---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Things do not give unhappiness, ignorance…"
description: "\"“Things do not give unhappiness, ignorance (of one’s real Self) does.”\" — Dada Bhagwan"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/747/dada-bhagwan-31_happiness_things-do-not-give-unhappiness-ignorance_2110472.jpg"
---

#  Things do not give unhappiness, ignorance (of one’s real…

![“Things do not give unhappiness, ignorance (of one’s real Self) does.” quote by Dada Bhagwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/747/dada-bhagwan-31_happiness_things-do-not-give-unhappiness-ignorance_2110472.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/747/dada-bhagwan-31_happiness_things-do-not-give-unhappiness-ignorance_2110472.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/747/dada-bhagwan-31_happiness_things-do-not-give-unhappiness-ignorance_2110472.jpg)

> ““Things do not give unhappiness, ignorance (of one’s real Self) does.””

[Dada Bhagwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dada-bhagwan/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Unhappiness stems from not knowing one's true nature, not from external circumstances.

**In simple terms:** Ignorance of self causes suffering.

Key Takeaway

Seek self‑knowledge.

Themes

self‑awareness spirituality inner peace

Mood

contemplative reflective

Type

philosophical spiritual

When to use this quote

- personal growth
- meditation
- counseling
- life coaching

Key Concepts

non‑duality self‑realization

Questions to Reflect On

- How can you explore your true self?
- What practices reveal inner truth?

A Different Perspective

Self‑knowledge is hard to attain without guidance.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness/) [Ignorance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ignorance/) [Real self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real-self/) [Sadness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sadness/) [Spiritual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spiritual/) [Spiritual quotes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spiritual-quotes/) [Unhappiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unhappiness/)

## Related quotes

> [The source of man's unhappiness is his ignorance of Nature.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baron-d-holbach/the-source-of-man-s-unhappiness-is-his-ignorance-of-nature/)

[Baron d'Holbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baron-d-holbach/)

> [To be happy, one only must be able to confront, which is to say, experience, those things that are. Unhappiness is only this the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-ron-hubbard/to-be-happy-one-only-must-be-able-to-confront-which-is-to-say/)

[L. Ron Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-ron-hubbard/)

> [ “Anyone who wants a Prakruti (relative self) that brings worldly benefits, they should worship Mataji,the goddess mother. And those who want Moksha \[ultimate liberation\]… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dada-bhagwan/anyone-who-wants-a-prakruti-relative-self-that-brings-worldly/)

[Dada Bhagwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dada-bhagwan/)

> [ “All this \[worldly life\] is relative and for it to have effect on You \[real Self\], is grave weakness. You should not be affected… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dada-bhagwan/all-this-worldly-life-is-relative-and-for-it-to-have-effect-on-you/)

[Dada Bhagwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dada-bhagwan/)

> [ “The human life is the only one in which one can experience the Soul \[One’ own Real Self\]. There is no other life form,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dada-bhagwan/the-human-life-is-the-only-one-in-which-one-can-experience-the-soul/)

[Dada Bhagwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dada-bhagwan/)

> [Ignorance of what real learning is, and a consequent suspicion of it; materialism, and a consequent intellectual laxity, both of these have done destructive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/ignorance-of-what-real-learning-is-and-a-consequent-suspicion-of-it/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [There is no such thing as chance or accident; the words merely signify our ignorance of some real and immediate cause.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-clarke/there-is-no-such-thing-as-chance-or-accident-the-words-merely-signify/)

[Adam Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-clarke/)

> [“Those who speak of man's "free will," and insist upon his inherent power to either accept or reject the Saviour, do but voice their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-w-pink/those-who-speak-of-man-s-free-will-and-insist-upon-his-inherent-power/)

[Arthur W. Pink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-w-pink/)

> [Ignorance of the real causes of religious violence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mak-786/ignorance-of-the-real-causes-of-religious-violence/)

Mak\_786

> [Tho' there be no such Thing as Chance in the World; our Ignorance of the real Ccause of any Event has the same Influence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hume/tho-there-be-no-such-thing-as-chance-in-the-world-our-ignorance-of/)

[David Hume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hume/)

> [ “The one who lives as his worldly name \[as the relative self\], he will have worries for sure; the one who lives as his… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dada-bhagwan/the-one-who-lives-as-his-worldly-name-as-the-relative-self-he-will/)

[Dada Bhagwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dada-bhagwan/)

> [ “Once you are in the state of the Soul \[Real Self, I am Pure Soul\] then you do not have to complain.” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dada-bhagwan/once-you-are-in-the-state-of-the-soul-real-self-i-am-pure-soul-then/)

[Dada Bhagwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dada-bhagwan/)

