Showing posts with label happiness is the way. Show all posts
Showing posts with label happiness is the way. Show all posts

Sunday, February 1, 2026

Real Happiness Meditation Challenge

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
• If I am locked out of Teachable, how do I access the course?
Login to Teachable using the Teachable password right here or login with a temporary code right here.

• My Teachable password isn’t working, and I can’t login!
Login with a temporary code right here or reset your Teachable password right here.
• I signed up for the Challenge but have not received anything.
Registrants should receive a confirmation within a few minutes of signing up from Teachable. If not and no emails have been received, check the spam/junk and “promotions” folders. Still can't locate any emails from Teachable, contact support team right here.

• How long are the lessons?
Daily lessons vary in length ranging from 7-10 minutes. Practice for longer if you wish. That is always welcome.

• When does the Challenge start?
The Challenge begins Sunday, February 1, 2026. Each lesson in February becomes available daily as we move through the month. Lesson One becomes available on February 1st...Lesson Five becomes available on February 5th, and so on.

• Can I join the challenge late?
Registration for the 2026 challenge closes at 11:59 pm EST on January 31st. Unfortunately, we cannot take late registrants beyond that date. So do it now, not in a minute, NOW.

• Is the Challenge free?
The Challenge is offered on a sliding-scale basis with a suggested contribution of a dollar-a-day ($28); however, a donation is not required to participate. If you are inspired to make a larger contribution to support the Challenge, you can do so here via PayPal.

• Does the course have lifetime access?
No, there is no lifetime access to course materials, as they are owned by happify.com. Once a lesson becomes available, you have until May 31st, 2026, to access it.

• How do I access meditations?
Once you sign up for the Challenge, you will receive an email to verify your account in Teachable. Once setup, you will need to log-in to Teachable each day to access lessons. You will receive a daily email from us each day with the link to the day's lesson. If you are not receiving these emails, please contact our support team right here.

• Can I download lessons?
No, the lessons are not available to download. Video components, including the guided meditations, are only available to stream.

• What time are lessons available each day?
Daily lessons are released at midnight/0:00 UTC (Universal Time Coordinated) on the day prior. To see what midnight/0:00 UTC corresponds to in your local time zone, use this UTC converter.

• If I get busy and skip some days of the Challenge, should I stop all together, or can I continue forward?
You are either welcome to continue onward either at your own pace doing the lessons in order or pick back up on the current day’s lesson the group is currently on. You can then go back later to the lessons you missed since you will have access to the materials until May 31st, 2026.

• Do I need to purchase a copy of the book to participate in the Challenge?
Real Happiness: Power of Meditation: 28-Days
No, the book Real Happiness is not required to participate in the Challenge. However, if you would like to supplement your experience, it is a great way to deepen your experience. For anyone wanting to purchase the book, you can use the code MEDITATION20 to receive a 20% discount via Hachette (US orders only). This discount also applies to Real Happiness at Work and Finding Your Way.

• Does it matter if I buy the physical book or the eBook?
All forms of the book are the same. Choose whatever format you prefer for yourself.

• Are there guidelines for comments?
Kindly limit sharing in the comments section to the scope of this Challenge and how it affects your life. Our intention is to foster a community of encouragement and support for this practice. We ask that comments adhere to the principles of right speech and refrain from harmful speech. Any comments containing advertisements or inappropriate content will not be published.

• When are my comments published?
"We can always begin again." - S. Salzberg
Our team reads all comments before they are published within 24 hours. We ask that all comments adhere to the principles of right speech and refrain from harmful speech. Any comments containing advertisements or inappropriate content will not be published.

• Why wasn’t my comment published?
If your comment doesn’t meet our guidelines, it will not be published. If you still have a question or concern, please contact our Challenge Support Team by direct email right here.
    American Buddhist teacher Sharon Salzberg
    ABOUT: Sharon Salzberg is a pioneer in the field of Buddhist meditation, a world-renowned teacher, and New York Times bestselling author. She has played a pivotal role in bringing Buddhist insight meditation (vipassana) and mindfulness (sati) into mainstream American culture since 1974. She is cofounder of The Insight Meditation Society in Barre, MA, and has authored 10 books, including the New York Times bestseller Real Happiness. Acclaimed for her down-to-earth and relatable teaching style, she offers a secular, modern approach to Buddhist teachings, making them instantly accessible. Her writing can be found on Medium, On Being, the Maria Shriver blog, and Huffington Post. She is also the host of her own podcast The Metta Hour, with 100+ episodes, featuring interviews with the top leaders and voices in the meditation and mindfulness movement. Learn more at sharonsalzberg.com.

