What is Happiness?

[UnbornTao]

5 hours ago, Princess Arabia said:

No state is caused by you. Get sad now. Get frustrated or angry now. Something on the outside is required. This is why telling someone how to be happy all the time is futile. Peace is a state of harmony that is caused by the absence of it's opposite so even that is caused by the absence of something else. 

Happiness might turn out to be a condition - synonymous with your nature - rather than a passing state, though this will likely sound fantastical to most of us. Conventionally speaking, it might better be described as willingness to go through one's experience exactly as it is, no matter what it is. "Acceptance" sounds lame, though, but it contains some kernel of truth. 

You are essentially assigning responsibility for your inner experience to external circumstances. Yet notice whenever anger arises: what is it actually caused by? You can actually create states at will with no outside factor seemingly causing it for you. You already create your states, and circumstances may help you in that process. 

Think of the craft of a good actor. Their art rests on the ability to summon the appropriate emotional state at will. My suggestion is that we are already like such an actor, though for the most part we do it unconsciously.

What is happiness, anyway? Is it the same as the relief or sense of victory that comes about when something wanted is accomplished, or something unwanted is successfully avoided? 

Edited Friday at 05:40 AM by UnbornTao

[Princess Arabia]

26 minutes ago, UnbornTao said:

Happiness might turn out to be a condition - synonymous with your nature - rather than a passing state, though this will likely sound fantastical to most of us. Conventionally speaking, it might better be described as willingness to go through one's experience exactly as it is, no matter what it is. "Acceptance" sounds lame, though, but it contains some kernel of truth. 

You are essentially assigning responsibility for your inner experience to external circumstances. Yet notice whenever anger arises: what is it actually caused by? You can actually create states at will with no outside factor seemingly causing it for you. You already create your states, and circumstances may help you in that process. 

Think of the craft of a good actor. Their art rests on the ability to summon the appropriate emotional state at will. My suggestion is that we are already like such an actor, though for the most part we do it unconsciously.

What is happiness, anyway? Is it the same as the relief or sense of victory that comes about when something wanted is accomplished, or something unwanted is successfully avoided? 

These days I don't put anything pass anything much anymore. There could be somebody out there now who is naturally happy regardless of circumstances. I don't mean they were taught that or even does it consciously. I mean their momma died, their cat died, they got in a car accident, stuff like that and their smiling and carrying on happily ever after and saying, oh well, life goes on. I mean it's their natural state or even a disease just as depression can be. You know how some people are always sad no matter what, just the opposite. I've heard of a woman with no mind so anything is possible, Lots of things I haven't heard of so, you're right, never know. 

[Natasha Tori Maru]

34 minutes ago, UnbornTao said:

Happiness might turn out to be a condition - synonymous with your nature - rather than a passing state, though this will likely sound fantastical to most of us. Conventionally speaking, it might better be described as willingness to go through one's experience exactly as it is, no matter what it is. "Acceptance" sounds lame, though, but it contains some kernel of truth. 

You are essentially assigning responsibility for your inner experience to external circumstances. Yet notice whenever anger arises: what is it actually caused by? You can actually create states at will with no outside factor seemingly causing it for you. You already create your states, and circumstances may help you in that process. 

Think of the craft of a good actor. Their art rests on the ability to summon the appropriate emotional state at will. My suggestion is that we are already like such an actor, though for the most part we do it unconsciously.

What is happiness, anyway? Is it the same as the relief or sense of victory that comes about when something wanted is accomplished, or something unwanted is successfully avoided? 

🎯

[Sugarcoat]

I’d say happiness is when you feel well in a significant way, so more intense than simply a calm neutrality. Because for example in this very moment I feel calm and I would say at a baseline of contentment, but I wouldn’t call that happy, happiness refers to something more significant and intense, because if we call all wellbeing happiness it kinda looses some of its distinct meaning.

Sometimes it can be hard to distinguish happiness because it can come with a simultaneous undertone of anxiety. Because for example when you’re attached to something there is insecurity about loosing the object of attachment
 

 It doesn’t matter the source of the happiness, someone could be happy murdering someone, watching porn, achieving academically, meditating. . It seems happiness is limited within the realm of average human psychology. So if you are attached to something, happiness can occur when attachment feels secure, when you’re fulfilling that need. But it’s limited because the same thing cannot be correlated to endless happiness, it’s to do with the reward system in the brain: it gets “saturated”, and the same source of happiness stops working as much for you. Like how people in relationship go through a limited honey moon phase before it calms down…

So if you wanna achieve an even more long lasting happiness it seems you need to transcend the normal human psychology. Perhaps it means transcending the self altogether or simply working with your psychology while remaining with ego, maybe both are possible. For example above I mentioned attachment linked to happiness, but it could be the opposite so when you let go of attachment you can feel happiness in form of relief , so that is an example of transcending some human psychology 

(I know I mention attachment a lot but ofc you can be happy about something without being attached to it)

 

Edited Friday at 08:50 AM by Sugarcoat

[Jehovah increases]

one should never have to chase happiness. because you may end up disappointed. You need to find it within you.