> [“It is difficult to know agnan (all other knowledge other than the knowledge of the Self, Worldly Knowledge), and easy to know Gnan \[knowledge…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dada-bhagwan/it-is-difficult-to-know-agnan-all-other-knowledge-other-than-the/)

[Dada Bhagwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dada-bhagwan/)

> [“How much is the absence of ownership of the mind-body-speech complex (pudgal, the relative self), that much is the experience of the ownership of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dada-bhagwan/how-much-is-the-absence-of-ownership-of-the-mind-body-speech-complex/)

[Dada Bhagwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dada-bhagwan/)

> [ “Moksha \[Ultimate Liberation\] is not found in the scriptures, Moksha is in the Soul \[Our Real Self\].” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dada-bhagwan/moksha-ultimate-liberation-is-not-found-in-the-scriptures-moksha-is/)

[Dada Bhagwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dada-bhagwan/)

## More by Dada Bhagwan

> [“Where there is doubt (shanka), there is misery. The moment one begins to doubt the knowledge that, 'I am Chandubhai,' misery arises. Once one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dada-bhagwan/where-there-is-doubt-shanka-there-is-misery-the-moment-one-begins-to/)

[Dada Bhagwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dada-bhagwan/)

> [ “The worldly \[spiritual\] science is methodic (kramic) in nature; one progresses “step by step”; one has to ascent one step at a time. Whereas… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dada-bhagwan/the-worldly-spiritual-science-is-methodic-kramic-in-nature-one/)

[Dada Bhagwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dada-bhagwan/)

> [“In the worldly life, due to maadakta (intoxication of the ego of ‘I am Chandubhai’), one has completely lost awareness of everything about one’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dada-bhagwan/in-the-worldly-life-due-to-maadakta-intoxication-of-the-ego-of-i-am/)

[Dada Bhagwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dada-bhagwan/)

> [ “Through the grace of a thief, one can become a thief and through the grace of a Gnani \[the enlightened one\], one can become… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dada-bhagwan/through-the-grace-of-a-thief-one-can-become-a-thief-and-through-the/)

[Dada Bhagwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dada-bhagwan/)

> [ “Where there are kashays (anger-pride-deceit-greed), there is worldly life. As long as anger-pride-deceit-greed exist; one is a sansaari \[living a worldly life\] regardless of… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dada-bhagwan/where-there-are-kashays-anger-pride-deceit-greed-there-is-worldly/)

[Dada Bhagwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dada-bhagwan/)

> [“If one does not know how to read the account (karmic) book, then he will start to have doubts, and doubts lead to unhappiness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dada-bhagwan/if-one-does-not-know-how-to-read-the-account-karmic-book-then-he-will/)

[Dada Bhagwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dada-bhagwan/)

> [ “Skills (learning) or lack of skills is all egoistic knowledge (ego based knowledge). Ego-free Knowledge is called (true) Knowledge \[Gnan\].” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dada-bhagwan/skills-learning-or-lack-of-skills-is-all-egoistic-knowledge-ego-based/)

[Dada Bhagwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dada-bhagwan/)

> [“Continue with whatever it is that you have been doing, except for attachment-abhorrence. If ‘we’ stay in our state of Pure Soul, attachment-abhorrence will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dada-bhagwan/continue-with-whatever-it-is-that-you-have-been-doing-except-for/)

[Dada Bhagwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dada-bhagwan/)

> [“A variety of difficulties will come your way. But at the time of difficulty, you will be able to find a ready made medicine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dada-bhagwan/a-variety-of-difficulties-will-come-your-way-but-at-the-time-of/)

[Dada Bhagwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dada-bhagwan/)

> [“Suppose you want to go to Juhu (suburb in Mumbai) from here, and you come across two paths, which of the two paths is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dada-bhagwan/suppose-you-want-to-go-to-juhu-suburb-in-mumbai-from-here-and-you/)

[Dada Bhagwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dada-bhagwan/)

> [“The Soul (our true Self) has to be experienced, the Soul known through scriptures will not do. Work will not be completed through scriptural…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dada-bhagwan/the-soul-our-true-self-has-to-be-experienced-the-soul-known-through/)

[Dada Bhagwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dada-bhagwan/)

> [“If God were the doer, when will there be an end?! (If) God is the creator and he made us, we become his toys,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dada-bhagwan/if-god-were-the-doer-when-will-there-be-an-end-if-god-is-the-creator/)

[Dada Bhagwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dada-bhagwan/)

> [“For those people whose association is harmful to the Self (kusangi), there is no better respectful fear (taap) than that of satsang (spiritual company).”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dada-bhagwan/for-those-people-whose-association-is-harmful-to-the-self-kusangi/)

[Dada Bhagwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dada-bhagwan/)

