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THEME - Meaning and Happiness in Life: Philosophical and Spiritual Perspectives
Resource Person: Fr Henry D’Almeida SJ

The two-day Orientation Programme is a re-set to the present; a reminder of the task at hand; and a rejuvenation before the new academic year begins! As with all events, each of the days began with a prayer service calling on the Almighty to bless, guide and enlighten the gathering. The resource person, Fr Henry D’almeida SJ, an expert in the field of Epistemology, Metaphysics and Philosophy, took Happiness Quotient as his opening topic.

The staff recognised that Happiness Quotient is an amalgam of Intelligence Quotient, Emotional Quotient, Spiritual Quotient, Physical Quotient and Adversity Quotient. The group discussion that followed deliberated the meaning of happiness, the people they considered to be happy, the road blocks to happiness and realistic ways to be happy. The answers were varied yet meaningful, deep yet easy to conceive and more importantly a group perspective of what constitutes happiness.

Fr Henry gave in-depth insights from various religions for well-being and self-love. He threw light on the key ideas of Buddhism, Jainism, Islam, Hinduism and Christianity. Day two brought to the fore the Education system in India, the reasons for resistance to change and the time concepts as perceived by India with respect to the west. Father told the gathering about the acronym PERMA that was an integral part of positive psychology. The individual reflection, done through a worksheet, as well as the group discussion that followed was on the profile of a happy teacher.

Though the Orientation came to an end, it was a reminder that happiness cannot be bought but can be created for oneself. The programme reiterated the need for time management, empathy and anything else that makes one happy!