What is happiness and what to do after happiness?

What is happiness? When the ancients created characters, the word "Ji" was above the word "Earth". The first element of happiness is to have a house that can shelter from the wind and rain. What's under the word "lucky"? 0? "6" is the symbol of RMB, and it is unfortunate to have no money. On the left of the word "fu" is "clothes", and happiness needs beautiful clothes; On the upper right is "Bite", which means to have a warm and beautiful home. On the lower right is "Tian", which is the source of delicious food. If all the above conditions are met, it is happiness. Is happiness really based on material wealth? I know many rich people, but they are not happy. Once, I met a religious entrepreneur. He is well dressed in his forties, but sometimes he shows anxiety, depression and heavy expression. I asked, "How much can you make in a month?" "100 million a month is no problem." "Are you happy? "Not bad," he said, "but I still want to be big. "Soon, in a small noodle restaurant, I met a wife of shop-owner in her fifties. It was late at that time, she closed the door of the noodle restaurant, turned around and took out a pile of small money from her dirty and greasy apron pocket, counting it carefully and quickly. I asked, "How much can you earn a month?" "As long as one hundred dollars. "She gave me a frank and pleasant answer." Any plans for the future? ""I still want to be big. " I can't help laughing. He wants to be big, and so do you. Others build happiness on feelings. They believe that if they can find a person they like and stay with their soul mate for life, this life will be enough. Some people think that health is a blessing. I know an old man who often supports monks and donates to various funds. He said: "I have no other thoughts and I don't want to be happy, as long as my family is safe and healthy. "In the ballroom, young people who take LSD are addicted to hallucinations; At the dinner table, people who taste wine are like dreams; Others are immersed in mahjong all night. Engels wrote to tell a friend: When the spring is bright, I am sitting in the garden, and the transparent sunshine warms my back. I have a long pipe in my mouth and a good book I can't finish reading in my hand. This carefree happiness is incomparable to any kind of happiness in the world. A monk in Larong believes that happiness is the pursuit of wisdom and truth. For more than ten years, this monk has nothing and has devoted himself to penance in the college. He studied Confucian classics from many masters with rich teaching and meditation experience. Recently, he asked me for advice. He planned to go to other monasteries in Tibet, looking for a rare and precious old Gexi, and untied the subtle knot in his heart. He had a real understanding of the truth that Sakyamuni Buddha was a master. He believes that the lack of material, physical illness, inner worries and sorrows, and the slander of others are insignificant and not worth mentioning. The most important thing in life is to be with the truth. There are also some people who are broad-minded and selfless, and are obsessed with the poor life that is falling into the abyss of suffering. If they can help these lives a little, it is their greatest happiness. In a word, happiness has different forms because of different values. But at the same time, it is a kind of mentality of desire satisfaction, which is deposited in people's hearts. Except for all kinds of satisfaction that the world wants, true eternal happiness is not a legend. For thousands of years, generations of practitioners have been following the teachings of the Buddha, inheriting the guru, practicing and proving its existence. However, "the sharper the blade, the more difficult it is. Since ancient times, it's rare? ".Therefore, people who long for happiness must first understand: What is happiness? What is true happiness? Where is happiness? The Buddha said in the scripture that our basic attitude towards life is not to be greedy or extremely abstinent. Some people misunderstand that Buddhists escape from reality, abandon a comfortable and pleasant life and live a self-imposed ascetic life. Although the Buddhist scriptures record some very profound realms of seeing through the world of mortals and transcending the common customs, they have never rejected the basic needs of Buddhists. Not only that, the Buddhist scriptures also say that no matter how many treasures and luxuries there are, saints and ordinary monks can enjoy them without greed or effort. Not long ago, I called my elder sister. "How are you? She was herding yaks, and she said, "Everything is fine." "The people around you? "I asked." There is a neighbor with a good family, but her husband is weak and uneducated, and no one will take him out to work. His home is 20 kilometers away from the county seat, and he doesn't even have the money to go to the county seat