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**Sheefeadalfuh** · 02-10-2011, 04:35 AM

This discussion has been had before with perhaps a slightly different twist. My question then as now, is: What does "happiness" mean in the current context? I am happy when I practice my guitar playing and it goes well - it makes me feel satisfied ( and conversely). I am happy when I see that my children are good people and they seem satisfied with their lives. I am happy when I see someone lending a helping hand to someone in need. I could go on - but my point is that, to me, "happiness" is not a state that simply exists without a context, a situation giving rise to certain reactions. Being happy all the time would, it seems to me, become quite boring.

You are describing happiness that is contingent on success in a given area. But what happens when things are not "successful" according to your implied definition (that is, when things are going the way you want, or at least, there is something that is going the way you want)? When we are free from suffering arising from desire and aversion, we can still enjoy guitar playing if we want, still enjoy our happy children, but we would still be happy if we could suddenly no longer play, or our children were undergoing intense suffering of their own. That is the point. (I am not implying we would do nothing to help our children in such a situation, by the way.) The happiness of Buddhist liberation is being happy despite contingencies. It is only boring when you define it as being happy all the time, by the way; if you redefine it as being free from suffering at all times, maybe you would think differently. See how words can twist things?

02-10-2011, 04:35 AM	#9
Sheefeadalfuh Join Date Oct 2005 Posts 417 Senior Member	This discussion has been had before with perhaps a slightly different twist. My question then as now, is: What does "happiness" mean in the current context? I am happy when I practice my guitar playing and it goes well - it makes me feel satisfied ( and conversely). I am happy when I see that my children are good people and they seem satisfied with their lives. I am happy when I see someone lending a helping hand to someone in need. I could go on - but my point is that, to me, "happiness" is not a state that simply exists without a context, a situation giving rise to certain reactions. Being happy all the time would, it seems to me, become quite boring. You are describing happiness that is contingent on success in a given area. But what happens when things are not "successful" according to your implied definition (that is, when things are going the way you want, or at least, there is something that is going the way you want)? When we are free from suffering arising from desire and aversion, we can still enjoy guitar playing if we want, still enjoy our happy children, but we would still be happy if we could suddenly no longer play, or our children were undergoing intense suffering of their own. That is the point. (I am not implying we would do nothing to help our children in such a situation, by the way.) The happiness of Buddhist liberation is being happy despite contingencies. It is only boring when you define it as being happy all the time, by the way; if you redefine it as being free from suffering at all times, maybe you would think differently. See how words can twist things?
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