Happiness…is basically an emotion.
If you wish to get down to the basics.

Otherwise, it's usually the happiest thing to be. It's that really light n wonderful feeling you get when you're absolutely satisfied with whatever's going on in the world around you. It's that feeling you get when you've just won that contest you've worked all month for. It's that feeling you get when you're sitting in a corner of your favourite mall thinking about what a rotten world it is, and a complete stranger comes up to you n gives you a really sweet smile (before walking off anyway, but by that time, it doesn't matter much).

Someone once told me, "you born, you die. I born, I die. Everyone born, everyone die. What you do in between is your contribution to story. But at end of the day, more than what you actually do, what matters is how you feel about what you've done." Apart from the more obvious fact that this person did not know English too well, I felt he had an extremely important lesson to teach us.

Take, for example, the not-so-well-known story of the two monks who meditated on the foothills of the Himalayas. One of them practiced extremely intense meditation, standing for uncountable years on end wearing nothing but a loincloth, and the whole works. The other, however, was a more carefree type of monk, who would meditate for a few hours or so, then get distracted by the melodious cries of the birds overhead, and just sit and stare in wondrous rapture at the best of mother nature all around him.

The first monk was pretty much serious about his liberation from Earth and finally returning to his heavenly abode, but the second one, as you must have noticed, was much too busy jus living his life in absolute happiness and bliss, with all his fellow creatures surrounding him.

The story goes that when God finally decided to appear before these two worthy Fellows of the Holy Society, the first monk asked him how much time it's going to be till he finally get rid of rotten old Earth and fly away to Paradise. God, being pleased with all his efforts, answered with a smile on his face, 'Only three more lives to go, my good friend.' At this, our worthy Monk no. 1 got extremely worked and actually plucked up the courage to shout at God, "Three more lives??? You mean to say I've wasted this entire lifetime meditating on you, just to be told that I have to live three more lives on this awful planet? Okay, I can understand a few more years, after all the trains to paradise are overflowing these days, but three more lives??? You must be the meanest God around!"

Well. That was that. God, of course, could do absolutely nothing for the poor, angry little monk, and went to worthy monk no. 2. He was happily playing with a squirrel that had decided to have a little fun running over his bare back, tickling him to the point of tears. God, smiling as always, walks up to our friend and says, "Howdy, my friend! How are we doing this wonderful day?"

…

Okay, that was too much.

Fact remains, though, God appears in front of Fellow of the Holy Society no. 2, and he asks God the usual question, viz. how much more time he'd get to stay on here on Earth, having the time of his life (quite literally, as he wouldn't be alive anymore if he were to scoot off to kingdom come…well, technically anyway). God, truthful as always, replies, "Well I hate to say this, but you'll have to live here for a quite a long time…If you want a vague idea, you'll have to live out as many lives as there are leaves on this tree you've been meditating under for the past few decades."

Hearing this, the monk slowly looked up at God, for the first time ever without a trace of a smile on his lips and asked, "Are…are you sure?" God replies, his usual austere reply, "I'm afraid so, my good man. I'm extremely sorry, there's nothing I can…" But before he could finish, he noticed the monk's face undergoing an interesting change… Mr. Happiness's cup of Joy surprisingly seemed to be overflowing all over the place, as he took off from his stately seat of hay and mud and whatever else he had put together, and simply go flying all over the place, shouting to all his fellow creatures, "Did you hear that??? Did you hear that? I've only got a few thousand lives to live among all of you, then I'm off home! Thank you God! Just a few thousand lives! I never thought you were that great! Oh, thank you, thank you!!!"

God was, as expected, completely taken aback by this unexpected turn of events, till he realised just how happily this guy was living his life…

Being naturally pleased with his Earthly Son, he called all his divine beings-in-waiting and asked them to ready his carriage back home, and this time, to include an extra seat, for the lovely, lively little monk.

That was a happy little story, now wasn't it?

Well, to round off neatly, I'm reminded of an interesting quote I read on the internet a few days back, 'I'll tell you a secret. Something they don't teach you in your temple. The Gods envy us. They envy us because we're mortal, because any moment might be our last. Everything is more beautiful because we're doomed. You will never be lovelier than you are now. We will never be here again.'