Summary

The article discusses the pursuit of infinite happiness through the lens of Dharma, Karma, and Philotimo, suggesting that mindfulness and selfless action are key to achieving this state.

Abstract

The article delves into the human quest for eternal happiness, critiquing the materialistic mindset that equates happiness with external achievements or possessions. It introduces the concept of Dharma, not as a religion but as a spiritual belief and intrinsic quality, emphasizing that the true nature of humans is to seek infinite happiness. The author explores Karma, beyond the notion of "you get what you give," to the deeper level of mindful thinking and conscious living, advocating for the importance of awareness in earning good Karma. Additionally, the Greek virtue of Philotimo is presented as a parallel concept to Dharma, representing the idea of living with honor and integrity as a fundamental human characteristic. The article concludes by encouraging self-exploration and mindfulness as paths to true happiness, suggesting that this state is an internal realization rather than an external acquisition.

Opinions

The author posits that the current materialistic mindset has misguidedly placed a price tag on happiness, leading to a misconception of what truly brings fulfillment.
Dharma is misunderstood as a religion, whereas it is actually a spiritual belief that aligns with the innate desire for infinite happiness.
Karma is not merely about actions and their consequences but involves the intention and consciousness behind those actions, with mindfulness being crucial for living a life that leads to true happiness.
The concept of Philotimo is introduced as a Greek virtue that aligns with the idea of living righteously and honorably, suggesting it is as essential to life as breathing.
The article

Dharma, Karma & Philotimo — Is Infinite Happiness A Myth.

Let’s get desperate to go back to basics.

If there was ever a need to make sense of the human condition, it’s now. Humans have always yearned for infinite happiness, and nothing is wrong with it. The problem is the medium. Our materialistic mindset has intoxicated our brains with a mirage that has placed a price tag on our happiness quotient.

Why do we yearn for infinite happiness?

To answer this question, one needs to understand the concept of Dharma. Many understand Dharma as a religion, but in reality, it is a spiritual belief and one of many sacred teachings from the Indian subcontinent. Religion base its faith on GOD, but people use it to in·stil fear due to our helplessness over life situations.

God is not a person but only a presence. And when I say “presence,” be very attentive because you can go on listening according to your own conditioning. You can even make “presence” something objective — you have again fallen into the same trap. God is a presence at the innermost core of your being: it is your own presence. It is not a meeting with somebody else. — Osho.

The best way to think of Dharma is to understand the innate characteristic of a being or a thing. The Dharma of fire is to heat, and water provides moisture and wetness. The Dharma of a human being is to be indefinitely happy. We cannot resist this temptation as it’s our innate characteristic. Some try to find it in their careers, others in their relationships, while very few treasure it by providing selflessly for others. One way or another, we all want infinite happiness.

In this article, I would like to explore two concepts from the Indian and the Greek philosophy to explore gateways to fulfil our Dharma, i.e., to achieve infinite happiness.

Karma

The term Karma (Sanskrit कर्म;) refers to the idea of “you get what you give.” It might sound like our actions impact our destiny, but that’s the tip of the iceberg.

What are these actions? What is the inspiration behind these actions? Is it spoken words (शब्द), speech(वाणी), thinking (सोच), or emotion (भावना)? According to Gautam Buddha, its mindful thinking or contemplation (विचार).

Our brain generates 25,000 to 50,000 thoughts (सोच) a day, a large portion of them being negative. Our society, culture, and life experiences give birth to these thoughts. I like to call this thinking being living in an unconscious state: Unconscious because our life experiences, not reality, form the basis for these thoughts.

Mindful thinking or contemplation (विचार), on the other hand, is conscious living — a state when we are aware of the thoughts produced inside our brain. Scientists identify this as thinking about our views — metacognition.

According to the law of Karma, we need to give endlessly to get endless pleasure. Donating your money or giving up worldly aspirations does not mean providing selflessly. It means working on your conscious thinking (विचार) until you filter out all animalistic desires against others.

Meditation is a powerful tool for living a conscious life because it brings awareness. Awareness allows us to clean our thoughts and hence makes us earn good Karma by doing the right thing.

Philotimo

gold and red heart pendant (unsplash.com)

The word Philotimo breaks down into “filos” — the friend and “timi” — the honour. It means friend of honour.

The word encompasses the concepts of doing right, living right, pride in oneself and one’s family and community, respect, and sacrifice, gratitude and humility. It’s doing the decent thing — and recognizing that it is an honor to do the decent thing.

Philotimo is not an idea but a unique Greek virtue. There is no English translation of this virtue but a quote from Thales of Miletus, caught my attention. It says, “Philotimo to the Greek is like breathing. A Greek is not a Greek without it. He might as well not be alive.”

If Philotimo is like breathing and breathing is an innate characteristic of a human being, doesn’t it make Philotimo the Dharma of human life? In simpler terms, our Dharma should be to do the right thing, not in the eyes of the law but in the eyes of humanity.

The next question is what’s stopping us from living this way? Our materialistic aspirations intoxicate us to live an unconscious life. The capitalist mindset of more-more-more takes us away from the path of mindfulness. Mindfulness is the only way to stay away from animalistic desires. Until we don’t get rid of our animalistic desires, we cant be on the right side of humanity.

Conclusion

I have written many articles using this phrase from Socrates — “To know thyself is the beginning of Wisdom.”. The process of self-exploration is the most peaceful place to be. Sit, inspect, relax and act. Infinite happiness is within you and not in any object outside you.

Happy living

नमस्ते (Namaste)

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