I just like to have a poll on this.
If you do not know the answer just think the question they ask in the hospitals to express your pain from one to ten.
If you wish you can give the reasons for your unhappiness.
Others can help by giving ways to increase your happiness.
The objective of this exercise is not to compare your happiness with others.
Just to learn that suffering as universal.
According to Buddha's teaching, you will be 100% happy only if you become an Arahant.
Please use the following Sutta as a guide for your score.
https://suttacentral.net/en/mn59
How much happy are you?
How much happy are you?
Last edited by SarathW on Thu Dec 14, 2017 8:00 am, edited 3 times in total.
“As the lamp consumes oil, the path realises Nibbana”
Re: How much happy are you?
I have this un necessary unhappiness even though I have enough reason to be happy with my family, my job and my health.
I am unhappy as I do not seem to get anywhere with my practice even though it help me greatly.
I am unhappy as I do not seem to get anywhere with my practice even though it help me greatly.
“As the lamp consumes oil, the path realises Nibbana”
Re: How much happy are you?
Please do not hesitate to change your vote.
Your mental states keep on changing in a given moment.
Be mindful of it.
Your mental states keep on changing in a given moment.
Be mindful of it.
“As the lamp consumes oil, the path realises Nibbana”
Re: How much happy are you?
I feel happy while meditating (sometimes), when I'm by myself, and to some extent in relation to other beings (for example, while giving something with joy)...I can also feel momentary happiness from sense pleasure and say, getting paid or something, and I feel happy when reflecting on the Buddha, Dhamma, and Sangha - but I also experience a great deal of unhappiness, from remorse, disappointments, unpleasant interactions with people, and like you say, not feeling like I'm getting anywhere (realizing that I am not enlightened yet).
Re: How much happy are you?
Is anyone enlightened? There's great doubt that even the most advanced meditating monk in the East is enlightened. It's a bit like studying physics and saying, "I'm not getting anywhere because I'm not as great as Einstein, I haven't come up with a theory of quantum gravity that everyone accepts and is experimentally proven." Or a novelist who says, "I haven't come up with a novel that everyone admires as much as Tolstoy's... I'm not getting anywhere."
Maybe you need to lower your sights (and remember you will be reborn many times, so on your billionth rebirth you might be reborn as a Buddhist Einstein... and become enlightened... and walking the path right now might make that come sooner... millionth rebirth maybe...)
Maybe you should redefine "getting somewhere" as "trying your best to meditate", however bad your best is, or "reading a sutta with some understanding" rather than "being enlightened".
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Re: How much happy are you?
What do you mean by 'getting anywhere' with your practice?
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Re: How much happy are you?
For me, asking if anyone is enlightened and being interested in the Buddha's teaching seems very odd. I would assume that the reason you or anyone else is interested in the Buddha's teaching is because we feel he was enlightened. It's a given. Doubt, insecurity, and confusion, are all emotional reactions we have to our life and how we live it. If we didn't feel these things, we wouldn't be interested in these teaching which concern suffering. The first thing we have to do is change how we habitually react to life and this is done through the 8 fold path, beginning with Sila. Without this 'purification', there is little to no chance of developing dispassion and insight that lead to release. Why? Because we will continuously be drawn back into our habitual reactions to circumstances and never calm this to be able to relax and proceed into a much deeper exploration of experience.mal4mac wrote: ↑Tue Dec 05, 2017 12:46 pmIs anyone enlightened? There's great doubt that even the most advanced meditating monk in the East is enlightened. It's a bit like studying physics and saying, "I'm not getting anywhere because I'm not as great as Einstein, I haven't come up with a theory of quantum gravity that everyone accepts and is experimentally proven." Or a novelist who says, "I haven't come up with a novel that everyone admires as much as Tolstoy's... I'm not getting anywhere."
Maybe you need to lower your sights (and remember you will be reborn many times, so on your billionth rebirth you might be reborn as a Buddhist Einstein... and become enlightened... and walking the path right now might make that come sooner... millionth rebirth maybe...)
Maybe you should redefine "getting somewhere" as "trying your best to meditate", however bad your best is, or "reading a sutta with some understanding" rather than "being enlightened".
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Re: How much happy are you?
Don't take this the wrong way mal4mac, but don't do this. Why shoot lower? You'll never know if you might have made it. If I have to wait 'many lives' then so be it, but f*** that as a strategy.
EDIT:
Yes to this though - I was too hasty.
"Does Master Gotama have any position at all?"
"A 'position,' Vaccha, is something that a Tathagata has done away with. What a Tathagata sees is this: 'Such is form, such its origination, such its disappearance; such is feeling, such its origination, such its disappearance; such is perception...such are fabrications...such is consciousness, such its origination, such its disappearance.'" - Aggi-Vacchagotta Sutta
'Dust thou art, and unto dust thou shalt return.' - Genesis 3:19
'Some fart freely, some try to hide and silence it. Which one is correct?' - Saegnapha
"A 'position,' Vaccha, is something that a Tathagata has done away with. What a Tathagata sees is this: 'Such is form, such its origination, such its disappearance; such is feeling, such its origination, such its disappearance; such is perception...such are fabrications...such is consciousness, such its origination, such its disappearance.'" - Aggi-Vacchagotta Sutta
'Dust thou art, and unto dust thou shalt return.' - Genesis 3:19
'Some fart freely, some try to hide and silence it. Which one is correct?' - Saegnapha
Re: How much happy are you?
