But are you happy?

[blacktrack8]

Hey all,

 

Just thought this would be an interesting question. Are you happy? Can you say with a certainty that you are happy? Does thinking about it bring about doubts?

 

Were you happy before you found philosophical and religious pursuits and practices?

How much do you practice?

Are you happier since you started practicing?

 

I'll go first...

 

I'm happy.

 

I can say with a certainty that I am happy (just speaking for the moment). I've been down for times before. It's never been too bad and I've always gotten back up.

 

Right now thinking about it does not bring doubts. I'm sure there will, emotions haven't quite been completely tamed yet.

 

I was a happy kid before I found philosophical and religious pursuits and practices.

 

I don't practice much but the whole day is my meditation.

 

I would say I am happier since I've delved into the rabbit hole so to speak.I've become a more stable individual.

[Capital]

I'm not happy. That's not to say I'm unhappy, but just that happiness comes and goes, and I'm never it.

 

Happiness does occur more often and for less interrupted periods now that I've been meditating though.

Edited August 16, 2010 by Capital

[SFJane]

Hey all,I was a happy kid before I found philosophical and religious pursuits and practices.

 

I would say I am happier since I've delved into the rabbit hole so to speak.I've become a more stable individual.

 

 

HAHAHAHA

 

I am not loling at you, but at me.

 

My story was the opposite for a long time.

 

I was a pretty unhappy kid who delved into philosophical, religious and occult practices for answers, saw how reality really seemed to work, promptly became convinced there was little point to any of it, once you got a good look. I was even more unhappy after I delved into the rabbit hole. More unstable. Didn't get sorted out for a long time. Glad you are taking to it so well!

[Marblehead]

Yep. I am happy.

 

Oh!, sure, things happen in life that cause me anger, disappointment, sadness, etc., but these are external things. Those 'unhappy' things that happen in life, if I can change them I do, if I can do nothing about them I let them go (eventually, Hehehe) and forget about them.

 

But my inner essence is not knocked off base because of the externals for very long.

 

I think that if we are content and at peace with our Self we can call ourself happy.

 

Peace & Love!

[Everything]

Hey all,

 

Just thought this would be an interesting question. Are you happy? Can you say with a certainty that you are happy? Does thinking about it bring about doubts?

 

Were you happy before you found philosophical and religious pursuits and practices?

How much do you practice?

Are you happier since you started practicing?

 

I'll go first...

 

I'm happy.

 

I can say with a certainty that I am happy (just speaking for the moment). I've been down for times before. It's never been too bad and I've always gotten back up.

 

Right now thinking about it does not bring doubts. I'm sure there will, emotions haven't quite been completely tamed yet.

 

I was a happy kid before I found philosophical and religious pursuits and practices.

 

I don't practice much but the whole day is my meditation.

 

I would say I am happier since I've delved into the rabbit hole so to speak.I've

Though this is true fbecome a more stable individual.

 

Hahaha, just like Capital said, we are not happy, we feel happy.

 

Yeah, but who controls their own emotional state? No one is... People are mislead by this idea that you can control your emotional state trough practices.

 

I personally believe it is not the emotions your true self has control over, but rather the perceptions of ones mind. Your true self is a witness to the perceptions made by the mind, thus you can change them at anytime, and cultivate an knowing that you are in this world, yes... But the whole world is in your mind.

 

This way, you never have to be witness of a world that causes too much anger/sadness or fear. Instead, you can begind to perceive all the good things and the capabilities become infinite for your life, or so it seems.

[Junbao]

[Birch]

"Technically" I am never happy for very long

[Brian]

...

[Marblehead]

"Technically" I am never happy for very long

 

Well stop being so technical and just be happy. Okay?

 

Peace & Love!

[Birch]

"Well stop being so technical and just be happy. Okay?"

 

Oh, not another one with the "happiness" hammer. It's very oppressive ya know

 

But you did make me laugh

[Machin Shin]

Bang Bang Bang

 

Order! Order! Let everyone speak their mind then you can respond.

[Everything]

 

RoflMao Zedong!!

 

Let me translate that child talk for ya guys!

 

Happiness = confidence(instead fear) + well-being(instead anger).

 

Uhm uhm... I mean Happiness is finding a pencil so that you may finally draw pictures! Yay Happy joy joy.

And sometimes happiness is facing the evil dragon, to do the right thing, wether you win or loose. Haha

 

Is that a dragon?

