Journey to Perennial Happiness - “Six Tenets” of Human Development

The attainment of true perennial happiness has always been the ultimate quest and goal of all humanity in the world. Be it a saint or a rogue, both are ultimately searching for that true lasting happiness in their respective ways – one through spiritual practices and the other through illegal practices. 

What does the sacred scriptures of our country Bharata say about the manner of attaining this happiness? 

Bhagavan Shree Krishna, in Chapter 5 Verse 21 of the Bhagavad Gita says: 

बाह्यस्पर्शेष्वसक्तात्मा विन्दत्यात्मनि यत्सुखम् |
स ब्रह्मयोगयुक्तात्मा सुखमक्षयमश्नुते || 21||

bāhya-sparśheṣhvasaktātmā vindatyātmani yat sukham
sa brahma-yoga-yuktātmā sukham akṣhayam aśhnute

Those who are not attached to external sense pleasures realize divine bliss in the Self. Being united with Brahman (God) through Yoga, they experience unending happiness.

Bhagavan Shree Krishna gives a twofold method of attaining divine unending happiness in the above verse:

1. Non-attachment to external sense pleasures (since the happiness derived out of them is gross, transitory & impermanent); and
2. Unity with Brahman (God) through Yoga

Practicing the above two will lead to realization of divine unending bliss, which Bhagavan says is to be found in one’s Self, i.e. Atman. In fact, the Atman or the Self within oneself is identical or one with the Universal God (Brahman) and the very nature of this Atman, Self or Brahman is Happiness or Bliss. In this regard, the Mandukya Upanishad (2.1) states “Ayam Aatma Brahma – This Self is Brahman” and the Taittiriya Upanishad (3.6.1) further states “anandah brahma iti vyajaanaat – Bliss is Brahman”.

So, the question is: How does one put the above two points into practice?

To begin with, Pujya Swami Chinmayananda ji in his book Kindle Life says: “..Every man comes to make a ready sacrifice of the grosser in preference to the subtler in him…..Thus, psychological satisfaction is richer than physical gratification; the subtler the personality, the greater is the satisfaction that is derived by the individual and while identifying with the subtler in us, we readily get ourselves transcended from the world of the grosser and its joys and sorrows.” 

In summary, nobler and higher the goal in one’s life, lesser the ego and selfishness within oneself and consequently, greater is the joy one gets.

So, what are those higher, subtler or nobler goals or aspects of the human personality which an individual can start focusing on? Let us see six of them below:

1. Culture – Swami Chinmayanandaji in his book Kindle Life defines culture as “When a set of people live for a long period of time in a particular geographical area, respecting certain philosophical values and virtues of life, there emanates a fragrance, which is called their culture.” The rich culture of Bharata comprises her deep values of tolerance and acceptance of all kinds of people from any area, nationality, sect etc., respect towards all religions, concentration on achieving inner peace and joy as well as outer success for the benefit for humanity at large. The facets of Bharatiya culture are also reflected in her multiple languages, texts, arts, dance, music, architecture and festivals which uphold the principle of “Unity in Diversity”. Living a well-cultured value-based life leads to purification and refinement of both the body and mind which in turn contributes to inner peace and joy within oneself.

2. Patriotism – “Janani Janmabhoomishcha Swargaadapi gariyasi” is a famous Sanskrit phrase which means “Mother and motherland are superior even to heaven.” It is very clearly seen in our history that all the great freedom fighters were fired up with the idea of “Nation above self.” For this ideal, so many of them renounced all pleasures and gave up their very lives for the nation. The ideal of patriotism, loyalty, service, unity and development of the nation is one of the noblest and highest goals one can have where one forgets one’s egotistic self and works for the welfare of the nation.

3. Society – Society is the mutual coming together of individuals/persons (say as an institution) having similar values, beliefs and norms. A society (such as Chinmaya Mission) having higher goals and values with the intention to serve and uplift the community, nation and world is a great blessing to humanity. Connecting with and being part of the society, its ideals and goals through selfless activities such as volunteering, donations in cash/kind and using one’s inherent skill/expertise/talents to help in any manner brings about unity, positive change and transformation at all levels – individual, family, social, national and global.

4. Education – “Saa vidyaa yaa vimuktaye” is a Sanskrit dictum from the Vishnu Purana which means “That is the knowledge which liberates.” Right knowledge and education in any field (be it material or spiritual) frees or liberates the individual from ignorance, inertia, negativity, misery, fear and other wrong emotions and habits and empowers and develops the individual in an all-round thorough manner. Right education especially develops the subtle discriminative faculty – intellect. Right exercise and use of intellect have always resulted in the right decisions, thus leading to right actions and consequently, progress in the individual’s life as well as of society and nation. Establishment of schools/colleges/institutions as well as learning, implementing and sharing right values and knowledge in any field for the welfare at large is thus another higher aspect or goal for the individual.  

