Matthieu Ricard
I understand this to mean that happiness is not actually about 'doing' or 'having'. Of course, the feeling of happiness can arise when we do things - eat ice cream, win a proposal or make a sale at work, have a glass of wine (no coincidence that I choose these!). It certainly feels good to buy things our selves. The difference is that this type of happiness is fleeting - it comes and goes. If we observe the feeling as we experience, we notice that it often changes over time, maybe the feeling becomes less strong, maybe it is followed by a dip or another consequence (feeling sick after too much ice cream or drinking too much wine).
So - if true happiness is in our 'being' - what does that mean? This is the type of happiness which doesn't come from anything external. In fact, it doesn't even come from our thinking. It is a deeper acceptance of who we are - without needing the bells and whistles of a nice car, phone or an event to make us feel better, or important.
I understand this to mean that happiness is not actually about 'doing' or 'having'. Of course, the feeling of happiness can arise when we do things - eat ice cream, win a proposal or make a sale at work, have a glass of wine (no coincidence that I choose these!). It certainly feels good to buy things our selves. The difference is that this type of happiness is fleeting - it comes and goes. If we observe the feeling as we experience, we notice that it often changes over time, maybe the feeling becomes less strong, maybe it is followed by a dip or another consequence (feeling sick after too much ice cream or drinking too much wine).
So - if true happiness is in our 'being' - what does that mean? This is the type of happiness which doesn't come from anything external. In fact, it doesn't even come from our thinking. It is a deeper acceptance of who we are - without needing the bells and whistles of a nice car, phone or an event to make us feel better, or important.
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