Happiness in Buddhism

Happiness is what everyone needs. We do everything for the happiness of our mind. In Buddhism the happiness is the final achievement and that happiness is eternal. However the path to happiness in Buddhism is different from what is conventional.

Usually we can be happy if we get what we needed and if we don’t get what we don’t need. So to be happy always we simply need to provide what our mind needs. If someone wants a car he can be happy once he gets it. However we need lot of things at a time (tasty foods, long hair, nice car, pass the exams etc.) So it is highly unlikely to make us continuously happy. In other hand although we get what we needed the happiness is uncertain as quickly we need something else. As and example once we get a car then we may need to modify it with seat covers, stickers or need an air freshener etc.

If we closely look at our life at first we went to school and want to pass the exams and then need to go to a university or training then need a job, then need to find a partner, have children, give them education, find them jobs, find them partners and care their children repeating exactly what our parents did. But very few feel they are accomplished even at the age of 70s. People think the happiness comes ahead but they die without ever having it.

The happiness in Buddhism is different and we can have it for no cost and at the present moment if we train our mind (or meditate). We don’t need to get older, get married or to find a good job but can be happy even during sickness and while dying. Training our mind is done through understanding the nature of things and we need to know how to concentrate. Meditation is a tool to train the mind.

Following practices helps the mind training

Practice precepts- Precepts are the set of rules lead to social wellbeing (by avoiding from killing, stealing, adultery, lying, intoxicating the society become harmless)But if we break precepts we cannot escape from the guilty feeling which damages the tranquility/contemplation of the mind.Without having tranquility of the mind we can’t train our mind.

Generosity

Get rid of Jealousy

Develop compassion,

Forgiveness

Acceptance

Simplicity

Few expectations

Mind is trained to understand the common three features of worldly objects. They are” Uncertain, Suffering, and non self”.

Uncertain-Everything changes so this is common for everything whether we like it or not. (aging process is a good example, we can see this in everything like in weather, health, death etc.)

Suffering- Since things change and we can’t control them it is a suffer (no one want to be sick or die, but everyone becomes sick and finally die)

Non self- (this may be difficult to understand) since we cannot gain control against the nature and both of our body and mind are uncertain and suffering we can’t call us a self. Irrespective to our wish nature takes its course. We only have a limited control.

So through the training we have to understand this very nature and that can help us to be happy even at very stressful situations.

Below examples may help you to understand how training of the mind lead to happiness.

1. A buys a beautiful Mug of his desire and never had trained his mind. so he thinks the mug will be with him as long as he wants it. But his servant accidently drops it very next day. Then A becomes unhappy and may punish the servant

2. B also buys a mug but with his trained mind he knows it could be broken and he is ready to face that. His servant too drops it. Since B expected this he doesn’t worry and forgive the servant.

In this way we can practice our mind

The more you understand the nature the less you suffer. Enlightened ones had completely understood the nature so they do not suffer at all and they taste the eternal happiness.

to be continued