Not being able to move any further than observing Sila.Saengnapha wrote: ↑Tue Dec 05, 2017 2:20 pmWhat do you mean by 'getting anywhere' with your practice?
Perhaps, even my Sila is not perfect enough.
There is a limit you can push as a layperson.
“As the lamp consumes oil, the path realises Nibbana”
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Re: How much happy are you?
Greetings,
No real problems here other than being a bit tired of "the daily grind". Thankfully, I've got a bit over a couple of weeks' break coming up over Christmas... just what the doctor ordered.
Metta,
Paul.
No real problems here other than being a bit tired of "the daily grind". Thankfully, I've got a bit over a couple of weeks' break coming up over Christmas... just what the doctor ordered.
Metta,
Paul.
"Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."
Re: How much happy are you?
This is a good point Retro.retrofuturist wrote: ↑Tue Dec 05, 2017 8:52 pm Greetings,
No real problems here other than being a bit tired of "the daily grind". Thankfully, I've got a bit over a couple of weeks' break coming up over Christmas... just what the doctor ordered.
Metta,
Paul.
The problem sometimes is that we do not understand our real mental and physical state.
I think happiness and unhappiness is a very broad measurement.
Perhaps we should investigate the underline problems.
As you said I also feel very tired lately and it appears I translate it as unhappiness.
“As the lamp consumes oil, the path realises Nibbana”
Re: How much happy are you?
I'm 68% Oxygen, 18.5% Carbon, 9.5% Hydrogen, 3.2% Nitrogen, 1.5% Calcium, 1.0% Phosphorus, 0.4% Potassium, 0.3% Sulfur, 0.2% Sodium, 0.2% Chlorine, 0.1% Magnesium, less than 1.0% trace elements. Maybe happiness is masquerading as a trace element.
sabbe dhammā nālaṃ abhinivesāya
"nothing whatsoever should be clung to"
"nothing whatsoever should be clung to"
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Re: How much happy are you?
I like the idea of a 'bucket-list' having a list of things you've done or would like to do before you kick-the-bucket. I wrote mine up several years ago and realized I have already done the things on the list. I didn't realize it until much later, that this is known as "reverse-bucket-list" where you list things you've done and get content with life.
It's important to put realistic things, nothing like "being Governor of California" or other lofty goal not likely reachable. For example, one of my items which was important for me was Buddhist pilgrimage to India and Nepal, which I did back in 2006.
It's important to put realistic things, nothing like "being Governor of California" or other lofty goal not likely reachable. For example, one of my items which was important for me was Buddhist pilgrimage to India and Nepal, which I did back in 2006.
Re: How much happy are you?
I'm seriously trying to avoid being reborn a billion times! I understand where you are coming from, and appreciate the response, but I would very much like to attain to Nibbana ASAP!mal4mac wrote: ↑Tue Dec 05, 2017 12:46 pmIs anyone enlightened? There's great doubt that even the most advanced meditating monk in the East is enlightened. It's a bit like studying physics and saying, "I'm not getting anywhere because I'm not as great as Einstein, I haven't come up with a theory of quantum gravity that everyone accepts and is experimentally proven." Or a novelist who says, "I haven't come up with a novel that everyone admires as much as Tolstoy's... I'm not getting anywhere."
Maybe you need to lower your sights (and remember you will be reborn many times, so on your billionth rebirth you might be reborn as a Buddhist Einstein... and become enlightened... and walking the path right now might make that come sooner... millionth rebirth maybe...)
Maybe you should redefine "getting somewhere" as "trying your best to meditate", however bad your best is, or "reading a sutta with some understanding" rather than "being enlightened".
Re: How much happy are you?
I am not sure whether "bucket-list" or "the reverse-bucket list" going to work.DNS wrote: ↑Tue Dec 05, 2017 10:04 pm I like the idea of a 'bucket-list' having a list of things you've done or would like to do before you kick-the-bucket. I wrote mine up several years ago and realized I have already done the things on the list. I didn't realize it until much later, that this is known as "reverse-bucket-list" where you list things you've done and get content with life.
It's important to put realistic things, nothing like "being Governor of California" or other lofty goal not likely reachable. For example, one of my items which was important for me was Buddhist pilgrimage to India and Nepal, which I did back in 2006.
I have achieved impossible material things (as far as I am concern) in my life.
Perhaps I have achieved a higher level of spiritual attainments (compare to many people) too.
But I still feel some thing unsatisfactory of this life.
When I stay at home I want to go to work.
When I go to work I want to stay at home!
“As the lamp consumes oil, the path realises Nibbana”