What is "happiness"? Last week with the young American Buddhist nun Sayalay Aloka, we had a great time breaking it down.
There are those things that cost a lot of money, take a lot of effort, and produce only a little temporary alleviation from the daily humdrum. They disappoint. But they're all we've ever known to relieve unhappiness.
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| U know u want. I'm the carrot. You're the ass. |
Is "ALL life suffering"? No. If it were, explained the Buddha, nobody would remain in samsara (the endless wandering on in search of sensual pleasures plagued by ignorance and ensnared by lust).
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| U know u want it. Make the payments, b*tch. |
"All conditioned-existence is unsatisfactory," that's the way to accurately translate it. Things disappoint. So Buddhists say, "There is no way to happiness. Happiness is the way!" Be happy now. But how?
All conditioned things are incapable of fulfilling us, satisfying us, putting to rest our abysmal craving. So if we don't get off this carousel, it will just keep going forever in the three periods of time (past, present, future).
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| See how that works, Max? - No. - Go home, boy. |
It is getting in touch with the Three Roots of
Happiness (alobha, adosa, amoha).
We'll learn and PRACTICE presence (the power of now) by what the Buddha taught as "mindfulness" (sati), which differs from the way many are using the word nowadays. Why will we practice?
We'll learn and PRACTICE presence (the power of now) by what the Buddha taught as "mindfulness" (sati), which differs from the way many are using the word nowadays. Why will we practice?
Because if greed, hatred, and delusion are the sources of misery, perhaps
- letting go
- deeply opening the heart, and
- being mindful in this present moment
is a whole new way
of approaching happiness, bliss, and ecstasy here right now. And these
teachings of the Buddha can be practiced all the way to enlightenment.
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