CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION In 2016, during my annual visit to Mumbai, India, I happened to meet a wandering Hindu sadhu (a monk) He was sleeping under the shade on a cement floor after his long foot-walk from his last stop In his usual orange robes, the middle-aged sadhu had some personal belongings, his hand-carry cloth bag, which he used as a pillow A few minutes after he woke up, I approached him, bowed, and introduced myself Then, in my native language, I asked, “If you not mind, please tell me if you are happy living a renounced life, with no home, family, or material possessions?” He replied, “sadhus not celebrate happiness They forever enjoy themselves in ananda (Sanskrit: pure happiness).” Even though most sadhus keep a reserved demeanor, this sadhu expressed his experience of true happiness The sadhu described the high levels of joy he experiences and the inner higher powers he enjoys, which he attributed to his daily religious prayers I had never asked a sadhu a direct question about their happiness in life even though my association with the sadhus is over two decades old I lived in India for 28 years and was brought up in a religious Hindu middle-class family While growing up with my two siblings, our parents instilled ethical values in us They taught us to behave as per the dharma (Sanskrit: morals and ethics) as written in the Vedas—ancient Hindu sacred texts In 1994, I met a prominent Hindu Guru, a spiritual teacher who lives in suburban Mumbai, India Over two decades of my association with him and his ashram (Sanskrit: typically, an abode of a Hindu spiritual teacher or a sadhu, which traditionally is like a school where students of all ages learn Vedic teachings), I took part in many Vedic rituals