Happiness is a pleasant sensation experienced by the individual through the five senses, mind and/or intellect; whereas, Anand is a favourable spiritual experience of the Jivatma or the Shivatma when the functions of the five senses, mind and intellect have ceased.

        Each of us has experienced happiness at sometimes or the other. Since the experience is obtained through the medium of the five senses, mind and intellect, we can comprehend its definition. Contrary to this, since most of us have not experienced Anand and since many are not even aware that there may be something to experience beyond the five senses, mind and intellect, most people find it difficult to understand the definition of Anand. Just as one blind since birth will find it difficult to accept the fact that the world is visible or a child will not be able to understand the meaning of sexuality, no matter how hard one tries to explain it, so also it is difficult to explain the meaning of Anand. It cannot be expressed in words but has to be experienced.

        However, for the purpose of explaining the meaning of happiness and Anand, let us use a gold bracelet as an example. The pleasant sensation that one gets from an object without form, that is, the gold used for making a bracelet, in this case is termed as Anand; while that obtained from an object with form, that is, the bracelet, is called happiness. In reality, we get only happiness from gold, but since we could not find a better example to explain this concept, we have used this example