by car! They are going to dig some ginseng fruit in the mountains, dry it and sell it in the county to buy some necessities ... "Ginseng fruit is a wild medicinal material in Tibetan areas, which can prolong life. When I was a child, I dug with my mother-first dig a hole, then pick it up from the soil one by one, and I can't dig much in one day. Now every time I eat ginseng fruit, I think, how hard-won these ginseng fruits are! My sister said that many people around her were penniless. What would we think if we were trapped in such a miserable and helpless situation? Therefore, to survive in the world, a person needs the most basic material living conditions. Where to find happiness? I remember in the 1970s and 1980s, there was a popular song: Where is happiness? It is not in the moonlight, nor in the greenhouse. Where is happiness? My friend wow tells you that it is in your ideal, it is in your sweat ... Western rationalist philosophers Socrates, Plato and Hegel all believe that human beings should seek happiness in a rational way, not an emotional way. Happiness based on sensibility will depreciate, because people's feelings and feelings are only temporary and fleeting. Confucianism is deeply concerned about the fate of the nation and the country. They "worry about the world first, and then enjoy the world" and integrate into society through their own way. If they are poor, they will be immune to it, and if they reach it, they will help the world. Taoism, who sees through the world of mortals and lives in land of silence, transcends the secular inaction and takes the natural path of the universe. Christianity, on the other hand, advocates giving up worldly wealth and physical enjoyment, loving all mankind as neighbors, supporting humble people, and gaining eternal life in heaven after death. Some people think that Buddhism's view of happiness is to eliminate the cause of trouble and the result of life and death in the three realms and achieve nirvana; Some people think it is reflected in a floating corpse in Tsing Yi. If you don't understand the meaning of Buddhism, it is easy to draw one-sided conclusions. In fact, in the profound canon, life in different time and space and at different levels has different orientations, and the theories of any of the above sects and scholars can be included to find their exact positions. Buddha's thought is extremely profound and boundless, which can cover all the advantages of the above schools, but it is completely beyond them. If the happiness in samsara has a true and unchangeable essence, we can pursue it. However, not only Buddhists do not admit it, but also happiness scientists do not admit it. They believe that happiness has six characteristics: first, any kind of happiness will not last forever. Some people may think that the blessings can be passed down from generation to generation, but the ancients also said that "wealth is not three generations." "Throughout a person's life, we can find that even if a person is proud of the spring breeze, it may not be long before he becomes discouraged. Therefore, happiness is not eternal. Second, happiness is decreasing. When happiness happens, you will feel particularly happy, but soon, the feeling of happiness begins to decrease. For example, you sit in a newly renovated house and look around, ecstatic. But soon, this feeling will fade away. When a person first gets married, he feels that he is the happiest person in the world, but after many years, he may become insensitive or become a stranger with the other half. Third, happiness is tortuous. If happiness is hard-won, you will be very excited when you get it. For example, if a person kowtows to Lhasa, it will be hard all the way, and when he finally reaches his destination, he will cry with joy. Fourth, happiness needs a desire. If you like something, you will be ecstatic when you get it. If you have no desire, it won't bring you happiness. If a person who doesn't like candy gives him candy, will he be happy? Will people who don't love their families be happy with their families? A person who doesn't like to practice, will he be happy if he is given the opportunity to practice? Fifth, happiness should have feelings. One person lives in a secluded cabin, and the other person lives in a luxurious villa. People who live in quiet places are full of happiness; People who live in villas, although living a luxurious life, have no special feeling. Happiness is a feeling. Without this feeling, there is no happiness. Sixth, happiness should be joy. If your desire is satisfied, but at this time you are immersed in the grief of other events, it is still difficult to get happiness. To sum up, although happiness is related to material things, in the final analysis, the ultimate happiness can only be found in the heart. A psychology professor at Beijing Normal University wrote "Happiness for Help" after experiencing the psychological