Happiness is more than what one does or how much money or even popularity a person has...if happiness were tied to personal achievement, than no one would ever be happy except the super-stars. And, if the number of rock star suicides is any indication, even they aren't happy. When I went on mission trip to the Yucatan, I was struck by how happy the people were. They lived in a one room hut, there were maggots in the food, and the floors were dirt with no running water, and...they were happy. In essence the story of the Buddha is a story of seeking happiness. It is not tied to our physical state, or even our emotional state, but rather how we choose to perceive the world around us.
If I achieve all I set out to achieve, will that make me happy. The answer is no. If I make tons of money will that make me happy? No, although it will ease some of the worry about caring for family, etc. In meditation there are two main sutras practiced at the Tibetan Center regularly. One is the heart sutra and the other is one on compassion. While I enjoy the compassion mediation, I do not enjoy it nearly as much as the heart sutra. I think that is because I feel that the heart sutra is about compassion and happiness as much as the compassion one.
While I've gone to meditation for several weeks, I have not asked any questions yet. Don't get me wrong, I don't think I "know it all" or "understand it"...that would be beyond arrogant and approaching delusional. I just don't think my questions can be answered with words. If they could, everyone would know the answer.
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