The Supreme Good – The Ultimate Goal of Life
I: Introduction
What is the Supreme Good, and how did it come into being?
The word "Summa Bonum" comes from the Latin language and means "the highest good" or "the highest moral value." It refers to the ultimate happiness, peace of mind, and moral values a person can achieve.
Various goals mark our life journey, from financial stability to health improvement. But what is the ultimate destination? It is pursuing true happiness, peace of mind, and a meaning-filled life. This universal quest for the Supreme Good transcends cultural and philosophical boundaries, uniting us all in our shared human experience and weaving us into a larger narrative.
Ancient philosophers have analysed this concept from different perspectives. In Greek philosophy, philosophers such as Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle considered righteousness, Wisdom, and happiness the right paths to a righteous life. In Hindu philosophy, it was seen as "moksha," meaning the soul's perfection. In Buddhism, "nirvana" refers to the state of freedom from lust, anger, and delusion.
Its importance in ancient philosophies
Different philosophies worldwide have defined the right path in various ways. Still, ultimately, all have emphasised the goal of "complete happiness, goodness, and moral balance."
In Greek philosophy, thinkers like Aristotle and Plato asserted that achieving the right path involves morality, Wisdom, and service to society.
Hindu philosophy—According to the Bhagavad Gita, following the Dharma, sacrifice, and the practice of moksha leads to the right path.
Buddha explained the concept of 'Samma Bonam' through the Eightfold Path, a practical guide that shows perfect happiness is possible through the correct view, action, and living.
This pragmatic approach guides us and empowers us to take control of our journey towards the Supreme Good, making pursuing true happiness a tangible and achievable goal.
In Western philosophy, philosophers like Kant, Bentham, and Mill have described human welfare, social justice, and the betterment of humanity as the goals of the right path.
This analysis reveals that the right path is deeply personal and intricately woven into society's fabric. Our actions and relationships are pivotal in our journey towards the Supreme Good, highlighting our responsibility to pursue true happiness.
Why is it crucial in our journey of life?
Wealth, fame, and physical pleasures may come and go in our life journey. However, true happiness, mental peace, and a life guided by ethical values are enduring. No matter our wealth or status, the question of the right path and how to achieve it inevitably arises, urging us to seek lasting fulfilment. This emphasis on the enduring nature of true happiness can reassure us and give us hope in our pursuit of the Supreme Good.
Mental peace—No matter how many realistic goals we achieve, they are meaningless if our minds are not peaceful. The right path gives us inner peace.
Absolute happiness: Real happiness can be found not through external things but through contentment and heartfelt living.
Our good deeds improve society and bring us closer to happiness. This interconnectedness underscores the importance of our relationships in our journey towards the Supreme Good, reminding us that we are all part of a larger whole and share a collective responsibility in our pursuit of true happiness. This sense of collective responsibility can make us feel more connected and committed to our journey.
Spiritual purpose: This is the path to a greater meaning in life. It improves human relationships and makes us better people.
Every human being should contemplate Samma Bonam, the goal of life. Money, fame, and material resources provide temporary happiness, but true happiness, mental peace, and a righteous life last long.
Therefore, no matter how rich, intelligent, or powerful we are, we are successful only when our life journey ultimately leads us to Samma Bonam.
II: The Place of Samma Bonam in Spirituality
Everyone strives for happiness, peace, and a good life in our life journey. But where can we find true absolute happiness? What can we do to find peace of mind, joy of heart, and a greater meaning to life?
The answer is Samma Bonam, which means "the supreme good." It is the ultimate goal of human life and is very important in spirituality. We must grow spiritually to achieve the highest goal and not just desire material things.
The concept of Samma Bonam in different religious traditions
Every religion promotes goodness, love, tolerance, and perfect happiness. But how do we achieve this ideal happiness? Different faiths have given answers in their perspectives.
a. Hinduism: Samma Bonam is viewed as "moksha," which means freedom or liberation from the cycle of death and rebirth, culminating in merging with Parabrahman. According to the Bhagavad Gita, one can achieve moksha by knowing the truth, following the path of devotion, and renouncing karma.
In Hindu philosophy, achieving moksha is said to be possible through four paths:
Jnana Yoga is the path to attaining salvation through knowledge.
Bhakti Yoga – loving God and attaining perfect happiness through devotion.
Karma Yoga is the practice of living selflessly by performing deeds without expecting their results.
Raja Yoga – experiencing perfect happiness through Meditation and self-control.
In Buddhism, 'Samma Bonam' is described as 'Nirvana.' According to the Buddha's teachings, true happiness is achieved by giving up lust, anger, and attachment and attaining mental peace.