Edited August 16, 2010 by Everything

[betwixter]

-

Edited September 12, 2010 by betwixter

[Marblehead]

Damn! I thought this could of been a really good thread! In my opinion it kind of cuts to the heart of the matter and why many people approach any kind of development work in the first place (unless they just want to burn pieces of paper and move boxes with their miiind ). Actually, I am pretty confident that not being happy is one of the things that impelled many to start exploring in the first place. I would say that it was driven home for me, that I had never experienced 'real' happiness, by an experience with an energetic healer and her dumping a boatload of energy into my heart chakra area. At that moment is when I was, "Ohhhh, so that is what that feels like!" I don't if you would call it the the 'joy' that some traditions talk about...ie, that joy that resides behind all experience, because happiness was all that I was feeling and I wasn't experiencing anything else on top of it...it wasn't subtle. Good stuff.

 

Yeah, it's still a good thread.

 

And I agree with what you said above about why we search for new practices and/or develop those we are already involved in. If we are not happy we will continue to seek out that happiness that people talk about. However, if we feel happy (content) then there is no place to go - nothing to do.

 

Once we reach the point where there is no longer any place to go and nothing that must be done we can then experience life in its fullest. And this, in return, brings even more happiness (contentment).

 

Peace & Love!

[innerspace_cadet]

Am I happy? I would say that happiness is found in multiple degrees. I wouldn't say that I have the depth of happiness that a Hindu ascetic, Saint Francis of Assisi, or the Dalai Lama has found. But recently I've come to the realization that there isn't anything in my life that I can complain about. So I would define my happiness as contentment.

[Taomeow]

[Marblehead]

So I would define my happiness as contentment.

 

Yes. I normally use the word content instead of happy.

 

Peace & Love!

[Marblehead]

 

 

I think we are talking about a different kind of happiness here Taomeow. Hehehe.

 

Peace & Love!

[Taomeow]

I think we are talking about a different kind of happiness here Taomeow. Hehehe.

 

Peace & Love!

 

I once consummated an all-important relationship to this song, and "happiness is a warm gun" has always had many meanings for me ever since. I was looking for something on youtube to illustrate some of them, but when I came across this one interpretation, I thought, whoa, there's more meanings therein than I ever considered... so I posted it to get someone else to scratch their head and go, hmmm... happiness... what is happiness?..

 

"Happiness is a warm gun" means, it is charged, dynamic, full of potential... also, dangerous... also, safe... I love this line.

[WallaMike]

From a previous blog:

"Yeah, but who controls their own emotional state? No one is... People are mislead by this idea that you can control your emotional state trough practices.

 

I personally believe it is not the emotions your true self has control over, but rather the perceptions of ones mind. Your true self is a witness to the perceptions made by the mind, thus you can change them at anytime, and cultivate an knowing that you are in this world, yes... But the whole world is in your mind."

 

My reply:

That said, I think to a degree it is six of one and half a dozen of another. If a person is working at the subtle energy level, then they are most likely "controlling their emotions", if they are changing their perceptions, then perhaps they are working at the causal level (or a higher subtle level).

[voidisyinyang]

[WallaMike]

Yeah, it's still a good thread.

 

And I agree with what you said above about why we search for new practices and/or develop those we are already involved in. If we are not happy we will continue to seek out that happiness that people talk about. However, if we feel happy (content) then there is no place to go - nothing to do.

 

Once we reach the point where there is no longer any place to go and nothing that must be done we can then experience life in its fullest. And this, in return, brings even more happiness (contentment).

 

Peace & Love!

 

Yes, it's a very good thread. I think through practicing interior energy work, most of us can learn to create or improve our own happiness. It may seem a little like self-stimulation, but from my experience, it works and helps me to be much happier and less dependent upon external events for my "happiness". It is the "zaps" from the masters into our heart chakra, or whatever, that "lights" that particular area of our mind/brain, so that eventually we are able to do it ourselves. It's helped me to become a better person, too.

[Gaelicrock]

Hmm,I think it was a boddhisatva,upon meditating for enlightenment, who said,

 

"Now I can rejoice, that there is no joy in this world!"

 

What do you think he meant by that?

[Marblehead]

Hmm,I think it was a boddhisatva,upon meditating for enlightenment, who said,

 

"Now I can rejoice, that there is no joy in this world!"

 

What do you think he meant by that?

 

I think that refers to the concept of going beyond joy and sorrow. The state of wu wei, if you will.

 

In this state we are just living; beyond happiness and sadness. Yes, just being content.

 

Peace & Love!