Yes, enlightenment is the answer for external happiness. This is because internal and external happiness are linked. If you are not happy within, at peace with yourself and the universe, no matter where you are or what you are doing, you will not feel any kind of lasting joy.

You may be on the beach in Hawaii, sipping a Mai Tai under a clear, bright blue sky. The ocean is majestic with its glittering barrel waves. But if you think you are your ego mind and its problem-generating apparatus, you will quickly descend into a hellish state. Maybe you will compare your body to someone else’s on the beach and start the criticism process of them or yourself.

Or maybe you will think of all the work you left undone at home. And that reminds you of the difficult people you work with. Then you might feel dread because your beautiful vacation will come to an end. You will have to pay for it. It reminds you of other financial worries. On and on it goes, yackety yack.
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Enlightened people know that they are not this non-stop commentator in their heads. They identify themselves with something greater and infallible. They know they are The Eternal Soul and not this finite mind that thinks it is protecting us by generating fear, even when we are relaxing on the beach. Momentary thrills and temporary kicks are possible without enlightenment. But for lasting joy, underneath all the turbulence on the surface of life, enlightenment is a must.

If we go by appearances, it may not be easy to know if a person is enlightened. Many enlightened people have seen the light, possess spiritual understanding, and live within their souls on a continuous basis. But they go about their lives in an unassuming way and don’t make a fanfare of their grasp of the non-physical universe.

If we go by who touches us deep within and we feel at peace with this person because they have an aura about them that we cannot see with the eyes, then we are on a surer footing as to who is enlightened or not. It is not about what they say. Sri Ramana Maharshi taught all his disciples in total silence for many years. Then he broke his silence because he felt that was more effective at the time. His words were infused with the holiness he held within his heart. Those who were and are receptive to it felt and feel it today.

It isn’t even about what they do. Rajneesh, or Osho, was a nitrous oxide addicted sage whose behavior and apparent greed for Rolls Royces did not present an admirable picture. He descended into vindictive language and actions and obviously loved being worshipped by his followers. Yet within all this chaos, I could detect an enlightened man at one time. His actions did not show it because he let the thrill of being considered God infuse his ego-mind. He even referred to himself as Bhagwan, which means “God.”

One of my favorite enlightened beings is (was) Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj. He was a chain smoker who was mostly a cigarette merchant for much of his life. Yet his words resonate within my consciousness and soul as being the Real Deal. I know deeply within that this is an enlightened being. Yet, by his actions, smoking violently as he answers questions, and even losing patience, the average person might not be able to see it. They may judge him and expect an enlightened being to be an immaculate saint.
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Sainthood is not a prerequisite for being an enlightened being. And just putting on saffron robes or chanting and sitting in meditation for hours is also no indication. The enlightened person awakens something within the heart of the receptive person who is ready and actively seeking something beyond the wheel of birth and death. If the soul of the person is not ready or receptive, that person will not be able to discern enlightenment. They then become the victims of the false prophets and power-hungry psychopaths who twist our desire for higher consciousness for their petty ego-gratification.

One of the challenging questions, which has been a puzzling people even before modern times is: If God is all good, all wise, all loving, and all knowing, then why is there so much hardship, suffering, and cruelty in the world? Why couldn’t God just make a happy world where everyone gets along?

Various religions have attempted to answer this question, some have answers that will stand the test of time. Others may go by the wayside as did the Greek and Roman system of gods and goddesses:

Judaism:
Suffering is caused by a weakness in one's devotion to God. God gave humans free will to feel pleasure and pain, and His purpose in allowing deep suffering of the innocent must be good even if mysterious. God suffers along with the sufferer. God's sense of justice, and therefore the reasons for human suffering, are beyond human reason.

Will it last? Because Judaism permits people to call themselves Jews without believing in any of the dogma, there is a chance that it will endure as a culture for many centuries to come. The challenge of a paternalistic God who punishes like an angry father may be difficult for modern, scientific minds to embrace. Women of the world may object to God being portrayed as a male as they attain increasing autonomy in the world.

Buddhism: 
All of life is suffering and suffering is caused by attachments to worldly things. This attachment, which can take the form of greed, hatred, and ignorance in this life and past lives, can, unless mitigated, return as more suffering (karma)—as in Hinduism. Suffering is not necessarily punishment from a divine being, but rather something that must be transcended by not clinging to material objects or relationships.

Will it last? Because it is a system of thought and meditation, Buddhism does not depend on a paternalistic God who moves people around like chess pieces according to His divine whims. They leave God out of it completely. Buddhism depends on personal and practical life choices to alleviate individual mental and physical pain. Therefore, it is compatible with the most scientific research to date.

Christianity:
Many Christians see suffering as:

• God's punishment of sinful people.
• God’s punishment of the world as a whole.
• The a way a loving God tests the faith and fortitude of believers.
• Evidence of the unknowable will of a God who "works in mysterious ways" toward an ultimate good.

Will it last? The large, corrupt organizations and hypocrisy in high places may bring Christianity to a halt in centuries to come. It may not be rational enough for the modern, sophisticated thinker to trust that a punishing old man in the sky is manipulating everything for some end result that only He knows. For it to last, Christianity must undergo some radical changes and be more relatable to the educated people of the planet.

Islam: The word "Islam" means "submission." Many Muslims believe that:

• Enduring pain or loss is a way of submitting to the will of Allah.
• Some suffering is Satan's doing or is the work of his cohorts in the spirit world (the "jinn") and is allowed by Allah as a test of humility and faith.
• Suffering and adversity strengthen one's faith, as pain often leads to repentance and prayer and good deeds.

