The one thing every living being has in common with each other is that, everyone is in search of happiness. The definition of happiness varies according to the needs of each person. For the same person too, happiness or what they consider to be bliss varies with each moment in time. Every deed we do in this world is with the intent of gaining the perfect state of perpetual happiness. Some chase money in the hopes that immense wealth will confer upon them unlimited bliss. We surround ourselves with luxurious items for the same reason. Others focus on their family and friends for, what more can a person want than being surrounded by loved ones ? And then, there are those people for whom being healthy is the mantra for being happy. The fourth …show more content…
A person may be wealthy but, wealth alone cannot confer a calm state of mind which is needed to experience happiness. Their homes may resemble paradise but, they are bogged down by numerous worries. From taxes to investments to business meetings , there probably is not a single moment left for them to savour the things which they cherish the most. Also, what is the use of unending wealth if the person is sick or lacks the warmth offered by a loving family?
The truth is , no one on Earth can ever experience such a state of perpetual bliss. We may be blessed with a good life but, we do face at least small distress on a regular basis. The day the C-Train broke down in the tunnel, the day we couldn’t find a seat on the train, the moment when the computer crashed causing all unsaved data to be lost, we are swamped on all sides by mosquitoes on our evening walk, the day when we were bitten by a wasp… or the constant worry we face about the economy which affects our livelihood, and so the list goes on.
Our enjoyments are also limited by time. For how long can we continue to savour the taste of that perfect scoop of double chocolate ice cream? For how long can we continue to listen to our favorite music album over and over again? After a while, it is natural for us to get tired of doing the things we cherished the
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The Deva Gandharvas have 10,000 units of joy.
The happiness of Deva Gandharvas multiplied by a factor of 100 is equal to the bliss experienced by beings called Gandharvas. The gandharvas have 106 units of joy.
The bliss of Gandharvas multiplied by one hundred is equal to the bliss experienced by beings in the world of manes. The manes live in the celestial world called Pithru Lokam. They experience 108 units of joy.
The happiness of manes multiplied by one hundred is equal to the bliss of beings called Ajana Jana Devas. People who dedicate their lives on earth to serve the public by building hospitals, by providing good drinking water to people living in remote areas etc, after death go to a particular zone in heaven. In this zone, they are called as Ajana Jana Devas. They live in this section of heaven till their merits expire after which they must return to take birth on Earth. The bliss experienced by people who become Ajana Jana Devas is 1010 units of
As quoted by Csikszentmihalyi that “people often end up feeling that their lives have been wasted, and instead of being filled with happiness their years were spent in anxiety and boredom” (608). He added that despite the comfort of today’s modern living; the contentment does not seem to apply in
According to the classic sense, a life full of happiness is a life that manifests wisdom, kindness, and goodness. However happiness has been twisted by a secular culture and the classic sense has given away to “pleasurable satisfaction”. Pleasurable satisfaction depends on external circumstances going well. Moreland points out that because of this the modern sense of happiness, “pleasurable satisfaction”, is unstable and varies with life’s circumstances. Pleasurable satisfaction becomes increasingly addictive and enslaving if it becomes the dominant aim of one’s life. By contrast, classical happiness brings freedom and power to life as one ought, as one increasingly becomes a unified person who lives for a cause bigger than one’s self. Western culture has been disillusioned into seeking happiness as their main priority in life. Although, happiness is important, when its importance becomes exaggerated, it leads to a loss of purpose in life, and even depression. What Western cultures need to realize is that true happiness can never be achieved. Over the past 50 years, levels of health, wealth, and liberties have increased, but levels of happiness haven’t.