5. Philosophy – The term “Philosophy” is derived from the Greek words philo (love) and sophia (wisdom) thus meaning love of wisdom. It is the deep study of the fundamental and ultimate nature of Brahman (God), Atman (soul), Jagat (world), truth, existence etc. The light on philosophy is contained in our Yoga and Vedantic Shastras such as Upanishads and Bhagavad Gita. For instance, the Gita in Chapter 3 verse 42 states – The senses are superior to the body, the mind is superior to the senses, the intellect is superior to the mind, and the Self (He) is superior to the intellect. Philosophy invites and shifts our attention towards the ultimate, subtlest and highest goal of human existence, i.e. realization of the Self. 

6. Spirituality – Spirituality means being ‘the Spirit’, being ‘Spirit-like’ or ‘God-like’ i.e. connecting oneself with and merging with God or Brahman. The nature of Spirit or Brahman is blissful awareness and even-mindedness. The Vedantic texts, apart from pointing out the goal to be achieved also comprise of various practices and techniques (suited to people of all temperaments) such as Jnana Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Karma Yoga, Raja Yoga etc. which, if followed diligently and persistently will definitely lead the individual to the attainment of the much-sought after final goal.

Points 1 to 4 discussed above primarily free the individual from attachment to external grosser sense objects and pleasures, whereas points 5 and 6 primarily help the individual in diverting his attention within himself and thereby attaining unity with Brahman (God) through Yoga.

Want to know more and dive deep into the above six tenets? Join the three-day International Conference on Spirituality, Education and Patriotism: Contribution of Swami Chinmayananda and Beyondwhich is being organized between May 8th and May 10th 2026 at Chinmaya Vishwa Vidyapeeth, Lalita Pratishthanam Facility, Onakkoor, Kerala on the momentous occasion of Chinmaya Mission completing 75 years. This conference will have scholars and practitioners reflect on the above six tenets and Swami Chinmayananda ji’s contribution to the same.

- Chaitanya Bhatt

Chennai, 1958 – imagine a room full of women gathered for their first Devi Group. This was at a time when India's women's movement was still focussed on legislative rights (Hindu Code Bill debates, property rights, education & a lot more we didn't have access to). This was a historic moment, albeit a quiet move.

One can only imagine the lengths of struggle Pujya Gurudev would have faced in that era to bring this august gathering in place. The bureaucracy and the opposition he would have had to battle to bring this together. Societal and cultural debates that he would have to deal with. Women’s access to study of scriptures was restricted and considered unnecessary. Against these odds, Gurudev did something completely radical by opening the doors for women to go a step beyond just studying. He gave them a platform to lead.

Gurudev’s reasoning was philosophical. We are aware that as Vedantins and sadhakas, we have studied in almost every scripture, including Upanishads and other shastras, that Atman is beyond everything; including gender. In such a case, the question that we need to ask is how Liberation would be exclusive to a few and would leave out women. The Knowledge, the path to Liberation has to be inclusive and hence accessible to women too. Isn't it? Hence for Gurudev, this wasn't a social decision. But one that was rooted in our shastras. Etched deep in the pages of Vedas. And one that had stood the test of time.

Thus, going beyond just philosophy. He walked the talk. He built institutions. The Devi Groups collectively came together to create a strong generation of Sevikas. These women eventually went on to lead Balavihar sessions, conduct satsangs and shape communities that would eventually be the Chinmaya Mission we know today. They worked with Gurudev to spread the knowledge of the Gita, the Upanishads, Prakarana Granthas and all that we read, listen and contemplate upon today.

When Sandeepany Sadhanalaya opened its doors in 1963, women trained alongside men. Again at a time when this would have raised several eyebrows. But Gurudev powered on in his signature style. Not only this, CORD, his vision for rural development, placed women at the heart of community transformation.

To quote Gurudev, “You are the mother, the model, the guru.” This isn't a compliment for women, these words were spoken to give women both responsibility and recognition. Not to be taken lightly. And we, as women, should never forget them. Not only this International Women’s day but everyday as women these words should echo in all that we do. In our Sadhana, in our Tapas, in our daily study of Vedas and in our Karma.

To explore these timeless teachings more deeply, you are warmly invited to enroll for the upcoming Chinmaya International Conference in May. To know more click here.  

Hari Om!

Shaili Arjani