SWAMI MUKUNDANANDA AT GOOGLE INDIA HEADQUARTERS
On questions that confound us, we often turn to Google. But in this new year, Google turned to Swami Mukundananda to understand the Art and Science of Happiness. On 18th Jan, Swamiji graciously accepted the invitation to be present amidst 400 Googlers in Bangalore, for enlivening their lives with joy.
We all may have different goals but the common thread in various ambitions is the pursuit of happiness. Whether it’s a lucrative job, vacation, or want of family and friends — everything boils down to the inherent desire to be happy.
Swamiji quoted how medical researchers have proved that happier people are healthier people with better antibody responses. Even a study on Nuns showcased that the happier ones lived beyond 85 years of age, whereas the unhappy population rarely lived long. Big conglomerates like McDonalds, Amazon, etc. have even created unique roles like ‘Chief Happiness Officer’ (CHO), because of statistics on how happier employees contribute more productively towards the Organization’s success.
Although we desire happiness from the day we are born, unfortunately, as the elusive rainbow on the horizon, happiness still remains a mystery for many of us. If happiness could be coded through technology, grown in the farm fields, or produced in factories, then geeks, farmers, and industrialists could have claimed to have been always happy.
But we have witnessed how even the richest like John Rockefeller, the most famous like Justin Bieber, and even the royal like Prince Harry suffer discontentment, depression, and anxiety. This implies that the popular belief that ‘money can buy happiness’ is a myopic understanding and needs rectification. While money is important to meet basic survival needs, beyond that the fulfilment rendered by money gradually decreases. While the pursuit of externals increases our standard of living, they do not necessarily enhance the quality of our life.
Some other defective mindsets that steal away our happiness are comparisons which put us in a negative frame of mind. Also, when situations are out of our control, the way to rise above frustration is to change the way we choose to see them. For example, if you pay heavy taxes, be grateful for having a job in-hand; if your child messes up your home, be thankful for having a family. This art of cultivating gratitude was expounded by Swamiji with many beautiful stories.
The lesser-known secret behind always feeling blissful is to align our efforts to fulfil a purpose beyond our selfish motives. That is how we acquire inner happiness, independent of externals, impervious to adversity, empowering us to lead a fulfilling life. In short, when we strive to be good & do good, we automatically feel good!
Participants posed thoughtful questions to seek clarity in a personal context and gain deeper insights into happiness.