Happiness is in your own backyard!

People seek happiness through various avenues. Many believe that they can be happy by accomplishing material things and dream of academic aspirations.   

Unfortunately the long process of observation and research is distressing. Even though they have acquisitions and amassed a lot of wealth, sadly they aren’t happy.   

Stress, distress, frustration, impatience, intolerance, depression, anxiety, disappointment, restlessness, anger, expectations, desires, greed, aspirations, an egocentric mentality, scars of psychological damages all add up and place barricades on our path to inner happiness.   

Most people never understand the fountain for inner happiness. They believe that it is external, but in reality it is the opposite of what they blindly believe in.   

From the beginning of their childhoods till the time they say goodbye to this world, they struggle to complete a list of achievements. While being in the process of collecting wealth and achieving desires, people realize that their loved ones and close associates are disturbed and tortured.  Among them there are those who experience numerous miseries and tribulations. These achievers eventually miss the opportunity to experience happiness.  When you comprehensively and intensely study this whole process, even though the purpose is achieving happiness, they haven’t been wise enough to maintain it. Despite the efforts happiness escapes them and their loved ones.They wickedly abuse and disgracefully bully innocent individuals when they harbour atrocious and vicious thoughts. I have seen that when people are frustrated, as a result of their own faults, they try to harass others. This is because they aren’t humble enough to admit that they are wrong.   

Twenty six centuries ago, the great son of India, the Gautama Buddha, introduced the Buddhism (Teachings of The Buddha) where Dhamma Vinaya is part of the teachings.   

The Essence of Lord Buddha’s teaching and the core value of his message is “The purification of the mind”. Lack of mindfulness and attention will definitely lead to unhappiness and dissatisfaction.   

The great Master, Lord Buddha, incomparably enlightened people and opened their minds.This was the unprecedented revolution of human consciousness that occurred 2600 years ago. Lord Buddha clearly and openly emphasized that one is capable enlightenment. No other person can enlighten you.   
Once the Gautama Buddha advised his disciples thus: “Bhikkhus (Monks), think that the Dhamma is an island and you are seeking refuge. Seek refuge only in the Dhamma. From what are sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair born? How are they produced?   

“Sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure and despair should be abandoned. With their abandonment, one doesn’t become agitated. When not being agitated, one dwells happily. A bhikkhu (monk) who dwells happily is said to be quenched in that respect.”   

Ambition, determination, effort, and dedication are the driving forces to achieve both mundane and supramundane aspirations.   

When delivering his first and foremost discourse Lord Buddha set in motion the ‘Wheel of Dhamma’ (Dhammachakka Pavattana Sutta). The Gautama Buddha descriptively elaborated that why people suffer and experience unhappiness. He also compassionately taught us the way towards the true path, which promises ultimate happiness. He kindly advised us to avoid the two extremes. The pursuit of sensual happiness in sensual pleasure and self-mortification are the two extremes that people are embroiled in and leads to chaos. 

The enlightened one has vividly explained the four noble truths.What is being unhappy, what is the cause for being unhappy, the importance of inner happiness and the way to achieve ultimate happiness. This might seem a complicated process for someone, but it is pragmatic and practical.   
Some scholars have referred to it as “The Buddha’s Ancient Path.” This Noble Eight fold Path has eight factors. They are utterly practical. When one diligently follows them one will experience inner peace and happiness in this very life.Unfortunately the majority of citizens concentrates on obtaining material things. Never for a moment do they turn their focus inward.     Peace and happiness aren’t in outer space. They are within us. 

The pursuit of sensual happiness in sensual pleasure and self-mortification are the two extremes that people are embroiled in and leads to chaos

Even intellectuals, academics, scholars, professionals, experts in various domains and multitudes of erudite individuals are entangled and enmeshed with multifarious impurities such as anger, resentment, craving, hatred, temper, antagonism, animosity, enmity, ill will, lust, jealousy, covetousness, and many more mental toxins. Unfortunately they never contemplate taking a moment to reflect upon themselves. If they do so they can observe drastic erosion and dramatic deterioration of their own inner human qualities. One should be mindful to establish a wholesome spiritual domain. This is essential for the cultivation and development of spiritual faculties. It truly leads the individual towards inner happiness. When this is done, faith, mindfulness, effort, determination, concentration and wisdom moves to the next level.    

In this new millennium, people are inconceivably intoxicated with a consumerism based culture. Multinational gigantic companies and business magnates have created a commercial culture in the globe now. As a result the whole community has been jeopardized. They are catastrophically infatuated and exceedingly captivated with insatiable desires to accumulate incalculable revenue and profits.   

Most people never understand the fountain for inner happiness

Despite the efforts happiness escapes them and their loved ones

Peace and happiness aren’t in outer space. They are within us

Small and middle income earning individuals are unknowingly entrapped and unwittingly captured in the complexities of this fallacy. Simplicity, sharing, compassion, generosity, respect, giving, appreciation, loving kindness, moral conduct, magnanimity , nobility, selflessness and many more inner qualities are absent in their minds. Social coherence and the consistency of the general public have turned topsy-turvy. It’s very rare that most Governments contemplate on people’s inner happiness. They have terribly and disgracefully encouraged people to obtain a high reading in Gross Domestic Product rather move up the list in the Gross National Happiness ratings.    With great respect and wholehearted appreciation I am humble enough to note that the king of Bhutan and his Government have established an incredible pragmatic interconnected structure for every single citizen in the Kingdom Bhutan to achieve the Gross National Happiness.

“Gross National Happiness is more important than Gross National Product” is the paramount theme and the astounding policy of the Government of Bhutan. Happiness is the most important fact that the Bhutanese deeply believe in and highly value.    Mindfulness and careful attention are key factors that help us understand our own weaknesses and mistakes. Most importantly, mindfulness thoroughly helps us to understand our own mental impurities and hindrances that hugely and terribly obscure our minds. When one cleanses the mind by practicing meditation, one can experience one’s own inner happiness.    A multitude of people in human society sadly experience stress, frustration, depression and many more psychological traumas. Therefore, they have distanced themselves from i
nner happiness.   

The profound core value of the Buddha’s teaching is “Letting go”.   

If one is capable and wise enough to understand the reality of all material acquisitions and how short a lifespan we have to enjoy material wealth, one would definitely concentrate on the path of purifying the mind. Practice of  ‘letting go’ leads the way to create inner peace and innermost happiness.   

We must be individually mindful of this significant factor. We must wisely taste inner happiness rather than seek it through the realizing of our goals in life.