How minimalism can lead to spiritual happiness

Human beings are in search of only one thing in their life—happiness. Spirituality is the only way a person can attain this ultimate goal, experience eternal bliss, and live with everlasting happiness. On the spiritual path, one should spell the word happiness differently. It should be spelled with three Ps instead of the usual two. The three Ps in happiness hold a lot of importance as they, upon expansion of the word HAPPPINESS as an acronym, represent the three peaks of happiness—Pleasure, Peace, and Purpose.
Pleasure is the first peak of happiness. It is experienced with the achievement of success, material possessions, and relationships. It is also a temporary or ephemeral feeling of happiness that fades away quickly. Hence, pleasure must be experienced so that one understands its temporary nature and does not get stuck in it or wish to return to it once they have scaled higher peaks.
The next peak of happiness after pleasure is peace. Peace, the second peak, is also the base of true, everlasting happiness, which is the ultimate goal of human life. Peace is attained through contentment and fulfillment in life and is closer to achieving the state of eternal bliss, or what we call permanent happiness, because peace is the very foundation of happiness.
The third and highest peak of happiness is purpose. The purpose of life is to first realize that life has meaning and then to discover what that purpose is. When one realizes their purpose in life and works toward fulfilling it, the joy and bliss they experience are incomparable. In this state of consciousness, they understand the truth about their birth and life. This realization leads to experiencing SatChitAnanda—Sat means Truth, Chit means Consciousness, and Ananda means Eternal Bliss. Thus, SatChitAnanda is the eternal bliss experienced in truth consciousness. This eternal bliss is an everlasting state of happiness, also known as spiritual happiness, as it can only be attained in a spiritual state of consciousness when one realizes the truth, discovers their life’s purpose, and reaches the highest peak of happiness.
We know that peace is the foundation of true spiritual happiness, and peace can be achieved through contentment and fulfillment. But how can one find contentment in life? Human beings are mostly driven by their desires and wishes. Contentment is felt when an individual’s needs are effectively met. These needs may vary from person to person, depending on their living situation, family, commitments, and more. When these needs are fulfilled satisfactorily, an individual experiences contentment. However, if a person is driven by greed rather than need, they will never achieve or find contentment and fulfillment, and consequently, they will never attain peace in life. Greed not only induces other negative and toxic emotions like jealousy, envy, anger, hatred, and selfishness but also pushes individuals further away from contentment, fulfillment, peace, and, ultimately, happiness. Thus, one can find contentment in life if they are clear about their true needs. What is minimalism? How is it connected to contentment? Can minimalism lead to spiritual happiness? Minimalism is not an absolute term. It is contextual and differs from person to person. Minimalism promotes simplicity in life and conscious decision-making about tangible things, such as material belongings, and intangible aspects, such as time, energy, and relationships. Minimalism should not be confused with poverty. Poverty is a state where even basic human needs are not met, leading to mental distress and chaos—the opposite of peace. In minimalism, one person may need just a simple house to live in, three simple meals a day, and comfortable, decent clothes to protect them from all weather conditions. Another person may have a family of six and require enough resources to provide food, education, and basic care for all members. Both individuals are minimalists, but their needs vary according to their situation. Thus, minimalism is highly contextual. However, one thing remains constant—minimalism highlights the true purpose and beauty of everything in life. Nothing extravagant or lavish is desired. A minimalist prioritizes only essential needs, and fulfilling these needs provides a sense of great accomplishment and contentment.
In conclusion, minimalism is deeply and directly connected to contentment in life. A minimalist desires only what is necessary and does not have excessive, unnecessary, or extravagant wishes. When their needs are met, they immediately feel content and fulfilled. They begin to appreciate the beauty in simplicity, are not driven by greed, and thus experience immense satisfaction and peace—the foundation of deep spiritual happiness. Therefore, minimalism can lead a person to experience spiritual happiness through contentment, fulfillment, and peace.