rescue of Wenchuan earthquake. Many viewpoints in the book are consistent with the spirit of Buddhism: "No matter what the environment is, as long as you change your attitude, it will be very different." "If you change your thoughts, attitudes and ways, maybe your life will be very different from now on …" Modern people have vaguely realized that happiness is built in their own hearts. Singer Chen Ming once sang "Happy Hometown": There is a place that is a happy hometown. It is close to the heart, but far from the horizon. All I did was to find it. Everything in my life is just to have it. People pursue the source of happiness in different ways, but since happiness is in their own hearts, it should be just around the corner, not far away. If you build happiness on external things, you may not get it even if you trudge all your life. How can we be happy? The Buddha said in karma that even if there is a rain of gold and silver in the sky, greedy people will not be satisfied. Fang Guang's solemn classic says that even if a person enjoys all the beautiful desires in the world, he will continue to look for them until his experience is satisfied. The Buddhist scriptures also say, "A contented person is happy even if he lies on the ground." Unfortunately, this kind of happiness is rarely available. People's desires are endless. Many entrepreneurs and stars enjoy wealth and fame, but they still strive to achieve higher goals. When they are not satisfied, they are often in anxiety, emptiness and cold. If you have a contented heart, even if your life is not perfect, your desires can't be fully realized. You can be happy with it, and you can be happy without it. The poet Xu Zhimo once said: "I am looking for my only soul mate in the vast sea of people." I am lucky to get it; No, my life. The phrase "I am lucky to get it" can be used in any aspect of the world: wealth, status, emotion, health ... If you get it, it is your luck and the blessing of your past life, and you should be deeply gratified; If you can't get it, it's your destiny. Don't complain, and don't indulge in worries about the future. Father Dharma also said: "Gains and losses come from fate, and the heart does not increase or decrease." "No increase or decrease in the heart" is the realm of great joy beyond joy and pain. The clouds of gain and loss gather in the emptiness in our hearts. Our hearts are clear and boundless from beginning to end, not because they have added some quality, nor because they have lost some nature. We should deal with any situation in life with the heart of fate. Just like the sand in your hand, the tighter you pinch it, the more you lose. If you put your hand out in another way, the fine sand will stay for a long time. "Suiyuan" is not indifferent to everything, not lazy, lazy and relaxed. This is a stupid karma, not the meaning of "karma" in Buddhism. The so-called "following fate" means that in the process of hard work, you have a sense of relief and satisfaction with everything you get. This kind of satisfaction is based on an open-minded understanding: happiness is not achieved by painstaking efforts, but by the blessings of past lives and the efforts of this life. I will be happy to get a little when I think of my incompetence. Even if I have nothing, I will not end up angry and depressed, but try my best to make myself a good person in this life. With a happy family, some wealth and honor, will you be happy? I won't. Buddhism stresses four truths: bitter collection, which includes the suffering of reincarnation and the root of suffering. If you don't achieve nirvana through monasticism, one day, the bitter cause will appear. When a 9-magnitude earthquake struck Japan, ambitious entrepreneurs, scholars and artists were swept away by huge waves in an instant. Those who survived the robbery, standing on an empty land, know that their fate is strange and unpredictable, and life and death change rapidly. If we really understand the truth of Buddhism, we will know that for any life, it is ultimately inseparable from pain. Even a talented, outstanding and respected person, before death, everything before death will lose its meaning. Compared with the life and death that a person is destined to experience, all these pleasures will turn into pain. Every cycle leaves only trauma. Happiness in the world is temporary, and what Buddhism calls happiness is to obtain Buddha's fruit, which is the most unique and only happiness. For example, The Grand Solemn Sutra says, "Being healthy is the first benefit, being content is the first wealth, being a good friend is the first pro, and nirvana is the first joy. "In Qian Qian's complicated ideological field, I always feel very lucky and satisfied to be able to reveal the ultimate truth in detail, clearly and accurately, and point out the Buddha's teaching method beyond life and death! When I meet any intellectuals, ordinary people or beggars in the street, I