Eastern philosophy says happiness is inside you and not outside how is it true?

[Andrewww]

How does one experience the internal happiness dramatically as they state it. Making things such as accumulating items pointless.

[Moksha]

Just be. Your inherent nature, not as a human, but as Consciousness, is joyful. The human mind is the source, and the perpetuation, of suffering.

[commie]

Accumulating items is pointless regardless of how happy you are. No philosophy needed. And happiness isn't internal or external. You don't need to believe in natures or any other doctrine in order to realize this.

[justfortoday]

27 minutes ago, Andrewww said:

How does one experience the internal happiness dramatically as they state it. Making things such as accumulating items pointless.

It is not possible to experience internal happiness for even a slight majority of your time. Anyone that tells you otherwise is diluted.

Mono Aware, the sad gives birth to the happy. You will experience happiness in your life, but it won't last forever, because you are still identifying as a self, or an ego. You are living in an augmented reality full of concepts and symbols, and you don't even realize it.

You're like a rat dumped inside of a maze chasing cheese. You will find bits of cheese and be happy about them, but ultimately, you are still in the maze.

How to escape the maze? Well, that's a totally different topic.

So, savor happiness when its there, because it is beautiful, but understand that sadness is what gives happiness its meaning.

[commie]

Speaking of dilution, how does happiness get a normative meaning?

[Roy]

It happens by simply setting the intention, wanting it, and persisting.

Really what is stopping you from being happy right now, exactly as things are? Absolutely nothing.

What is stopping someone from deciding to be happy despite being tortured to death? Absolutely nothing.

Of course their circumstances are going to make it more difficult to be happy, but it's still entirely possible.

The only thing ever getting in the way of love and happiness is what we let get in the way.

[Dark_White]

@Andrewww well, isn't it so obvious. When did you ever had happiness apart from you, it'll be always from you. The item never made you happy, it's always within.

[Carl-Richard]

You can also look at this from the perspective of neuropharmacology. The mind-body system generally downregulates the effect of exogenous stimuli (things coming from the outside) in order to maintain homeostasis (balance between internal and external).

For example, taking a drug that releases excess dopamine (say amphetamine) downregulates the body's own production of dopamine in order to reduce the excess dopamine signalling, leading to what is called "dependence". When you stop taking the drug and the duration is over, you'll have less dopaminergic activity in the areas that were previously experiencing excessive stimulation (come-down, withdrawal).

If we assume that dopamine plays a role in happiness, then you haven't actually "received" happiness from the outside by taking the drug. You've only traded short-term increase in dopamine for a long-term decrease, and you've also traded away your own ability to regulate dopamine signalling. You've only made your happiness more dependent on fleeting conditions (which are also progressively fleeting, because over time you need to take more of the same drug for the same effect, approaching infinity).

More importantly, your ability to be flexible in your functioning; to be alert and activitated in one moment, and calm and relaxed in another, diminishes. There is a selective numbing effect, because the drug only borrows the body's own mechanisms and resources in order to have an effect. You don't gain anything in the long run; you only externalize your own internal control and decrease dynamic responsivity. The changes are not self-consistent, and there is no potential for growth on its own, only degeneration.

To maintain a steady source of happiness, you want to "upregulate the regulatory capacity of the system". Instead of introducing more stimuli from exogenous sources, you increase your endogenous ability to respond to those stimuli. You work with the ebbs and flows of homeostasis by promoting resilience and stability. It's a long-term growth mindset and is the essence of spirituality and holistic health.

You start by looking at the base of the system and work bottom-up, being aware of natural cycles, systematically eliminating dysfunctional behaviors and promoting growth (get enough sleep, physical exercise, remove dietary poisons, eliminate mental trauma, train mental alertness etc.).

From this point of view, unhappiness simply stems from your own inability to regulate your own system. That is essentially the same as saying that happiness comes from within.

Edited March 8, 2021 by Carl-Richard

[PureRogueQ]

7 hours ago, Andrewww said:

How does one experience the internal happiness dramatically as they state it. Making things such as accumulating items pointless.

How is not a question that can be answered that easily, as it is not some object, or really thing you must acquire,

Saying things like I need more money ,cars, clothes, traveling , or saying I need more focus, be more present, be more responsible, loving etc are pointless in my opinion, if you come from forced place they will bring you short bursts of happiness at best, but will not make you happy.

Those things if need will come them self , if you are coming from right place.

 

Edited March 7, 2021 by PureRogueQ

[vladorion]

Even when you feel happy when you get some object, the happiness you feel is coming from you, not from that object. If objects contained happiness, then everybody who got it would feel happy, which is not the case. So the idea is, if happiness is coming from you, and not from objects, why not go directly to the source instead of chasing objects.

[Someone here]

Happines is neither inside nor outside. 

 

[mandyjw]

Don't draw lines between self and world, happiness and unhappiness, self and other, inside and outside and see what remains. 

[Surfingthewave]

@Andrewww

Think of five things that make you feel good. 

Do them, regularly. 

Now think of five things you are grateful for. 

Write it down. 

What brings meaning and purpose to your life?

Pursue it. 

Do the above and you'll experience happiness. 

 

[PureRogueQ]

How  can you possibly enjoy life if you are constantly looking for wrongs and rights, this is good that is bad, never enough, as if there must  be some certain amount of enough for  happiness to arise, can you just for a moment see  amount of freedom that hides behind this label of not good enough , wrong ,bad that you simply supress, 

I don't want to make claims of what is ultimately pointless , wrong or right, this is simply story of happiness. 

You see for happiness there is nothing that is wrong, and every time  when you deem something as wrong, you lose some happiness  of your experience. 

For it even thinking that something is wrong is not wrong, now your mind probably thinks it makes no sense, how can thinking that something is wrong 

can not be wrong, as you think that something is wrong, so it should make you unhappy, well  I will leave it for you yourself to recognize, there are no limitations of what you can , or can't, as there is nothing wrong for it. 

[Surfingthewave]

4 hours ago, PureRogueQ said:

How  can you possibly enjoy life if you are constantly looking for wrongs and rights, this is good that is bad, never enough, as if there must  be some certain amount of enough for  happiness to arise

Because you are still believing the mind, the voice. 

Transcend the mind, you will find happiness there. 

[Heaven]

Happiness isn’t to be found in the flow of life. It’s a useful concept because it makes you stop for a sec the pursue.
Your inherent being is happiness and joy. Your job is to unveil everything that gets in your way of finding it. Hint: Not dealing with your emotions, monkey mind, addictions, constant distractions etc..

[PureRogueQ]

3 hours ago, Heaven said:

Happiness isn’t to be found in the flow of life. It’s a useful concept because it makes you stop for a sec the pursue.
Your inherent being is happiness and joy. Your job is to unveil everything that gets in your way of finding it. Hint: Not dealing with your emotions, monkey mind, addictions, constant distractions etc..

 

3 hours ago, Surfingthewave said:

Because you are still believing the mind, the voice. 

Transcend the mind, you will find happiness there. 

Have you done it, or you just speaking your mind?

Well nice if you have, which I doubt, my goal is to find easiest , most profound way to elevate  ego, improve its story, rest can wait