The Pursuit of Happiness
The famous phrase coined by Thomas Jefferson ‘the pursuit of happiness’ appears in the American Declaration of Independence of 1787. The original meaning differs to the modern interpretation associated with passing pleasures or self-gratification but more as a way to establish an idealised way of self-governance and moral character building. The inspiration behind this concept of human flourishing was attributed to the Greek word ‘Eudemonia’ that translates literally as ‘good spirit’. The difficulty with any proposal to live according to an ideal or set of moral codes is that it involves a projection of positive energy into existence. This unknowingly attracts the opposite polarity of negativity to counter the more altruistic qualities.
As history graphically demonstrates, such idealism brings about rebellion and violence on a mass scale, such as the rise and decline of communism or with the fanaticism of the Nazis and their dream of a thousand-year Reich. No moral code or mind-made rules of conduct are truly effective as a means to govern society and establish peace on earth. The virus of discontent endemic in the world is too deep within the human psyche; the best that can be achieved is a compromise. This is to establishes a way of life where people are able to get away with just about anything as long as they don’t get caught breaking the morally questionable laws of justice. The one and only stipulation for real and lasting freedom is living in accordance with the integrity of life inherent within the body.
The power of the ‘good spirit’ was on the descending node in the times of the ancient Greeks. Their connection with the essence of the earth as the authentic spiritual nature became corrupted through the worship of the mind and adherence to rhetoric and formulation of an intellectual model of reality. The seeds of mental decay became an impediment to the inner flow of the psyche, and decline and decimation quickly followed. The Roman world picked up the progressive idea and integrated the structure of Greek ideals into its pantheon of imperialistic ideals. What came after was the emergence of Christianity, which provided the highly volatile current of emotion necessary to penetrate throughout the mainstream of the human psyche. Both the mental and emotional energies combined as the dynamic thrust on which western civilisation would emerge triumphant to conquer the world.
Western civilisation is not concerned with the pursuit of happiness or anything else not directly involved with progress and maintenance of a materially driven world order. Western civilisation represents the ultimate achievement of human nature – the externalisation of the progressive idea as the blind ignorance of humanity in motion. The awful truth is that man and woman are simply not equipped for lasting peace and love in this phase of human earth culture. Stripped of its physical form and appearance, the mechanism of the human psyche vibrates to the frequency of mass psychosis, strengthened each moment by the adherence to an emotional way of life. The ‘good spirit’, the light of consciousness inherent within the being, is rendered virtually impotent against these destructive emotional energies which populate the field of mind and body. The rare men and women who determine to find and realise the truth within, and pass through the charade of living in the madness of the world, try (but mostly in vain) to communicate some reality to those with listening ears. But it’s a losing battle and their voices are usually censored and certainly not broadcast on the world’s media. The unwritten rule of the modern democratic society is that free speech is a basic human right – except for anyone who speaks the truth and is effective in turning the focus away from the external world back towards the inner source of reality.
We exist as beings in the world, not to be happy or unhappy but to enjoy life free of emotional negativity. The distorted world of phantom minds and plastic people does its best to inculcate each new generation to pursue happiness as a goal to be desired. But no one has yet succeeded, or ever will, regardless of what’s been gained or achieved. As we’ve seen, it is the effect of the opposite polarities in existence which contributes to the vacillation of emotional feelings that swing between excitement and depression, happy or sad, and pleasure and pain.
Within each human being is a deeply wise and impersonal friend that has no need to pursue happiness or be troubled by the opposite polarity of unhappiness. Eudemonia, the ‘good spirit’, is neither up nor down but the state of peace that remains unalterable, regardless ofthe drama in the outside sensory world. Having no discernible features, this intimate friend is imponderable to the mind but, strangely or miraculously, can be registered in the absence of thought or any reflection on memory impressions. When in touch with this inner reality, all worldly problems disappear, and what remains is simply what is; an original solution built into our very being. This is the divine aspect of love without formalities. Being neither a positive-or-negative-induced energy, the state contains everything that could be desired in the world – but in its entirety and not just in parts. When this is realised, what more can anyone desire? And the answer is nothing; for this is the state of fulfillment – the divine mystery beyond the pursuit of happiness.
photo: Ali Arjmandi