The Search For Happiness -- by Jeffrey Po

Undeniably humans search for some sort of happiness. It is instinctive and is reflective of mental situations of pleasure, contentment and satisfaction. This deeply rooted yearning continues ceaselessly and unabatedly during one's lifetime. Though the search are often marred by situations that can come about unpredictably or through ignorance and folly, still this tremendous motivating force drives us ceaselessly - even when weighted by weariness and when faced with the prospect of death.

We seem to be searching for "happiness" like trying to find a "lost object". But really, can "happiness" be quantified and made tangible? The answer is a resounding "NO" ! It is a state of the mind and therefore entrenched within the deep recesses of our mental potentialities and tendencies. It is therefore "something"' that is really "inside" us rather than "outside". In other words, once the conditions for happiness to manifest itself are made available, happiness simply blossoms! Searching for it is therefore no longer meaningful.

Let's look into the several "happy" situations that are recognized by Buddhists.

a) Somanassa : literally means 'glad-mindedness'; joy; gladness. It is also taken to be identical with 'mentally agreeable feeling' and when classified as one of the Feeling Group. Somanassa is not identical wirh piti.

b) Sukha : pleasant, happy; happiness, pleasure, joy, bliss. It is one of the three feelings (vedana) and can be either bodily or mental.

c) Piti : 'rapture', enthusiasm (also looked upon as joy, happiness); interest. Piti is one of the mental factors (cetasikas) and belongs to the Group of Mental Formations (sankhara-khandha). Piti is not the same as Sukha as it not a feeling or sensation.

It apprears that Buddhism recognizes happiness as being able to manifest in the physical as well as in the mental realms. In the physical sense it is taken as gratifications of the senses. Though often-times those gratifications are needed for us to feel comfortable, this is something not to be fervently pursued by Buddhists. Majjhima Nikaya (I-453) mentions:

"There are these five strands of sense pleasures. What five? Material shapes cognizable with the eyes, pleasant, liked, enticing, connected with sensual pleasures, alluring. Sounds cognizable with the ear, smells cognizable with the nose, tastes cognizable with the tongue, and touches cognizable with the body, all of them agreeable, pleasant, liked, enticing, connected with sensual pleasures. Whatever happiness or joy arises as a result of these strands of sense pleasure, that is called the happiness of sense pleasure - it is a common happiness, a happiness of the average person, an ignoble happiness. It should not be pursued, developed or emphasized. It is a happiness to be feared, I say"

Often-times we misinterpret sense of felicitousness, successfulness, delightfulness, joyousness, merry, prosperity, gladness and blissfulness as happiness. Again we mistake feeling of elations, exhilarations and exuberance to be that of happiness. Admittedly though such moments of mental and physical wellness are welcome as they offer temporary respite and relief from the pressures and tensions of daily living, they do not, however, assure long-term state of happiness. As mentioned before, Buddhism looks upon them as being "ignoble" - base and lowly.

Buddhism therefore, places greater emphasis on the mental aspect of happiness. The Udana (II) says:

"Happiness is in the mind

Which is released from worldly bondage.

The happiness of sensual lust

And the happiness of heavenly bliss

Are not equal to a sixteenth part

Of the happiness of craving's end".

And so, as "happiness" is to be found in the mind, it is therefore in there that suitable conditions ought to be created and formulated to induce the blossoming of happy states. The Anguttara Nikaya (II-68) has this to say concerning the creation of suitable conditions that permit happiness to bloom:

"There are these four kinds of happiness to be won by a householder who enjoys sense pleasures from time to time and when occasion offers. What four? The happiness of ownership, the happiness of wealth, the happiness of freedom from debt and the happiness of blamelessness.

"And what is the happiness of ownership ? Concerning this, a householder has wealth acquired by energetic striving, won by strength of arm and sweat of brow, justly and lawfully won. When he thinks of this he feels happiness and satisfaction."

"And what is the happiness of wealth? Concerning this, a householder has wealth justly and lawfully won, and with it he does many good deeds. When he thinks of this he feels happiness and satisfaction."

"And what is the happiness of blamelessness? Concerning this the noble disciple is blessed with blameless action of body, speech and mind and when he thinks of this he feels happiness and satisfaction".

"And what is the happiness of freedom from debt? Concerning this, a householder owes no debt large or small to anyone, and when he thinks of this he feels happiness and satisfaction."