can't help telling them: Buddha is the greatest! I say this not because I am a Buddhist, but because the wisdom of the Buddha is too profound, too broad and too complete to describe. Although I look back at myself and feel deeply ashamed of my opinions, practice and behavior, Buddhism is perfect and the most beneficial crystallization of wisdom for human society. What to do after happiness, whether in the world or outside, the most important thing is to care for and support other lives, so that they can be comforted and benefited physically and mentally. Some people feel extraordinary when they come back from studying at Harvard University and Yale University, but their wisdom has not really served the society. Some people are extremely rich, and his wealth is inexhaustible in his short life, but his happiness only spreads to some people around him. Compared with the healthy and beneficial development of the whole society, personal development only accounts for a small proportion. If an individual occupies huge resources, silently savors his own happiness, but fails to give back his success to the society and nourish everything, such mentality and behavior have devalued the value of happiness. No matter what kind of happiness you have, you should share it with human beings and all sentient beings. This view has a long history in Buddhist thought. Yoshida Shilun, a great philosopher, thinker and writer, said in "On Bodhisattva": "All worldly pleasures depend on others, and all worldly sufferings are made by self-interest. "The happiness we have now is also due to the help and benefit of others in the past, and these happiness should continue to be dedicated to society. I have read Russell's The Road to Happiness before. Russell is a great thinker, mathematician and social activist. Some people say that he saves the world scientifically, but if he can save the world with wisdom and compassion, it will be the most meaningful, valuable and happy. Russell had suicidal thoughts when he was 5 years old. Later, he devoted himself to studying knowledge and made some achievements in mathematics and other fields. He is a pacifist, who opposes all acts of violence and injustice and pursues freedom and truth. He once said that the main source of passion in his life is: I have an irresistible pursuit of truth, I have an irresistible sympathy for the suffering people in the world, and I have an irresistible pursuit of feelings. Among Russell's three principles, the first is the thirst for truth. Modern people are obsessed with foreign things and drift with the tide, losing the spirit of pursuing perfect wisdom. From this point of view, mankind has not only failed to develop and progress, but has a tendency of retrogression. Buddhism also believes that people must seek truth. When the light of truth is getting brighter and brighter, ignorance and evil knowledge of reality will naturally disappear. I advise you to learn the wisdom of Buddhism, and I hope you can have the spirit of pursuing truth. The second source of Russell's passion in life is that there are thousands of suffering people in Qian Qian. In addition to suffering and illness, people also suffer from all kinds of inner pains: the pain caused by greed and insatiable heart, the disaster caused by the anger of volcanic eruption, some people suffer from ignorance, some people suffer from arrogance and jealousy ... How can we turn a blind eye and turn a deaf ear when they appear before our eyes? This is not only the act of a merciful wise man, but also the mind of Mahayana Bodhisattva. Mahayana Bodhisattva has unconditionally given all her love, even all parts of her body, to all sentient beings. I don't quite agree with Russell's last sentence, maybe he said it when he was more persistent about a relationship. Russell was born in 1872 and died in 1970 at the age of 98. In his later years, does he still have that kind of "irresistible pursuit of feelings"? People have been looking for happiness. Are you happy? If you are really happy, what should you do after happiness? Some scholars pursue fame all their lives, and the purpose of having fame is for themselves; Some very rich people have been looking for money all their lives, just for "my" glory and "my" happiness. However, the happiness you want is not necessarily meaningful and valuable. We should pursue true happiness, repay and serve the society, and take the welfare of others as the ultimate goal. The scope of happiness needs unlimited development and expansion, covering all mankind and even all life, filling the world and even the whole void. As long as there are lives that suffer from all kinds of material and spiritual pain, we will make unremitting dedication and efforts regardless of any cost and result. Although our ability is very small, our desire is extremely strong. We pray to come into the world and do the same thing, even if only one life is changed.