Secrets of Spiritual Happiness
Spiritual Happiness and the Happiness Hierarchy
Here's a chart that was inspired by psychologist Abraham Maslow's hierarchy of needs chart. This is one view of where spiritual happiness might fit in with other kinds of happiness:
/\
Eternal Bliss
/ 6 \
Spiritual Happiness
/ 5 \
Creative Happiness
/ 4 \
Mental Happiness
/ 3 \
Emotional Happiness
/ 2 \
Physical Happiness
/ 1 \
It's not so much that we need to "finish" each level before moving on to the next higher levels of happiness. We can have spiritual happiness even without having some of the levels beneath it - such as physical happiness, emotional happiness and mental happiness. In fact, many monastics and sages throughout the ages have chosen to live a life of physical, emotional, or mental austerity specifically to find their way to greater heights of spiritual happiness - although others have managed to find a way to "have it all."
I'll describe each level as I'm picturing it in this chart:
- Physical Happiness: Physical happiness means having the basics that will allow you to survive and thrive, such as food, water, shelter, and air.
- Emotional Happiness: Emotional happiness comes from feelings of love, belonging, and having a sense of family or community.
- Mental Happiness: Mental happiness comes with a positive self-image, and includes making good use of your mind's ability to continually improve and grow in your understanding and appreciation of life.
- Creative Happiness: Creative happiness blossoms forth when you are expressing your excellence as whatever you are meant to be - being the best artist, manager, cook, friend, mother, or worker that you can be - offering your creative efforts to benefit society and those you love.
- Spiritual Happiness: Spiritual happiness fills you with the peacefulness of unshakable faith, as you rest in your higher self -- while giving and serving with universal love and a vision of the bigger picture of your soul's journey.
- Eternal Bliss: Eternal bliss is a realm of unearthly ecstasy and oneness with all. We'll know it when we see it!
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