In the Buddhist socio-economic philosophy, the Lord Buddha Gotama advises Dighajanu (Vyagghapajja Sutta) Thus:

"These four things, Vyagghapajja, conduce to the good and happiness of a clansman in this very life. What four?"

"The achievement of persistent effort (utthanasampada); the achievement of wariness (arakkhasampada); good friendship (kalyanamittata) and balanced livelihood (samajivikata)"

In this context "utthanasampada" is taken to mean "skillfulness, efficiency, earnestness and energy"; "arakkhasampada" means "protectiion of income from thieves and natural disasters"; "kalyanamittata" means "having reliable friends" and "samajivikata" means 'spending reasonably and living within one's means".

To achieve a state of long-term happiness - even to the "ohter world", the Lord Buddha Gotama, in the same Sutta to Dighajanu, continues:

"These four things are conducive to the good and happiness of a noble son in the other world."

"Which four?"

"Achievement of Faith (saddhasampada); Achievement of Virtue (silasampada); Achievement of Charity (cagasampada) and Achievement of Wisdom (pannasampada)"

Herein, Buddhism adopts another stance altogether - to possess unwavering faith and believe in the "Enlightenment of the Tathagata"; to abstain from killing, stealing, unchastity, lying and intoxicants; to delight in generosity and finally to be endowed with wisdom and penetrative insight to the complete destruction of sufferings.

Coupled with what needs to be achieved to ensure a long-lasting happiness, the Lord Buddha Gotama advises two 120 year-old Brahmins (Anguttara Nikaya - III 51):

"Brahmins, self-control in deeds, self-control in words, and self-control in thoughts, will provide you shelter and refuge... your life is nearly spend; brief is your lifespan. No one is immune from old age. Being mindful of death, perform good deeds that lead to happiness. For one who performs meritorious deeds and is restrained in body, speech and thought, death brings happiness".

Buddhism therefore recognizes two levels in one's state of happiness - the lowly, ignoble, base that are temporary and the higher types that ought to be pursued as they bring about greater permanency. In the latter, Buddhism thus offers two directions:

a) Removal of situations and conditions that will not provide a more permanent state of happiness. They include:

1. Removal of the emotions and feeling of hatred - Hatred (dosa) breeds anger, ill-will, incensement, grudge, enmity, indignation, displeasure, irritaion, resentment, animosity and in extreme cases, fury and wrath. Hatred is one of the three unwholesome roots (akusala mula) that Buddhists are encouraged to eradicate. The Dhammapada (197) advises:

"Among those who hate, we live withut hating.

When they hate, we live without hating.

We live extremely happily among those who hate".

2. Removal of the "I" concept - It is said that so long as the "I" concept is deeply imbedded in the psyche, it is difficult for happiness to blossom. The "I" concept means attachments (lobha) and cravings (tanha) are firmly entrenched in one's personality.

To this the Lord Buddha Gotama in Samyutta Nikaya (III-34) says:

"That which is not yours - put it away. Putting it away will be to your welfare and happiness. And what is not yours? Body, feeling, perception, mental constructs and consciousness are not yours. So put them away".

3. Remoyal of attachments to material objects and attractions to "worldly things" - while material objects do bring about some conveniences in the modern living context, Buddhists are exhorted not to place affectionate attachments to them. Here the Dhammapada (200) says.

"Happily do we live, who have no properties to worry about. Feeding on joy we live like deities of the Abhassara Heaven of radiance".

4. Removal of uncontrolled sense organ impressions - this infers the cultivation of mindfulness with regards to the reception of sense impressions (stimuli) received externally and / or internally by the six sense organs. The uncontrolled impressions received invariably invoke automatic mental responses (in Abhidhamma terminology - unprompted consciousness - asankharika) that are usually unwholesome (akusala) in nature. That in turn provokes unwholesome bodily and / or mental actions (akusala kamma). The Lord Buddha Gotama has this to say in the Majjhima Nikaya (I-346):

"For if he lived with the sense organs uncontrolled, attraction, repulsion and evil unskilled states of mind would grow. So, he controls the sense organs, and having this noble control of the sense organs, he experiences within himself the happiness of being unruffled".

5. Removal of mental impediments - Buddhists refers this to "kincana" - lust, hatred and delusions that are hindrances to spirtual growth. Mental impediments are useless baggages that are carried about. They are heavy loads and veil the truth.