    Tuesday, December 23, 2025

    The Buddhist way to give for Christmas


    The Buddhist Way to Give at Christmas | No stress, just pure joy
    (Buddha's Wisdom) Dec. 23, 2025: What if we could give at Christmas without stress, guilt, or keeping score?
    • 🎁 CHRISTMAS DOESN'T HAVE TO FEEL HEAVY.
    • DISCOVER HOW BUDDHIST WISDOM CAN TRANSFORM GIVING.
    For 2,600+ years, Buddhists have practiced dāna (letting go, giving, sharing, generosity, charity), the art of generous giving that liberates both giver and receiver.

    This ancient wisdom offers a profound alternative to the anxiety, obligation, and reciprocity calculations that often shadow modern Christmas giving.

    Through Buddhist teachings, human psychology, and everyday Christmas moments, this video shows how giving without attachment changes not only the holiday season…but the mind/heart behind it.

    📿 DISCOVER:
    • The ancient practice of dāna and its three stages of joy (before, during, and after giving)
    • Why expecting gratitude turns giving into stress
    • Why the Buddha said the "gift of Dhamma [the Teaching, Doctrine, Dharma] surpasses all other gifts" and what this means for our Western pagan holiday we call Christmas (Christ's mass)
    • The three moods of giving: reluctant, calculated, and free (and which one we're actually practicing)
    • The hidden emotional contracts behind Christmas gifts
    • How to give, and receive, without pressure, debt, or obligation
    🙏 If this changes how you experience Christmas this year, subscribe to Buddha's Wisdom for weekly explorations of ancient practices that address modern life. The next video might be exactly what someone needs

    ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS:
    • 00:00 Christmas magic meets Buddhist wisdom
    • 01:19 The Christmas giving paradox
    • 03:19 What is Dāna? The Buddhist art of generosity
    • 06:13 The three moods of giving
    • 11:01 How to practice dāna at Christmas
    • 17:29 The ultimate Buddhist Christmas gift
    • 19:30 The one gift experiment
    📱 JOIN COMMUNITY: Instagram (buddhaswizdom), Facebook (buddhaswizdom), X (x.com/BuddhasWizdom), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/5ndnBU5...), TikTok (buddhas.wisdom). ☕ Support the channel: buymeacoffee.com/buddhaswisdom

    #Buddhism, #Christmas, #BuddhistWisdom, #Dāna, #MindfulGiving, #StressFreeChristmas, #BuddhistTeachings, #Generosity, #SpiritualWisdom, #christmasgiving #Mindfulness #NonAttachment #HolidayStress #InnerPeace

    📚 SOURCES AND FURTHER READING:
    PRIMARY TEXTS:
    • The Dhammapada (verse on the gift of Dhamma)
    • Early Buddhist texts in the Pāli canon (teachings on dāna and generosity)
    • Accounts of Anāthapiṇḍika's generosity (Vinaya Piṭaka)
    • The Buddha's final teaching (Mahāparinibbāna Sutta)
    SCHOLARLY CONTEXT:
    "Dāna: The Practice of Giving" - Selected Essays from Early Buddhist Texts
    "Generosity in Early Buddhism" - Bhikkhu Bodhi's translations and commentaries
    "Buddhist Ethics" - Damien Keown (Oxford University Press)

    MODERN APPLICATIONS: Studies on mindful giving and psychological wellbeing
    Research on gratitude practices and stress reduction
    Comparative religious studies: Generosity across traditions

    © Buddha's Wisdom - Making ancient wisdom accessible for modern life.
    • Buddha's Wisdom (YouTube), Dec. 23, 2025; Ashley Wells, Dhr. Seven, Amber Larson, Ananda (Dharma Buddhist Meditation), Sheldon S., Crystal Quintero, Seth Auberon (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

    Monday, December 8, 2025

    Wisdom of Happiness: Dalai Lama (film)


    OFFICIAL TRAILER | WISDOM OF HAPPINESS


    CIA, it's time for world peace
    (Abramorama) The WISDOM OF HAPPINESS shows us a timeless truth: happiness is still possible, even in the midst of chaos and uncertainty. This powerful message of hope is delivered as a personal audience with one of the greatest living thinkers, Nobel Peace Prize winner Tenzin Gyatso, known to billions around the world as the 14th Dalai Lama.

