The happiness in this state feels much like ordinary happiness. Imagine it’s your birthday and someone gives you a very nice present. You open the present and exclaim, “Wow, this is great! I always wanted one of these,” and you are really happy. The happiness of the second jhāna is this kind of happiness, but it isn’t triggered by anything external; it’s triggered by your concentrated mind. You have a gift within you, and the second jhāna enables you to experience it directly.
