The pursuit of happiness: The Gita and philosopher Seneca provide a roadmap to tranquility | The Indian Express

The pursuit of happiness: The Gita and philosopher Seneca provide a roadmap to tranquility | The Indian Express

Written by Ashwini Mokashi |Updated: August 12, 2019 7:34:43 am

Mokashi is the author of Sapiens and Sthitaprajna: A Comparative Study in Seneca’s Stoicism and the Bhagavad-Gita

The pursuit of happiness: The Gita and philosopher Seneca provide a roadmap to tranquility

Seneca treats different emotions with the skill of a psychological therapist and shows the futility of those emotions in a logical and sensitive way, without making it sound like a Stoic mandate of denying passions to any individual.

Right thinking results in right action, essential for peace of mind and happiness: Right or moral actions lead to virtue. (Representational)

The pursuit of wisdom, virtue and happiness are lifelong goals, and the process of attaining these goals itself is a worthwhile experience. Such themes from ancient texts continue into contemporary conversation, while the quest for happiness is pursued anew with each generation.