    From Executive Producers Richard Gere and Oren Moverman, the film premieres its North American theater tour in 2025. Learn more and sign up to receive updates: wisdomofhappinessfilm.com.

    Dalai Lama shares advice for finding happiness in the 21st century in new documentary
    Leila Fadel, photographed for NPR, 2 May 2022, in Washington DC. Photo by Mike Morgan for NPR.
    (NPR) NPR's Leila Fadel speaks (7-minute listen) with American Tibetan Vajrayana Buddhist actor and activist Richard Gere about the new documentary Wisdom of Happiness in which the current Dalai Lama offers solutions to the 21st century's hurdles to happiness.

    Friday, December 5, 2025

    R. Gere 'Wisdom of Happiness' (Lion's Roar)


    Richard Gere on “The Wisdom of Happiness” and the Dalai Lama’s message for our time
    Magazine Nov. 2025 (lionsroar.com)
    (Lion’s Roar) In the new film The Wisdom of Happiness, HH the Dalai Lama shares his timeless message of compassion and interconnection on the big screen.

    In conversation with Lion’s Roar magazine Editor Andrea Miller, Richard Gere -- American Zen and Vajrayana Buddhist, actor, humanitarian, and one of the executive producers of the film -- reflects on the nature of true happiness, the roots of suffering, and how meeting the Dalai Lama transformed his life.

    The Wisdom of Happiness premieres in theaters Oct. 2025 and, while best viewed on the big screen, it is also available for streaming. To find a screening at a nearby theater, visit: wisdomofhappinessfilm.com.

    ABOUT: Lion’s Roar is an independent non-profit foundation whose mission is to communicate Buddhist wisdom and practices in order to benefit people’s lives and our society and to support the development of Buddhism in the modern world. Through its print and digital publications, it aims to bring Dharma to people right where they are, knowing what a difference it can make in their lives.

    Sign up for Lion's Roar's free "How to Live a Good Human Life Summit," from Oct. 23-27: lionsroar.com/how-to-live...

    Subscribe to channel: @lionsroaronline. Get weekly top stories delivered to inbox: lionsroar.com/newsletter. WEBSITE: lionsroar.com. Facebook (lionsroarbuddhism). Instagram (lionsroarbuddhism).
    • The Simpsons; Actor Richard Gere, editor Andrea Miller (lionsroar.com), Oct. 15, 2025; CC Liu, Crystal Quintero, Dhr. Seven (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

    Friday, October 31, 2025

    Signs of progress in meditation (Rinpoche)


    How do I know if I'm becoming a better meditator? Signs of progress with Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche
    (Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche) Premiered Aug. 20, 2024: Although meditation instructions are often simple and easy to understand, knowing whether we are practicing correctly can be difficult. [There's nothing easy about applying the easy instructions, nothing simple about actually doing the practice that sounded to terribly simple that there should have been nothing to it.] How do we know if it is being effective and helping us progress along the path of awakening (enlightenment)? In this monthly teaching, Mingyur Rinpoche gives helpful advice to assess how our "calm abiding practice" (samatha) or "insight meditation practice" (vipassana) is progressing.

