The world cannot make you happy

I think this is one of the most important lessons that I’m starting to learn. By ‘happy’ I’m referring to what people are ultimately seeking; the kind of long-term fulfilment that in my opinion everyone seeks in one way or another. By ‘the world’ I mean any ‘thing’. That is any objects, people, emotions, thoughts, concepts, activities; any thing in its truest meaning. This might sound quite dramatic or defeatist. ‘Well how am I supposed to be happy then?’ one may ask. Well I think it is possible to achieve this long-term fulfilment, if you have a deep understanding of what you’re working towards and a determination to cultivate it. However I’d say it is better described as ‘peace’ or ‘serenity’ than happiness. To me happiness is a kind of pleasure, a temporary emotion. It’s a warm fuzzy feeling you get which makes you smile. I think a common misunderstanding in modern western society is that it’s possible to feel like this all the time, and even that if you don’t feel like this consistently there is something wrong with you. Because emotions are temporary forms, by their very nature they can’t last forever.

So when I say the world cannot make you happy, I mean any ‘thing’ cannot give you the long-term peace that everyone is ultimately looking for. What’s more this peace that I refer to is not like a jigsaw, it cannot be assembled with any combination of ‘things’ either. For example it could never be achieved by being rich, and famous, and achieving all your goals, and having your ideal partner, and winning the Nobel peace prize and saving the whole world. On the contrary, it comes from a total non-identification with any ‘thing’, a kind of non-attachment.

Once again let me clarify what I’m referring to by ‘content’ or ‘at peace’. I mean a consistent contentment in ones day to day being, a significant reduction and eventually elimination of ones suffering. I’m not denying that ‘things’ bring people temporary pleasures, of course they do. Emotions are an essential function of sentient beings; we couldn’t live without their guidance. It’s obvious how ‘things’ like money, people, holidays or achievements could give people positive emotions. I’m not saying that participating in these things is pointless either, that would be silly. Experiencing positive emotions is one of the beauties of living.

What I’m saying is that it’s vital not to confuse contentment with temporary positive emotions. They are totally different concepts. No amount of positive emotions can lead to contentment, which is in my opinion what every human being is ultimately looking for. It is the understanding of this distinction which I believe is the key to contentment. Once one can live without identifying themselves with any ‘thing’ then one can be content. This is why I meditate every morning, because it awakens you to this reality. If everyone in the world meditated for just 5 minutes a day, I’m convinced it would be a much better and sane place.

A non-attachment to any thing does not mean you stop caring about any thing. It does not mean you lose your values or your desires to achieve anything in the world. It simply means that you don’t seek yourself in any of these values or pursuits. So when you run into difficulties with them, you do not delude yourself that a part of you is somehow under threat. Conversely when they go well, you don’t think you are somehow ‘more’ than you were before. This change in perspective from delusion to reality means the end of fear. It also means that the actions you take in your life are vastly more intelligent and profound. It means that the terrible things humans have created over the centuries such as war, prejudice and huge inequality are seen as the mad things that they are. This is a teaching which is given by someone called Eckhart Tolle, as shown in the video below J

Peace and Love to all

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPg9DnMP2D4

My ‘Eckhart Tolle For All’ Facebook Page.

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/pages/Eckhart-Tolle-for-all/180830518629862