What’s happiness?

What do you think “happiness” is?

Seriously, go to a quiet room. Get a piece of paper (or your “Notes” app — that’s fine!), and write down what happiness means to you.

Come back and read more only after you do that exercise.

Happiness is…

• To have the love of your life?

• To pass that test and get into that school?

• To earn 1 million dollars?

• To get rid of this pain?

• To see that person again?

• To have a child and become a parent?

• To buy that Super-Mobile you’ve been dreaming about?

If what you wrote is true, then this statement should also be true: “If only I had XYZ… I’ll be happy.”

My dear friend, this is called “arrival fallacy.” I’ve definitely been a victim of this, too.

It’s only human to feel this way. It’s our fundamental nature to look for what we don’t have and try to get it.

This is how we, as animals, evolved. It’s simply our nature.

But Buddhism will teach you that this kind of “happiness” is not ultimate happiness.

You may feel happy the day you drive that Porsche off the lot.

You may even feel happy for a few days, weeks, or months…but this happiness will eventually fade.

You’ll start to notice the Porsche is not shiny enough, big enough, quiet enough, or efficient enough…. You’ll start to feel “If only I had a Lamborghini…”

If you’re pursuing this type of happiness, you will never reach it.

NEVER.

Just as there is no such thing as perfection, you will never be happy if this is your definition of happiness.

I PROMISE YOU.

Buddhism teaches a different kind of happiness — ultimate happiness.

I’m still learning what that is.

I’ll for sure share with you once I know.

But… don’t you think it’s already a nice, good step to know it’s not the same as what you wrote on your paper?