[Natasha Tori Maru]

What is it that witnesses your thoughts, perceptions? If you are not this - what are you?

A simple witness? A camera witnessing reality? Openness? 

What lies there? 

[gettoefl]

Seeking happiness is a form of ignorance. You think you are lacking, something is wrong with your life, but your own simple beingness needs nothing, it is completely at ease and content as is. Get to know it, relax. ~ Nisargadatta

[Eskilon]

What's the difference between happiness and orgasm? 

If you could make one infinite, which one would it be？

[Princess Arabia]

5 hours ago, Natasha Tori Maru said:

What is it that witnesses your thoughts, perceptions? If you are not this - what are you?

A simple witness? A camera witnessing reality? Openness? 

What lies there? 

There is no witness in wholeness. 

8 hours ago, Sugarcoat said:

 

 

[Princess Arabia]

6 hours ago, Jehovah increases said:

one should never have to chase happiness. because you may end up disappointed. You need to find it within you.

Happiness isn't lost. 

[Jehovah increases]

43 minutes ago, Princess Arabia said:

Happiness isn't lost. 

I never said it was

[Sugarcoat]

7 hours ago, Jehovah increases said:

one should never have to chase happiness. because you may end up disappointed. You need to find it within you.

Trying to find it within you is still a form of seeking it… it’s like seeking packaged in spirituality (nothing wrong with that I think it’s one of the main purposes in life)

[Jehovah increases]

3 minutes ago, Sugarcoat said:

Trying to find it within you is still a form of seeking it… it’s like seeking packaged in spirituality (nothing wrong with that I think it’s one of the main purposes in life)

to be happy is to be happy, no seeking

[Princess Arabia]

12 minutes ago, Jehovah increases said:

I never said it was

"You need to find it within you", suggests just that. It's OK, figure of speech.

9 hours ago, Sugarcoat said:

 

 

[Sugarcoat]

2 minutes ago, Jehovah increases said:

to be happy is to be happy, no seeking

There could be the attitude to try to hold onto the happiness once it arises, but if not, then yea you’re right

[Jehovah increases]

Just now, Princess Arabia said:

"You need to find it within you", suggests just that. It's OK, figure of speech.

 

 

2 minutes ago, Princess Arabia said:

"You need to find it within you", suggests just that. It's OK, figure of speech.

 

fair enough

 

[Princess Arabia]

5 minutes ago, Sugarcoat said:

Trying to find it within you is still a form of seeking it… it’s like seeking packaged in spirituality (nothing wrong with that I think it’s one of the main purposes in life)

....and why most people feel depressed and are unhappy. Going back to my past thread...happiness is the enemy. It feels so good we want more. It's like a drug. It's the main purpose of the me because it's unhappy being a me. Nothing real about a me. It's the only fake thing in existence.

[Sugarcoat]

1 minute ago, Princess Arabia said:

....and why most people feel depressed and are unhappy. Going back to my past thread...happiness is the enemy. It feels so good we want more. It's like a drug. It's the main purpose of the me because it's unhappy being a me. Nothing real about a me. It's the only fake thing in existence.

Hmm

I see how attachment almost always has a backside of suffering

The way humans approach the matter of happiness causes suffering. But I believe it’s possible to go about it in a way that reduces suffering and increases happiness, one that is less dependent on specific circumstances 

[Princess Arabia]

7 minutes ago, Sugarcoat said:

Hmm

I see how attachment almost always has a backside of suffering

The way humans approach the matter of happiness causes suffering. But I believe it’s possible to go about it in a way that reduces suffering and increases happiness, one that is less dependent on specific circumstances 

Go about it? Nothing can be done about what arises in nature and what's natural. Leave it be and that's the answer. Do you try to go about an approach to the rain, the snow, you just see it for what it is, right. Do you take it personally. No. Well, the problem is we take happiness and suffering personally. These are life's natural forces. This is why I said the me is the only unnatural thing in existence. Ramble around that all you want. It's the case. Of course, I take it personally too, but at least I know it's delusion and won't write home to mom about it. 

[Sugarcoat]

1 minute ago, Princess Arabia said:

Go about it? Nothing can be done about what arises in nature and what's natural. Leave it be and that's the answer. Do you try to go about an approach to the rain, the snow, you just see it for what it is, right. Do you take it personally. No. Well, the problem is we take happiness and suffering personally. These are life's natural forces. This is why I said the me is the only unnatural thing in existence. Ramble around that all you want. It's the case. Of course, I take it personally too, but at least I know it's delusion and won't write home to mom about it. 

A person could, on their journey of finding happiness, realize what you just said, that relinquishing effort could be exactly the thing that increases their well being and reduces their suffering, so in a sense that is also a kind of approach. Most people who pursue a kind of spirituality/awakening like that go through phases of a lot of seeking before they arrive at no seeking. All of us grow an ego as we grow up so the starting point for all is a place of seeking, and it can take a while to undo that, to come to a place of “no action”