What is happiness, and how do we find it?
Happiness is an experience of being calm, peaceful,
joyful, and clear.
That's happiness.
But of course,
many people have different opinions or different perspectives.
You cannot find one happiness that everybody is looking for.
Happiness has a big scope of variety.
It differs very, very much between different people.
Person A is totally diffferent from person B or C.
A, B, C, D, or whatever.
But, in general, we are all looking for happiness.
Everybody.
I'm looking for happiness, and you're also looking for happiness.
Watching this video right now is also looking for happiness.
And, when you blink your eyes, you're also looking for happiness,
you know.
If you don't blink your eyes for maybe one minute,
you begin to suffer, you know.
So you have to blink your eyes.
Each breath is also looking for happiness.
But you cannot find one special cause for happiness,
one special object for happiness.
Where does happiness comes from?
From something that you like.
Let's say…
chili.
Some people love chili. When they eat chili, they are happy.
Without chili, you know,
"This food is not tasty without chili."
"If I add chili to the food, the food becomes very delicious!"
But some people don't like chili!
And for those people, chili becomes a cause for suffering.
"Ah, this food has too much chili! I don't like chili at all."
So those people who like chili, when they look at chili,
they become so happy.
And those people who don't like chili, when they look at chili,
"Ew, I don't like it!"
So, the common thing, or general thing,
is the belief that happiness is something
that fulfills your desires. You achieve your goal.
That is happiness.
"I like that! And I got it!"
But...
In general, we think that is the cause for happiness.
But...
Sometimes you think it's happiness,
but maybe it will cause suffering for you. Who knows?
Sometimes,
it's happiness for now, but maybe it will change later.
It becomes causes for happiness. Or sometimes
right now there's suffering, but you perceive it as happiness.
So, there are many things. Many people have different things.
My own opinion on happiness — or the idea of happiness —
is, as I have mentioned before,
an experience of being calm, peaceful, joyful, and clear.
Openness. Freedom, which has no need
to depend upon outside circumstances,
and outside phenomena.
It comes from within you, is developed within you.
That is happiness!
That's why the best happiness you have to find within you.
If you try to find happiness in outside circumstances,
then your happiness becomes like the stock market -
up and down, up and down. Like a wave in the ocean.
Some scientists study about happiness,
and they have found many different causes of happiness.
And now, I remember, there are two major causes of happiness.
One is winning the lottery, and the second is marriage.
The happiness that comes from winning the lottery
is good for two years. Only two years.
After that, you're the same as before.
Again, you begin to complain, "Oh, this is not good. That is not good."
Maybe it's even worse.
You don't know how to manage your money,
and you might have problems with your family and friends,
you know.
And happiness that comes from marriage,
is good for;
I don't mean to bring bad news, OK? But I will tell you.
Five years. It's good for five years.
That's an average, of course.
Some people get along very, very well for many, many years.
OK.
So,
if you're happy within, if you have a happiness
that is connected with wisdom,
that is not only depending upon outside circumstances,
then it's good for your life. Your environment, your lifestyle,
your life, your job, your study — everything becomes good!
So how can we find this happiness?
Within you. Yeah?
And how?
Through two things:
what we call "wisdom" and "method."
Wisdom is to know your true nature.
The nature of yourself, and the nature of phenomena.
Knowing the truth is liberation from suffering.
The other one is method, like skillful means, love, compassion.
And meditation is also very good.
If you join these two together,
you can really develop happiness within you.
Thank you!