Happiness Is A Habit

||We can be happy when the situation changes||

This is an illusion. Even if this is true, such happiness depends on our situation. But the situation is fundamentally impermanent, dynamic and ever changing. So, such happiness is bound to be temporary. When we seek such happiness, our life becomes a constant struggle and fight. When our life becomes a constant struggle, our mind loses its stability, clarity and strength. So, we are bound to make unskillful decisions and actions that destroy our happiness.

||When we are happy, the situation changes||

This is the reality. Even if the situation does not change, what is a point in languishing in grief? Instead, when we are happy, our mind naturally finds stability, clarity and strength. So, we make skillful decisions and actions towards happiness.

The law of attraction: When we are unhappy, we attract misery. When we are happy, we attract joy.

The situation constantly changes depending on myriad causes and conditions. When we fight against it without any clarity and understanding, we lose. It is foolish to struggle with the situation that is not in our hands. It is wise to cultivate a proper mindset that is in our hands. This would help us to understand the causes, conditions and effects clearly, which leads to our skillful decisions and actions.

Our true happiness does not depend on the situation, it depends on our mental state. Happiness is simply a habit. It is simply a matter of choosing to be happy. There is no way to happiness; happiness is the way! So, the mind training slogan (Lojong) says: "Always maintain only a joyful mind".

The world does not exist in order to give us happiness, or to satisfy our ego and desires. It neither conspires against us nor for us. It simply exists from the result of intricate causes and conditions where everything depends on everything else and nothing stands on its own ("dependent co-arising" as Buddha refers). We are not separate entities, but an integral part of the world. When we truly realize this, we can let go our ego and our struggle. Then life becomes a bliss!

CK. Kamaraj

27 December 2020