> [“Forgiveness is not to be given by speaking. Forgiveness is natural and spontaneously there. Spontaneous forgiveness is a sign of having attained the Self…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dada-bhagwan/forgiveness-is-not-to-be-given-by-speaking-forgiveness-is-natural-and/)

[Dada Bhagwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dada-bhagwan/)

> [“Remaining absolutely non-acquisitive (aparigrahi) amidst all possessions is the ultimate ‘test examination’.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dada-bhagwan/remaining-absolutely-non-acquisitive-aparigrahi-amidst-all/)

[Dada Bhagwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dada-bhagwan/)

[Explore all 2,468 Dada Bhagwan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dada-bhagwan/)

## More Happiness quotes

> [Life is full of change. That's how we learn and grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-full-of-change-that-s-how-we-learn-and-grow/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Remember that your natural state is joy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-dyer/remember-that-your-natural-state-is-joy/)

[Wayne Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-dyer/)

> [Balance suggests a perfect equilibrium. There is no such thing. That is a false expectation… There are going to be priorities and dimensions of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denise-morrison/balance-suggests-a-perfect-equilibrium-there-is-no-such-thing-that-is/)

[Denise Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denise-morrison/)

> [“WE CAN'T ALWAYS CONTROL OUR CIRCUMSTANCES BUT WE CAN CONTROL OUR ATTITUDE. WE MUST BE MORE CONCERNED WITH WHAT WE DO WITH WHAT HAPPENS…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marvin-j-ashton/we-can-t-always-control-our-circumstances-but-we-can-control-our/)

[MARVIN J. ASHTON](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marvin-j-ashton/)

> [I can skate beautifully. While performing on ice I always try to please the audience and to win as well. Being artistic is very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evgeni-plushenko/i-can-skate-beautifully-while-performing-on-ice-i-always-try-to/)

[Evgeni Plushenko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evgeni-plushenko/)

> [Sometimes we wish for the feel but we never understand that we have to give a lot to get the feel !](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-reynolds/sometimes-we-wish-for-the-feel-but-we-never-understand-that-we-have/)

[Robert Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-reynolds/)

> [Sing like no one's listening, love like you've never been hurt, dance like nobody's watching, and live like its heaven on earth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/sing-like-no-one-s-listening-love-like-you-ve-never-been-hurt-dance/)

[Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/)

> [“It was beautiful. He thought he had never seen anything so beautiful in all his life; that, having seen it, he could die content,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mira-grant/it-was-beautiful-he-thought-he-had-never-seen-anything-so-beautiful/)

[Mira Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mira-grant/)

> [The happy have whole days,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colley-cibber/the-happy-have-whole-days/)

[Colley Cibber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colley-cibber/)

> [I have observed this in my experience of slavery, - that whenever my condition was improved, instead of its increasing my contentment, it only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-have-observed-this-in-my-experience-of-slavery-that-whenever-my/)

[Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/)

> [I've got nothing to do today but smile.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-ve-got-nothing-to-do-today-but-smile/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Her dignity consists in being unknown to the world; her glory is in the esteem of her husband; her pleasures in the happiness of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/her-dignity-consists-in-being-unknown-to-the-world-her-glory-is-in/)

[Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/)

> [The size of a man's understanding might always be justly measured by his mirth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/the-size-of-a-man-s-understanding-might-always-be-justly-measured-by/)

[Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/)

> [Positive thinking evokes more energy, more initiative, more happiness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/positive-thinking-evokes-more-energy-more-initiative-more-happiness/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [When you have a choice, choose happy!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pancho-barnes/when-you-have-a-choice-choose-happy/)

Pancho Barnes

[Browse all 40,288 Happiness quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“Things do not give unhappiness, ignorance (of one’s real Self) does.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Dada Bhagwan"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dada-bhagwan/things-do-not-give-unhappiness-ignorance-of-one-s-real-self-does/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Happiness"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dada-bhagwan/things-do-not-give-unhappiness-ignorance-of-one-s-real-self-does/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/747/dada-bhagwan-31_happiness_things-do-not-give-unhappiness-ignorance_2110472.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/747/dada-bhagwan-31_happiness_things-do-not-give-unhappiness-ignorance_2110472.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/747/dada-bhagwan-31_happiness_things-do-not-give-unhappiness-ignorance_2110472.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Things do not give unhappiness, ignorance (of one’s real Self) does.” — Dada Bhagwan",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Dada Bhagwan",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dada-bhagwan/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“Things do not give unhappiness, ignorance...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dada-bhagwan/things-do-not-give-unhappiness-ignorance-of-one-s-real-self-does/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dada-bhagwan/things-do-not-give-unhappiness-ignorance-of-one-s-real-self-does/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