    🔗 Joy of Living Meditation Program: Learn meditation under the skillful guidance of Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche at own pace. https://joy.tergar.org/ 🔗 Vajrayana Online: Study and practice of the Tibetan Buddhism with Mingyur Rinpoche. https://learning.tergar.org/ 🔗Online events, retreats with Mingyur Rinpoche https://events.tergar.org/ 🔗 About Tergar Path: https://tergar.org/programs/

    Friday, October 3, 2025

    World Smile Day: A Path to Happiness


    Buddhism's Seinfeld: funny Ajahn Brahm
    The first Friday of October is World Smile Day (Oct. 3, 2025), a relatively new holiday with a fascinating story. Created by a commercial artist named Harvey Ball, this day came about as a response to his creation of the smiley face. Harvey worried that the commercialization of the symbol would lessen its impact. We can hardly blame him for his estimation; the symbol has been used in many different ways including clothing, comic books, coffee mugs, pins, and more. These little yellow faces are more than just a symbol, they’re a statement about the power of smiling.


    History of World Smile Day


    Has this symbol always existed?
    In 1963, Harvey Ball, a graphic artist and ad man from Worcester, Massachusetts, created the smiley face symbol [the yellow emoji icon] we’ve all come to know.

    Popularity for this symbol exploded into the world of popular culture. It’s every artists’ dream for their work to be respected and recreated and few symbols have had quite the legacy that Harvey’s creation has had. More: nationaltoday.com

    Smiling animals brighten our day

    If looking for something to brighten an otherwise dreary winter day, look no further than these adorable animals. Looking at their cheery grins will no doubt put a smile on the face that watches them, too. These smiling animals will brighten the day

    Buddhism: There is no way to happiness. Why? Happiness is the way

    I let go, surrendered, and blissed out on the mat.
    This is a tricky truth no one talks about, at least not in the West. We are forever searching and seeking, scheming and striving to get happy, to FIND a way to happiness. But this message turns that sort of thinking on its head.

    When at a Buddhist monastery or on a Buddhist retreat, it's not uncommon to ask, "How do I attain meditative absorption (jhana)?" Another word for it is "zen" or dhyana and dharana on a yoga retreat. But there's no answer. One is taught a technique but no way to achieve the thing one strives for. Why?

    I have a theory. - What is it? - Do the GOOD.
    It is reached by letting go, dropping the striving, surrendering up the muscling, giving up the go-getter attitude. It just happens. And teachers will say, "There's no way to [scheme and use force to] do it. Meditators just do it."

    I went to the room of the greatest jhana teacher in the world, and I pressed him, "What's the secret?"

    He didn't know what I meant, he said. He didn't even know what I was talking about, he claimed. Then I thought, he's given me an opening. Here's my chance. I better ask very carefully:

    "How does one meditate...successfully? What I mean is, how does one attain absorption? How does one get to..." He looked at me like I was kidding and when he saw that I was not, as if by rote, he gave me the basic instructions:
    • Sit up straight, but not too straight, relax, bring your attention under your nose to the breath, remain aware of each and every in-breath and out-breath that is happening. Don't do anything but give your undivided attention to that breath (composed of an in-portion and out-portion). Just that. [Then what? - Then nothing, just that. - No, but there has to be something more; it can't be just that. - Just do that (in addition to keeping silent, following the Eight Precepts, and always keeping the breath in mind except when asleep) and then report to me what happens during the daily interview sessions. Try it. It's very simple, but there's nothing easy about it. So keep at it.]
    Bare awareness (mindfulness/sati) is a start.
    "No," I said, "not how does one sit; how does one succeed? How does one get to that state of one-pointedness, samadhi, stillness, rapture, unbroken focus...?"

    "Oh, that," he said. "I don't know that." I thought he was joking, a real effort to make an American-style joke, and I didn't know why he wasn't telling me. He knew I was sincere. He knew I had been striving all month long. Then I applied more pressure than probably anyone would ever dare to apply.

    I wasn't leaving without an answer: "What do you mean you don't know? Who better than you? If you don't know, who could possibly know?"

    Then he stunned me, as he often did with the directness of his insight and his willingness to share his knowledge with me? "I don't know because I do not read minds. People come to me. I give them the instructions. And some of them come tell me what is happening, and I guide them from there."

    You asked him what?! Did he throw you out?
    "But WHY do some of them have something start happening since not everyone does?"

    "That I do not know. I just know they do. And when they do, I can help them, guide them to go deeper. But how they get to it in the first place, that I do not know." [These aren't exact quotes, just the gist of the conversation, which only lasted a few desperate minutes as I pushed and pushed.]