The Ashtanga Marga, or the Eightfold Path, achieves true peace by outlining practical ethical and mental development steps. Complete liberation is possible by renouncing greed, hatred, and attachment.
c. Christianity: In Christianity, individuals achieve happiness by following God's love, practising forgiveness, and embracing honesty.
One can achieve perfect happiness by believing in God and practising love, service, forgiveness, and morality. Jesus Christ mainly taught human love, sacrifice, and selfless service through his teachings.
d. Islam: In Islam, happiness is "Jannat", which means heavenly happiness.
One can achieve peace by walking in God's path, being honest, and doing good deeds. Truthfulness, kindness, and helping others are said to make life perfect.
e. Western Philosophy: In Western philosophy, philosophers such as Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle assert that individuals can achieve happiness by living a moral life and helping society.
Indian Philosophy and its Role in Vedanta
In Indian philosophy, Samma Bonam is the knowledge of the Supreme Soul, the union of the living soul with the Supreme Soul.
a. Upanishads & Vedanta
"Sarvam khalvidam Brahma" – One should realise that everything is Brahman's form.
"Tattvamasi" – Your original form is equal to Brahman.
The Upanishads taught that perfect happiness is achieved only through self-knowledge.
b. Samma Bonam in the Bhagavad Gita
"Yogah karmasu kausalam" – Doing deeds in the path of righteousness is the perfect life.
"Santim nopanoti kankshati" – True happiness comes only by reducing desires.
c. Adi Shankaracharya's Advaita philosophy
Samma Bonam means removing ignorance and knowing the Supreme Soul. The material world is impermanent, but the Supreme Soul is eternal.
Accepting this as the goal of life
Accepting Samma Bonam's goal in our life journey means positively changing our thoughts, actions, and mindset.
a. True happiness requires renunciation –
Money, fame, and position are only temporary sources of happiness. True happiness comes from human relationships, self-knowledge, Meditation, and a righteous life.
b. Natural way of life
We can only live happily by reducing our ego, selfishness, and hatred.
"Follow the natural way of life, live with moral values, and know the true goal in life."
c. peace through spirituality
Meditation, devotion, and valuable time led to Samma Bonam.
Samma Bonam is not just a theory but a skill we must develop through practice. We can achieve it by living with spirituality, Dharma, honesty, and love.
Now, should we accept our life as the goal of Samma Bonam? What decisions can we make that will make us happy and peaceful? These are the things we need to think about!
III: Ways to achieve Samma Bonam
We all want to be happy, peaceful, and fulfilled in life. But is real happiness in money? In fame? In material comforts? All these are temporary, but the happiness that feels eternally full to the mind, heart, and soul is Samma Bonam!
Now, let's find out how to achieve this, Samma Bonam, the perfect good in life.
Benefits and importance of achieving Samma Bonam
For our life to be perfect, we should achieve material, mental, spiritual, and moral goals. If we journey towards Samma Bonam, we will have these benefits:
Mental peace—We gain silence for the mind, inner happiness, and the power to reduce stress.
Physical health: A healthy lifestyle, yoga, and Meditation also keep our body strong.
Endurance and courage increase mental strength, enabling individuals to face any problem in life.
Balanced Life: Balance between work, family, and personal goals increases.
Independent Self-Strength: The mind must have the strength to achieve anything significant.
Ways to achieve Samma Bonam
1. Meditation, Yoga, and Introspection
Meditation: Meditation works wonders in keeping the mind calm. Meditating for at least 10-15 minutes daily can increase our calmness. Breathing Meditation or Chanting Meditation can help us focus our minds.
Yoga: Yoga postures keep the body healthy, and pranayama (breath control) calms the mind. Thus, yoga can balance the body, mind, and soul.
Self-Reflection: Questions like "Who am I?" What is my purpose in life? Make us think deeply. Think about mistakes, things to improve, and good ways to go every day.
2. Ethics, Dharma, and Balanced Living
Ethics: Ethics should guide everything we do. Telling the truth, living without harming anyone, and being kind led to righteousness.
Righteous Duty: In Hindu philosophy, following Dharma is a step towards righteousness. We should live moderately to our family, society, and mind.
Balanced Living: We should reduce anger, selfishness, jealousy, and pride. Job, family, and personal development should all be balanced.
Questions to ask:
What values am I living my life by?
Are my decisions good for others?
How can I find genuine happiness without money, name, and fame?
3. Harmony between mind, body, and soul
Mind: There should be good thoughts and pure feelings. We should reduce impatience and mental stress.
Body: Healthy food, exercise, and yoga asanas are essential. Taking care of the body also strengthens the mind.
Soul: Religion can be any, but we should live with honesty, love, and goodness. Improving human relationships and helping others are all ways to keep our souls strong.
Summum Bonum is not just a theory but a way of life!
