed quantity in any individual. They fluctuate over time, and can be modified through many different interventions (such as the Yogas) so that our actions and behaviors change over time as we move from tamas (inaction) through rajas (action) to sattva (equilibrium), and then ultimately rise above sattva as well (the hold of material nature) to moksha (liberation).
ACTION AND OUTCOMES
One of the most essential teachings about action comes from the Bhagavad Gita, Ch 2, v 47:
karmaṇy-evādhikāraste (you have a right to perform your prescribed duties)
mā phaleṣhu kadāchana (but you are not entitled to the fruits of your actions)
mā karma-phala-hetur bhūr (never consider yourself to be the cause of the results of your actions)
mā te saṅgo ’stvakarmaṇi (nor be attached to inaction)
This central lesson from Sri Krishna is that outcomes (fruits of actions) are not in our control. What is in our control is performance of our duties (taking action). If we break this down further, based on other teachings in the Gita, the only thing we have in our control is the inputs to the action. There are four key inputs (each aligning with one of the Yogas) which we do have within our control:
· Clarity – Knowing the right thing to do – Gyanayoga
“ACTION TO BLISS” EXERCISE
1. Observe: What connection do you see between your actions and happiness?
The father of “positive psychology,” Martin Seligman, describes a framework of happiness which is fairly similar to the approaches that we have discussed above. He defines happiness as resulting from pleasure, engagement, and meaning. We can roughly map pleasure to Kama and Tamas; engagement to Artha and Rajas; and meaning to Dharma and Sattva. Notably he does not have a separate dimension which correlates with Moksha (and beyond Sattva/ beyond any desire or attachment to matter).
He further breaks down happiness into past, present, and future activities.
Past: Contentment, Satisfaction, Serenity, Pride
Future: Hope, Trust, Optimism, Faith, Confidence
Present: Which he separates into
Pleasures: Ecstasy, Thrill, Orgasm, Delight, Mirth, Exuberance, Comfort
Gratifications (or Flow*): Based on strengths which support the development of Virtues (Wisdom/ Knowledge, Love/ Humanity, Courage, Justice, Temperance, Spirituality/ Transcendence)
“Pleasure is a powerful source of motivation, but it does not produce change/ learning/ growth. It is a conservative force that makes us want to satisfy existing needs, achieve comfort, and relaxation.”
Seligman describes Flow or Gratification (which Aristotle called Eudaimonia) as “part and parcel of right action. It cannot be achieved by any bodily pleasure, nor chemically induced, nor attained by any shortcuts.” Gratifications “engage us fully, becoming absorbed and immersed, losing self consciousness, do not habituate easily, and are undergirded by our strengths and virtues. While pleasure marks biological satiation, flow (gratification) marks the achievement of psychological growth.”
“Strengths and virtues wither during a lifetime of taking shortcuts to achieve pleasure rather than the hard work (challenge/ effort/ discipline/ determination) which leads to gratifications.”
* Flow is a heightened state of experience described by another leading figure of positive psychology, Mihaly Czikszentmihalyi.
Which of your actions lead to the various kinds of happiness (pleasure, satisfaction, fulfillment, peace, bliss)?
2. Reflect: Write or describe what you are thinking and feeling.
Journaling or writing letters has become a favorite healing approach used by many mental health disciplines. The benefits of journaling your thoughts and feelings have been a topic of widespread research and you can find many peer-reviewed scientific papers that showcase the beneficial effects of journaling for our physical and mental well-being. Getting our thoughts out of our mind and onto a piece of paper helps us organize those thoughts, understand the linkages between them, and prioritize what actions we should take.
Which of your actions lead to more lasting forms of happiness?
3. Contemplate: Design your Life!
What does a perfect day in your life look like? Many of us do not take the time to define our perfect day. Unless you put the direction in the GPS, how do you expect to move? As an action step this week, get down to the basics, define some basic words: what does happiness mean to you, what do the words success, family, relationships mean to you?
In their book, Designing Your Life, authors Bill Burnett and Dave Evans guide us with using design thinking to help us create a fulfilled and meaningful life irrespective of who or where you are in your life right now. The principles of design thinking that is responsible for the amazing technology, products, and spaces around us can now be applied to your life to create the next conscious and spiritual phase of your life.
Which actions will you choose this week to enjoy longer lasting happiness?
4. Prioritize: Decisions, Decisions, Decisions!
Did you know we make around 35,000 remotely conscious decisions every single day. The minute we wake up we start making decisions. Whether to wake up or snooze the alarm, which exercise to do today, will I let the weather affect my mood, what to eat, what to wear, which tasks to tackle for the day, how to best spend our time and energy, etc., etc., you get the picture. The fact is that in our daily lives we are actively making decisions, many times at an unconscious level. Although some forms of happiness can be influenced by internal and external factors, we still have a choice. So choose happiness as a state of your mind, start your day with Ralph Marston’s words: "Happiness is a choice, not a result. Nothing will make you happy until you choose to be happy.”
Which actions will you prioritize for lasting happiness?
5. Track: Regularly measure the progression and evolution of your happiness.
How do you quantify an intangible, a feeling? How do you quantify something subjective such as happiness? An easy tracker is by asking yourself a scaling question, how happy do you feel on a scale from 0 to 10? You can then start tracking how you feel for each of the different forms of happiness, along with performance of those behaviors/ actions which you identified above.
In today’s world you have access to many free happiness tracking tools at your fingertips. When you take the time to track your happiness, you bring awareness and feedback into your external and internal world. This can ultimately lead to longer lasting happiness by shining light on areas in your life where change may be beneficial. So, get your hands on an emotion tracker or use self-reflection questionnaires to help you measure your own happiness.
Which tracking tool will you use to track your happiness?
CONCLUSION
We may shy away from the spiritual path because we perceive it to be devoid of the day-to-day happiness/pleasure/comfort which has become the basis for our existence. What we don’t realize is that there is an even deeper state of bliss, joy, peace of mind, and satisfaction that arises from spirituality guided actions which are all more meaningful, lasting, and liberating.
In a remarkable way, Practicalizing Spirituality Blog continues to simplify spirituality and makes it friendly for an average person to conceptualize and use the eternal truths. In its current article: Converting actions into Bliss, a brilliant explanation of our choice of actions and the resultant type of happiness we experience. Strongly recommend this monthly blog to continue for enriching lives of countless people.
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