    As he said this, I realized I had asked him this before, after sitting with him in Asia at his massive monastery, where it seemed everyone was succeeding and attaining. I asked him and pushed him a little on the matter with someone sitting by me to catch what I might be missing, two Americans sincerely wanting to experience what Buddhist texts write about, what the Buddha taught, what sutras say happens.

    At that time he looked at us and perceiving our sincerity said one strange word, his guess as to what it was distilled down to ONE thing as if it could ever be just one thing distinguishing success from just sitting. That word was parami. She smiled next to me, but I grimaced, perplexed. "'Parami?' The Sanskrit word paramita?"

    "Yes," he answered, but he was actually talking about the Pali (and therefore Theravada Buddhist) form of the word parami. In either case, it means "perfection," but the Sanskrit is a diluted Mahayana term of six factors, whereas the historical Buddha always taught TEN intentional actions (deeds, karma).

    My teacher clarified. What he imagined (from what he heard from many of his successful students reporting to him) was that they remembered doing skillful deeds in the past, and he concluded that those past skillful deeds were coming to fruition as they sat. And that's why some succeeded and not others.

    What kinds of questions are these? You are silly.
    (What I was really getting at was, WHAT ACTIONS CAN SOMEONE DO NOW OR WHILE ONE IS SITTING IN MEDITATION, ANXIOUS FOR SOMETHING TO HAPPEN, TO MAKE IT HAPPEN?)

    That he didn't know, so I had to undertake a lifelong journey of trying to figure it out. Of course, it will have something to do with the Factors of Absorption (jhananga, "limbs of jhana"). Leigh Brasington figured this much out, having had the insight that happiness is the way:

    Right Concentration: Practical Guide to the Jhanas
    Brasington teaches a technique of focusing on one of these factors, happiness (piti, joy, pleasure, rapture, bliss) as it arises in the body in serenity meditation. By focusing on it, it increases based on the principle that, "Where attention goes, energy flows." This is true enough, but how does one get the initial happiness/bliss to pay attention to and make increase?

    Now it makes sense that what I had always been looking for was a carrot or apple in front of the horse (mule, donkey, jackass). I could only neigh in realizing it: THE GOAL is not this happiness because THIS HAPPINESS is the way to relaxing, letting go, unstriving, surrendering, unclutching, dropping hangups, persisting without grasping or clinging, shikantaza ("just sitting"), not setting up a goal and striving for it. Why? It's because those blissful states of meditation and their attendant stillness, mindfulness, and progress towards insight are NATURAL. They arise. We don't "do" them. We can't do them. We don't know how and do not have that power.

    But if we relax and just watch with vigilance, stillness, steadiness, persistence, we are cultivating the Factors of Absorption and other factors of the 37 Requisites of Enlightenment, which are categorized into seven groupings.
    • One is reminded of a very important thing the Buddha once explained to someone. When talking about the Bodhisatta, himself at the stage of still being a seeker of enlightenment, he once realized that he could neither strive too hard or be negligent. Doing either, he sank as if in a great ocean (samsara), but not striving and not being negligent, he made progress. What could this mean either than the Middle Way of avoiding extremes, of persisting but not pushing, of cultivating but not disturbing the peace or giving in to apathy, listlessness, or despair?
    • Thai Forest Tradition arahant Ajahn Maha Boowa seems to be suggesting the same thing here (translated by the American intellect Ven. Thanissaro): "The tactics [techniques] given by each of the Buddhas to the world are called the Dhamma [Truth] of the doctrine. These aren't the genuine Dhamma. They're tactics [methods] — different offshoots — actions and modes displayed by the genuine Dhamma, means for letting go and striving, teaching us to let go, teaching us to strive using various methods, saying that the results will be like this or that. As for the genuine Dhamma of results in the principles of nature, that's something to be known exclusively in the heart of the person who practices. This Dhamma can't really be described correctly in line with its truth. We can only talk around it. And particularly with release [nirvana, liberation, freedom]: This can't be correctly described at all, because it's beyond all conventions and speculations. It can't be described. Even though we may know it with our full heart, we can't describe it. Like describing the flavor [of a soup using only words to someone who has yet to simply taste it]." From Things As They Are.
    Smile, be happy. Don't overdo it; just let it be.
    So happiness IS the way. Be happy. Right now. Choose it. It's a choice. Smile. After all, it's World Smile Day. Reflect, "Why is the Buddha ALWAYS smiling slightly?" There are no statues of him yelling or throwing things, losing his temper or his poise. Why? It's because once one uproots the defilements, there is nothing more tat can upset. One knows-and-sees directly.

