Vedanta philosophy says that happiness is the very core of our being. Though we also seem to derive happiness from external objects or experiences, even after the object or experience is gained, we continue to search for happiness.
Vedanta suggests that in our consciousness, there always exists a state of perfect peace and pure happiness. But, desire and fear may agitate our minds and obscure the happiness that always exists within. When a desire is satisfied, or the cause of a fear is removed, the surface agitation of our mind subsides and in that temporary calm, the mind recognises its state of innate happiness.
Happiness, therefore, is a state of being and it is the activity of our mind that disturbs it from its calm state of just being and causes us to lose sight of our innermost happiness. To enjoy happiness, therefore, despite all our external distractions and disturbing thought patterns, one needs to reflect and recognise that our innermost state is that of pure bliss, consciousness or pure happiness.
The constant activity of our mind distracts us from our essential being, obscuring our awareness of the happiness that we really are. Therefore, as long as our mind is only extroverted and distracted by our thoughts and desires, we fail to experience perfect, permanent and unqualified happiness. To experience true and etsernal happiness, Vedanta philosophy suggests that we attain the experience of true knowledge which is the clear consciousness of our own essential being.
