Amity Institute of Applied Psychology and Allied Sciences, Amity University, Noida, Uttar Pradesh, organized the “First International Summit on Global Happiness”, on virtual platform.
The Summit comprised of a luminous panel of eminent speakers from across the globe, including Prof. Dr. Neil Korbin, Founder President, Academy of Mindfulness Studies, California, Prof. (Dr.) Rick Levy, Founder, the Levy Centers for Mind-Body Medicine and Human Potential, USA, Dr. Prema N. Mysore, Rishipath International Foundation, India, Dr. Uma Shankar Singh, Adjunct Professor, Institute of Management, University of Szczecin, Poland and Mr. Tenzing Longsel, Research Assistant, Namgya Institute of Tibetology, Sikkim, amongst others.
Addressing the gathering, Prof. (Dr.) Neil Korbin, Founder President, Academy of Mindfulness Studies, California, averred, “Happiness has a different meaning for different people. While some people may find happiness through material things some others may want a fulfilling career or relationship. Also, when we do certain things which we do not enjoy, we feel stressed and mentally burdened. Therefore, we should enjoy the work which we do and feel happy while doing it. He also mentioned that we should focus on the present instead of thinking about the past or the future, for a happy state of mind.”
Sharing his advice on how to become happy, Prof. (Dr.) Rick Levy, Founder, the Levy Centers for Mind-Body Medicine and Human Potential, USA, stated, “It is important that we dream big and live life king-size. Enjoy each and every moment and also learn to embrace the setbacks and challenges as they are a part of everyone’s life. Also, meditation is a great way of releasing stress as it helps in dealing with a deeper level of our consciousness.” He explained about the three states of mind- the subconscious mind, conscious mind and super conscious mind.
Explaining about the five states of mind as described by our Rishis in the ancient scriptures, Dr. Prema N. Mysore, Rishipath International Foundation, India, mentioned, “There are five states of minds, according to our Rishis- The first one is “Kshipta”, which is the lowest state of mind, where a person is highly agitated and unable to think, listen, or keep quiet. The second state is “Moodha” where no information seems to reach the brain and the brain is blank. The third one is “Vikshipta” state in which the mind receives information but seems unable to process it, while the fourth state is “Ekagra” which is a focussed state of mind. The last and fifth state is “Niruddh” which is free from all thoughts and desires. “Asanas”, “Pranayam”, “Mudras”, “Chanting”, “Dhyan” and “Samadhi” help us in attaining everlasting happiness, which brings mental peace and stability. Also, “tyaag” or sacrifice is one of the important means to attain happiness.”
Highlighting the ways by which one can become happy, Dr. Uma Shankar Singh, Adjunct Professor, Institute of Management, University of Szczecin, Poland, said, “Love your work or find a work which you love, be passionate and seek joy within yourself without being affected by your environment. We must understand ourselves and should know what we want from life. Also, working upon ourselves to become a better person, helps us in becoming happy and leading a fulfilling life. Happiness is something which does not lie somewhere else, it already exists within us.” He quoted the renowned Spiritual leader, Sadhguru, who has said, “Every single action that we perform on this planet springs from an aspiration to be happy because it is the original nature. All those people who depend on external situations to be happy, will never know true joy in their lives.”
Explaining happiness through Buddhist Philosophy and Principles, Mr. Tenzing Longsel, Research Assistant, Namgya Institute of Tibetology, Sikkim, said, “There are Four Noble Truths in Buddhism- Truth of Suffering, Truth of Cause of Suffering, Truth of Cessation(ending) of Suffering and Truth of Path leading to Cessation. We have to be kind, compassionate and considerate about others as our own happiness depends on the happiness of others in our environment. We do not exist in isolation and share a symbiotic relationship with all creatures in our surroundings. Therefore, we must look beyond ourselves and care for others too which, in turn, makes us happy.”
The Summit concluded with a “Question and Answer Session”, where the queries of the audience were answered by the Expert Panel. The Summit was attended by the students, scholars, faculty and researchers of Amity, in large numbers.