    Like that, Lisa, just like that. Hold it.
    And to the extent that that knowing-and-seeing is the goal, one has reached it. Things have become clear, and nothing can any longer upset us. What was in the way, aside from the defilements (of which there are many subtle ones) and lack of parami-karma (ten skillful deeds performed with the ambition of nirvana being the result)? What is the direct path to bodhi (enlightenment, awakening, realization, liberating-insight)?

    What is the way to bodhi? The Seven Factors of Enlightenment. What is the way to those factors? The preceding factors of the 37 Requisites of Enlightenment. How does one do any factor? It's probably a good idea to be happy. How does one even begin to dream to do that? Smile.

    Thursday, August 7, 2025

    How to enter first jhana (Michael Taft)


    How to Jhana — with Michael Taft
    (Michael Taft Nondual Meditation) June 12, 2020: Jhanas (lit. "meditations") are special states of deep absorption that make a wonderful setup for doing awakening practices.

    There is no way to happiness because happiness is the way
    In this video, meditation teacher Michael Taft describes what jhanas are and clarifies the basic steps for getting into the first jhana.

    Jhanas are meant to be enjoyable, and it's very important not to approach jhana in a mood of grasping, tightness, or struggle. Don't try too hard!

    How to
    Instead, approach jhana in a mood of pleasure, joy, gratitude, kindness, and openness. Learning to do jhana is an excellent way to supercharge your vipassana (insight) practice, or to stabilize the mind for nondual (advaita) awareness practices.
    • 00:03 - Introduction
    • 1:24 - The Setup for Jhana (getting focused, and allowing piti to arise)
    • 9:16 - Entering the First Jhana (moving attention to the piti, then resting until unification occurs)
    • 12:39 - Three Things that Can Happen Next (including going into the second jhana)
    • 16:28 - How Jhana Can Change Your Life
    • 20:49 - Books and other resources
    Rob Burbea's Jhana retreat on DharmaSeed audio: dharmaseed.org/retreats/4496. Here is the transcript: drive.google.com/file/d/1VFtE...

    Support the creation of more videos like this contributing on Patreon: michaeltaft.
    What is jhana?

    It is unbroken attention (sustained attention) on something detached from the five senses, something like a nimitta ("sign" in meditation).

    (Beth Upton) Jan. 23, 2023: This is a brief explanation of what is (and is not) a jhana.
    These videos are made possible only by the generous donations of viewers. Please consider supporting this work: bethupton.com/support-my-work (bethupton) Find out more here: bethupton.com. Shot by Alexis P.N. @GuavaFunk: laffcotchtv. Contact: alexispn777@gmail.com

    Wednesday, July 16, 2025

    What is the purpose of living?


    I won $10,000,000 and have never been happier. Oh, wait, I would have burned it if I'd known

    Life is short. What’s the purpose of living? | Buddhist Wisdom
    (Buddhism Podcast) Buddhism Explained. Life is short — but what is it really for? This video looks into the quiet question many of us carry: Why are we here, and what gives life meaning? Using simple Buddhist wisdom, it shows how our constant chasing and avoiding can lead to deep restlessness. Instead of trying to fix life, we can learn to be fully present with it [to see it for what it really is and, seeing it, letting go and thereby being liberated from it]. The answer may not be something we find, but something we live.
    • 00:00 - The question beneath all questions — Why ask at all?
    • 04:03 - The Endless Cycle — chasing happiness, fleeing from sorrow
    • 08:07 - The ripple of our actions — Why death isn’t an escape
    • 14:40 - The Middle Path — walking through life, not around it
    • 18:14 - The point is presence — Living the answer in this moment

    #LifeIsShort #BuddhistWisdom #PurposeOfLiving