​Will it last? As in Christianity and Judaism, Allah also is paternalistic and male. This approach may not be compatible with female empowerment that is sweeping the globe today. Modern, sophisticated thinkers may see the wisdom in submitting to what comes their way as a means to achieve inner and outer peace. But they may decide to leave Allah out of the equation, seeing the process in terms of Universal Principle instead. Culturally too, Islam like Judaism, has given structure to people’s lives and may endure just because of the comfort factor in retaining the “old ways” and devotional practices.

Hinduism:
Suffering is punishment for cruelties committed in this lifetime or past lives. Even an innocent person who has not eradicated bad karma from past lives through charitable deeds may feel the pain of the karma of past misdeeds. Suffering is placed in the broader context of a cosmic cycle of birth, life, destruction and rebirth. Victims will be reincarnated and have the chance to be happier in their next life.

Will it last? Because the responsibility rests on the individual and his or her choice of action, we don’t have a God who is sending capricious punishment for reasons beyond our understanding. We also don’t have just one God. There are lots of them, some of them embodying destruction and even evil. But still, we have the reason for our suffering right now and it has to do with what we did and how we behaved. The form that Hinduism takes today, with its myriad colorful gods and goddesses may not endure but the idea of our basic responsibility for our own suffering is compatible with modern rational approaches to the reasons behind why things are the way they are.

​It is indeed very difficult to watch people we love who resist healing and continue in their old health-destroying and happiness-avoiding habits. We can offer suggestions but that is about it. It is not up to us to swoop in and make changes for them. It isn’t even up to us to open their hearts. When they are ready their hearts will open. No amount of persuasion or even secret prayer will be effective until they ask for your help.

It is like the old expression: “You can’t rip the skin off the snake.” But when the snake is ready, it sheds its skin easily and naturally. Often people come to their own healing when their back is against the wall and they are down on their knees in desperation. Then they may turn to you for your wisdom and guidance or they may find a spiritual teacher that is in tune with what they require. It is all up to them.
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All of us vibrate at different levels according to where we are on our spiritual path. Our loved ones may be at a different stage in that path. We don’t want them to suffer the way they do. But it is truly only up to them to make the choices that lead towards higher vibrational levels. It won’t work if we try to do it for them. The process is highly individual and well-designed.

Women’s menstrual cycle’s are linked to the moon. They are synced up with the waxing and waning of the moon, around every 28 days. If we are synced up with the moon's cycle, we will menstruate around the new moon and ovulate around the full moon.

The moon governs the ocean’s tides and it affects so many aspects of our planet. We, as women are part of this. The entire planet could not exist without the moon and its gravitational influence. Without the moon helping to keep the earth on a steady tilt, scientists have even imagined that life on earth may not have evolved the way we know it.

So it’s not mystical nonsense but something you are feeling and sensing but may not have known why. For centuries a full moon (or staring at a full moon) has been connected with lunacy — general craziness. In fact, “lunacy” comes from the latin word luna, meaning moon. A full moon is also supposed to send pregnant women into labor and make nursing home residents more agitated. According to ancient philosophers, the moon affects human behavior and health by its gravitational pull on body fluids.
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A paper published in the Journal of Emergency Medicine (1987 ) claimed to find that 80% of randomly selected nurses and 64% of doctors in emergency rooms in selected hospitals believed that lunar cycles affect their mental health and moods. The paper also noted that 92% of these nurses said they should be paid extra—“lunar pay differentials”—during a full moon.

The name of God was held to be so sacred by some religions, such as the Jews, that it is spelled with missing letters, e.g., Ya__h. It is to show humility. I, as a mere human am not fit to utter the full name of the most high. I am prostrate before the mighty power of the eternal Lord and I am showing that I am only a vessel for His glory. Notice here that God is portrayed as a male.

One of the Ten Commandments is “Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord in vain. For the Lord will not hold him guiltless for taking his name in vain.” Among other meanings, it meant: You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the Lord your God." People have taken this to be an injunction against using God’s name to curse someone and also even to speak God’s name. Notice again, God is portrayed as a male and a punishing male if you don’t obey him.

They also have taken it to mean that you better not use God’s name in an oath, either, as in “I swear to God!” Some Catholic priests taught that if a promise was made in the name God, and that promise was broken, God would punish those who took His name in vain.

The Calvinists believed that an oath is calling God to witness that what we say is true. An oath is a form of worship of God as a profession of faith. When human testimony fails, people call on the name of God as witness. He is the only one able to bring out what is hidden and know what is in our hearts. False swearing robs God of his truth, and therefore it is a serious matter. They warn us that just because people have become used to indiscriminate public swearing it doesn’t mean they won’t be punished for it.
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This fear of punishment abides to this day. People know somehow that it is wrong to curse and swear. It is offensive to others and shows a certain amount of insecurity, paucity of vocabulary, and lack of thought. But apart from that there is a primitive fear of punishment that we are invoking a power, higher than ourselves, for our petty aims.

Life goes on as usual, but the context is changed. Everything you do is held in the space of enlightenment. You don’t necessarily become a saint. You can still get angry and feel sick. But even the anger is not deeply held. You see it as a passing mood and don’t take it personally. You see that all thoughts and feelings are impermanent and what is impermanent is not truly “real.” It is all part of the passing flow.

You still feel pain and can cry with deep sorrow when someone you love “dies,” while at the same time knowing that they were never their body. You know that you are not your body. It is a temporary, rented housing for your consciousness. You are aware that “this too shall pass.”
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Nothing is left to achieve because enlightenment is not time bound. It is only in time that we feel we need to go through a lot of steps to get somewhere. The enlightened being knows that it is already there and sits back to watch the show.