The everlasting question of "What is Happiness?" has been inquired since the creation of men. Unfortunately, the only agreed answer that humanity came up with is that all the creatures seek happiness, but no one has the concrete directions for achieving it. Our libraries are overwhelmed with books about happiness, but no dictionary definition explains which path men must take to be happy. No mathematician gave us the axiom which we could use to solve the problem of living in bliss. No scientist brought up the formula of fusing certain ingredients to produce the "drink of happiness". Still almost all the people consider that their ultimate purport in
A person’s happiness can have an impact on others. People can get agitated because a group or individual is at peace or sons and daughter can be happy as a result of witnessing their parents being content. Delightment is capable of encouraging expansion of one’s knowledge. For instance, if one realizes their potential in achieving greatness in a certain subject, the satisfaction could lead to desiring to draw in more knowledge, knowing the greatness that individual can achieve. Someone who is depressed doesn’t have the motivation to achieve something positive. There are people that misinterpret or have a negative pleasure and peace of mind. That’s the incredible potential happiness
Throughout the first part of the novel Siddhartha written by Herman Hesse, each chapter represents one of the Four Noble Truths. This chapter “The Brahmin Son” represents the Noble Truth “Life is Suffering”, in translation life consists of suffering and dissatisfaction. Suffering does not only come from the body but there also forms of mental suffering. On page 5 of the novel it states, “That was how everybody loved Siddhartha. He delighted and made everybody happy. But Siddhartha himself was not happy.” This quote shows that Siddhartha is in fact mentally suffering because he is not happy. From this it is clear that Siddhartha lives a life of suffering which demonstrates that Siddhartha wasn’t happy because all that he was taught by his father
From buffaloes treading vast stretches of the Serengeti, to the intoxicating charm of the African bongo playing overnight
In addition, both touch on the topic of absolute happiness and its connection to existentialism, both sharing a somewhat grim look on the subject matter. First of all, absolute happiness “implies total and all consuming happiness. You are nothing but happy all the time, and as such have no understanding of other counter feelings.”[1],
Compassion, exalted by Buddhism, is a foundation of happiness, specifically compassion for others. In Hermann Hesse’s novel Siddhartha, the main character, Siddhartha, longs for happiness him self and attempts to change who he is in order to find it, however it is not until he learned to appreciate himself and the rest of the world that he found the happiness he seeked. Early in his journey, Siddhartha insisted that others “were not worth a passing glance… [and] were illusions of sense, happiness, and beauty.” (Hesse, 14) With this distaste, it is clear that Siddhartha is not happy, stating “the world tasted bitter. Life was pain” (14). It was not until he learned to love and appreciate others, that he discovered happiness. He compares himself to those he once despised, accepting that they were much alike: “If they are illusion, then I also
“Happiness is in the enjoyment of man’s chief good. Two conditions of the chief good: 1st, Nothing is better than it; 2nd, it cannot be lost against the will” (Augustine 264-267). As human
There are many different ways people can achieve true joy and happiness in this world. In his in his book The Tree of World Religions, author John Bellaimey describes one of these ways. In Buddhism, there is a correlation between living a simplistic life and living a joyous one, and how the latter is dependent on the former. Followers of true Buddhism live a life free from the desires and temptations of the world. Although in life we often attribute getting new material goods or partaking in exhilarating experiences as the pathway to happiness, this cannot be achieved by everyone. Buddhism provides a path for joy to anyone and everyone. People throughout the world associate getting more with living a better life, as it is our natural instinct
This type of happiness can only be achieved during the afterlife. In the afterlife, a person is freed from their evils. In the afterlife, a person who is able to get a glimpse of the Divine Essence will be able to achieve perfect happiness. “For it has been shown above that man’s perfect Happiness consists in the vision of the Divine Essence” (Aquinas, page 5). Once a person has this vision of the Divine Essence, it “fills the soul with all good things, since it unites it to the source of all goodness”
From these illustrations above, it plainly demonstrates that the substance of those endures are "something you to a great degree undesirable", furthermore the sentiment "unsatisfied". In the viewpoint of Syakamuni, he imagines that it is an issue that human makes the most of their lives - it is risky to feel "wonderful" amid our lives on the grounds that the joy on earth will never keep going forever. (Bodhi, 1994) Although Buddha said there are sufferings in this world, he didn't question that there are charming in this world. Oppositely, he conceded that Lay and ministers can have a mixed bag of material and profound joy. In Sutta Pitaka, there is a composition which is called Anguttara Nikaya, and it contained a rundown of counted different joy: The delight of family life, the delight of five cravings, the delight of deserting something, the delight of clutching something, the delight of human's body, and the delight of soul.(Carus,
What is happiness? According to Aristotle (384-322 B.C.), a Greek philosopher, the purpose of mankind is to pursue happiness. Whatever our age, we always look for pleasure. As a child, I was happy when playing with my toys and eating delicious food that my Mom cooked. When growing and going to school, I enjoyed being with friends. Now, besides my childhood delights, I feel great when I find myself helpful, and when I spend time with my family. Happiness is intangible. We can’t possess it, but we feel it and live with it. And because it is a human feeling, there is no one fixed definition for everybody. Different people’s happiness can come from different sources such as: having money, power, traveling, working, family, or helping people. Depending
Psychologists have not located assured causes that lead people to well-being. David G. Myers in his article “The Funds, Friends, and Faith of Happy People” published in the American Psychologist (2000) and Michael Wiederman in “Why It's So Hard to Be Happy” published in the Scientific American Mind (2007), discuss the reasons which lead people to be happy, and the factors which contribute to unhappiness.
In the last two weeks we have read all the chapters in the book <<The Dhamamapada>>. And among all these chapters, chapter fifteen is my favorite. This chapter deals with the problem of lasting happiness. The Buddha tells us how we can attain the so-called inner joy in this chapter. Since all people want to live in joy, it is very helpful in our daily life.