state of mind? What is their mental state with only minimal material possessions and desires? What does happiness mean to the sadhus, and how happy are they, if at all? This phenomenological study produced a deeper understanding of the phenomenon of happiness from the perspective of the sadhus The present study answered the following research questions: Question 1: What is the meaning of happiness from the perspective of sadhus? Question 2: Do sadhus perceive themselves to be happy people? Question 3: What the sadhus perceive to be the factors that influence their happiness? Research Methodology The present study adopted a qualitative approach and a phenomenological method to answer the above research questions This section discusses the rationale behind choosing a qualitative approach and a phenomenological method to carry out this investigation It explains various interpretive approaches in qualitative research and Husserl’s transcendental phenomenological strategy of analysis (Moustakas, 1994) to find the essence and meaning of happiness from the statements of the sadhus The Rationale for Choosing a Qualitative Approach I chose a qualitative approach in this research for several reasons First, I had to explore and describe the happiness phenomenon Second, happiness is a vague concept with no clear definition Third, the study participants, the sadhus of India, mostly speak languages other than the English language Fourth, most sadhus live a basic life and are not familiar with technology as much as the general population Finally, the sadhus 61