We should keep our minds calm through Meditation, yoga, and soul search. We should walk on the good path through righteousness, Dharma, and balanced living. We should maintain a balance between mind, body, and soul. If these are possible, we can achieve true happiness and complete peace! Will you also make these paths a habit in your daily life?
IV: Attaining ultimate happiness
We all want to be happy. But what is true happiness? Is it just a momentary pleasure, or can we have it permanently?
We should seek temporary pleasures and joy that fill the mind and soul to find true happiness. For this, we must first know the difference between ordinary happiness and true happiness.
What is true happiness?
Many people think:
A good job → happiness
A lovely house → happiness
Money, expensive things → happiness
Fame, respect → happiness
But all these are only temporary happiness. We are happy as long as these things are there, but as soon as they are gone, we feel empty in our minds.
Then what is true happiness?
The peace that comes from within us
A constant happiness that no one can steal, deceive
A mental stability that does not depend on external circumstances
A mind filled with self-satisfaction, love, and gratitude
Suffering & Happiness: Two Sides of the Same Coin
Is there no happiness without suffering?
Many philosophers and spiritual masters say that suffering is inevitable in life. Before we know the value of happiness, we must experience some suffering.
How can you overcome suffering and find true happiness?
Accept suffering: We become stronger by facing suffering mentally.
Learning from problems: Every difficulty teaches us a lesson.
Understanding impermanence: Even suffering is not permanent. As time changes, so do our difficulties.
To find happiness permanently, we must go beyond both suffering & temporary happiness and achieve proper mental stability.
Finding happiness internally, not through external things. True happiness lies within us.
Ways to increase inner happiness:
Gratitude: If we are grateful for what we have now, we will be content.
Devotion: Trust in a deity or a universal power puts the mind at ease.
Helping Others: Helping others increases our satisfaction.
Self-realisation: We need to understand what we want and need.
Simple Living: We should be happy with what we have without expecting too much.
Practical tips to implement in our daily routine
1. Meditate for 10 minutes daily: Keep your mind calm when you wake up or before bed. It will stabilise our thoughts.
2. Develop gratitude: Make a habit of writing a note daily asking, "What do I have?" It will increase our satisfaction.
3. Help: Encourage those in need with small help. Seeing the joy on the faces of others gives us happiness, too.
4. Don't get attached to external things: Buying new things brings happiness but is not secure. Stop looking for happiness in external things and increase your self-confidence.
5. Reduce your ego: Every success we achieve is essential, not the only one in our life. Continuously learn and be patient.
True happiness lies within us.
We must change our minds and ways of life without depending on external things. Money, fame, and position are temporary, but our inner peace is permanent. We can find real happiness by making small changes in our daily routine. What changes do you want to make from now on?
V: Conclusion
Where is our life journey heading? Is it true happiness or temporary happiness that we want? Summum bonum means the perfect sound and ultimate happiness in life. Let's finally consider why it is necessary to make this our goal and the benefits it will bring us and society.
Why should we have a goal called Samma Bonam?
If we want to achieve anything, we must first have a clear goal. It is the right way to make life meaningful. We will be able to experience true happiness rather than temporary pleasures.
Our mind will be calm, our body healthy, and our heart satisfied. We will be able to face any problem with courage and confidence. If the mind is quiet, our life will run smoothly.
How can we achieve personal & social good through this?
If we follow Samma Bonam, it will benefit us and the world around us.
1. Benefits for us
We gain a clear direction in our lives. We can live with mental peace, health, and good thoughts. Anger, impatience, and sadness decrease—we experience happiness and satisfaction. Being happy with what we have and reducing our desires becomes a habit.
2. Benefits for society
When we have good thoughts, we behave peacefully, lovingly, and helpfully with others.
If we have balanced thoughts, family life goes on harmoniously. We feel like helping someone in trouble—good qualities like respecting others, being patient, and being honest increase. If we change ourselves, then those around us will also change!
Motivation & suggestions for moving forward on this path
Sammam Bonam is not something physical; it is our way of thinking. We should follow simple methods daily and make minor changes to keep our minds at peace.
Some necessary guidelines:
Meditate or think calmly every day – the mind becomes clear.
Do not expect too much from life – be content.
Live with patience, love, and gratitude – this is good for our lives and society.
Make a habit of self-criticism (Self-reflection) – we should know what we need to fix.
We should develop our inner peace while fulfilling our responsibilities.
Concluding message
Sammam Bonam is the way to make our lives happy and meaningful ultimately. Let us stop chasing after temporary pleasures and seek true happiness. Our thoughts determine our lives. Good thoughts lead us on a good path. If a person changes, the family changes, society changes, and the world is peaceful. Are you ready to move forward on this path?