There is no happiness in this world!
Question:
Answer:
There is no Happiness/Sukha in this world, but the mind does not want to recognize this truth. Life gives us a glimpse of this truth, every now and then, but the mind does not want to accept it. It seems like a negative or depressed outlook towards life. But it is the truth that there is no Sukkha in this world. Sounds bitter! Sounds unhappy! Sounds unpleasant! But the truth is the truth!
Unfortunately, as the mind cannot swallow this bitter pill, it starts building castles in the air, in the hope that it will find Sukkha. That is why it keeps looking for sukkha outside in the world. It gives a false notion that there will be sukkha in the future, in the company of a particular person. Believing in this false notion of the mind, one keeps looking for sukkha in people but receives only disappointment.
The mind does not have the courage to accept the Truth. This non-acceptance is so strong that it traps you in another false notion that obtaining a particular thing/object might give you that Sukkha but it only brings temporary joy that passes away in a jiffy. No joy lasts long enough to satiate the mind, every thing is ephemeral. This leaves you very thirsty.
The mind now starts running again, this time craving for a situation but fails again in finding the Sukkha, and just obtains a material object that brings the same unpleasantness associated with impermanence.
The mind wants everlasting Sukkha but fails again and again without giving up. That is why the mind is ever thirsty, not because it does not find things/situations/people to quench its thirst but because it is looking for permanence in them which cannot be found anywhere on this planet. It really has taken up a mission that is impossible!
It is the ultimate Truth that the thirst of the MIND cannot be quenched by objects/people/situations. The wise ones realize this TRUTH by their own experience. The unwise mind lacks the courage to accept this Truth.
Therefore the wise proclaim that the cause of your misery is your own mind. The wise STOP running and learn the skill to just BE with what is. What is, IS! The joy of STOPPING cannot be matched by RUNNING.
The only effort is in STOPPING! So learn to STOP. That is the only address for Mr. Permanent Contentment!
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Yes! Finally something meaningful.
Again a very insightful post.
First of the four noble truths by Buddha:
dukkha (suffering, incapable of satisfying, painful) is an innate characteristic of existence in the realm of samsara;
One of the most successful Hollywood actor, Jim Carrey, said this:
“I think everybody should get rich and famous and do everything they ever dreamed of so they can see that it’s not the answer.”
Outside world is chaos central. Even if we get some pleasure out of it for a short while, our fickle mind will not be satiated, will want more, better, more diversity.
Just beautiful!
So true, there is no happiness or sadness as I have started experiencing. Just the life journey and a facade of happiness or sadness (based on our conditioning) which subsides over time. I remember an old joke, if you need happiness for day go shopping, if you want happiness for a month go on vacation, if you want happiness for a year, get married. People, things and situations are just part of the journey.
This is the only truth but it becomes reality until the mind ceases to control us or until we no longer give control to the mind.