Dear Adwoa, I would have to say free. Let me just throw wealth out right away. There are plenty people who are not wealthy who are happy, and many miserable wealthy people. It’s a strange belief really, that we need wealth to be happy, or that it’s important in some way, especially since the majority in the world do just fine without it.
Health falls into a similar category, although certainly it can make a much more impactful difference. It very much depends what we mean by health. Health has considerable variation, as in levels of fitness, energy and so on. When it truly matters is if there is unhealth, illness, disease, or injury. These certainly matter, as they affect us directly, physically, and are not a matter of perspective or attitude.
Which brings us to happy and free. Here I would say free is the most important, and the most important of all four. My reason is as follows. One could not be free and still be happy. Same as we can be happy even if not wealthy or fully healthy.
But, if we are free, this to me means we would be free from poverty, free from lack of health, free from restriction, concern, worry, limitation. Freedom thus to me automatically means happiness. Freedom means any limitations on our happiness are removed. While we can be happy, not being free, healthy or wealthy, our happiness will still have restrictions on it. There is still some room for improvement. But, if we are free, then our happiness is unrestricted.
To be free one would be free also from desires, and as such wealth ceases to be a factor. Wealth matters not at all to those free from inappropriate desire. (We still need appropriate desires, such as the desire to extend our Awareness for instance, and the desire to be free.)
Freedom extends us, enables us, opens possibilities and opportunities we otherwise might not even imagine, and thus, when free, the range and scope of our happiness can extend into areas such as rapture, bliss, and elation. Freedom is by far the most important to me.
Biella
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