by Cassandra Tribe

Created on: October 06, 2007

The poetry of Sufi Mystics is full of descriptions of drunken evenings and besotted lovers. Nary a soul has a care, for their lives are spent in vigorous pursuit of hedonistic bliss. Work, productivity, does not enter the mind of the Sufi seeking the endless moment and the perfect lover.

On the surface, this is how the poetry may be read. Yet beneath this language, lies the truth of their history, that during one of the most prolific times for Sufi poetry and mysticism, they were viciously persecuted. Without this language of careless "happiness" to cover their deep beliefs, neither the Sufi mystic nor their words, would have survived.

What then, is happiness? What is this thing that can be used to distract people, motivate them and destroy them, as well? The meaning of this one word is the most contested in modernity. Yet possessing a personal definition of it is endlessly important to one's ability to live a fulfilled and productive life.

Happiness, in modern western culture, is the ultimate goal and ideal. We are inundated with messages that demand that it is easy to achieve, providing we do a certain thing, consume a certain thing, and think a certain way. If we are "unhappy", it is most likely caused by a deficit, either in our behavior or attitude, or in our capacity to have the things deemed necessary to achieving happiness.

Herein lies the clue to 'happiness', it is one of those words in the English language that carries a host of meaning dependent not just on the context but on the individual to whom it is applied. Happiness can be an emotional state of joy or bliss. It may be expressed as deep and long-term contentment in one's life, inclusive of hardship and tragedy. Happiness may mean satisfaction. Whichever meaning you choose, the concept involves the sense of worth and value that one attaches to one's own life. To discuss happiness implies you have in mind a scale of comparison.

The scale of comparison holds the elements of what is needed by a person to view their life as having value and worth. As we acquire the constant presence of these elements, our sense of value increases. People who feel that the lives they are living are of value are more likely to express their feelings in terms of happiness, no matter to what definition they subscribe.

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs is the most well known and clearly defined list of needs for a valued life. Beyond the base details of air, water, food and sex, Maslow allows for the extended realms of physiological

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