"It is natural that we face problems challenges, setbacks and disappointments if life. Bu faith in Buddhism means that when such tings occur, we chant daimoku with persistence and determination. This gives rise to wisdom, with which we can move things in a positive direction. Concerning living in this world, which is full of both suffering and joy, Nichiren Daishonin said, “Suffer what there is to suffer, enjoy what there is to enjoy. Regard both suffering and joy as facts of life, and continue chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, no matter what happens” (WND, 681). Buddhism nowhere teaches of a life that is free from pain or troubles, or that life should be just a succession of favorable circumstances. In fact, such a life does not exist; even if it did, as Shakespeare suggests, it would probably become quite tedious.
Instead Buddhism encourages us to step confidently into a world and society intertwined with joys and sufferings, and to develop a condition of life to fully enjoy all we encounter. This state of life--the capacity to “enjoy ourselves at ease” unperturbed by external ups and downs--is what Soka Gakkai second president Josei Toda often called “absolute happiness.” It is absolute because it is self-created. We create it. It is not dependent on something or someone else. The purpose and goal of daily Buddhist prayer and practice, and of our activities to teach Buddhism to others, is to create such an inner world of profound enjoyment and ease."
According to Nicheren Buddhism, the only kind of happiness that is unconditional is the happiness we create for ourselves, simply because it is not dependent on another person or force, only on us.
To reach a state of mind/being where we can enjoy life no matter what occurs, to appreciate the good and the bad, to see beauty in all things, easy and hard, light and dark, comedic and tragic.
Buddhism teaches that this world is a world meant to be enjoyed, meant to be experienced. Suffering and Enjoyment are two forms of experience we are meant to engage in and learn from.
It is essential to learn how to alleviate ourselves of all mental suffering, and experience enjoyment in this world, enjoyment which is not dependent on external influences, or outside sources. Enjoyment and appreciation of life which is not fragile.
Now, many who already study Buddhism may wondor...does this not contradict the First Noble Truth of Buddhism ? Dukkha- that Life is Suffering ?
Life Is Suffering in its most raw state....where we are ignorant, dependent, afraid, fearful....we are born into a world, defenseless and completely at the mercy of our parents, and those around us.
Anamality, the Fourth Buddhist World, is probably the most common stage of mind. To goal to survive rises above all else.
Life does not have to be suffering....Buddhism teaches us to "choose our battles", or rather "choose our suffering"
Some things may feel overwhelming (death of a family member, heartbreak, etc.) But we do not have to suffer over it. We can learn to be happy with or without the attachment, yet still Love others unconditionally.
A feeling is just a feeling, and only has as much power as we give it.
Suffer when there is nothing else to feel, suffer when there is nothing else to be done. But do not suffer for things that do not need to be suffered for.
If someone breaks your heart...rejects you...so what ? What does that person have that you needed ? Nothing...they only had something you wanted
Desire is what leads to suffering...desire which can poison the mind when not kept under check.
It is okay to desire, it is okay to be attached, in fact, it is essential to life to be attached and desire. It is natural.
But we must be in control.
We must learn to recognize the cause of the suffering...desire...learn to rise above the primitive tendency to suffer over an unfulfilled desire.
Ultamate Happiness is achieved when we look past our own desires..when we learn to be happy with ourselves and with our lives, through OUR OWN effort, for we are OUR OWN SALVATION.
YOU ARE YOUR OWN REFUGE.
No one else can validate you. No one else can choose to be happy for you. No one has your happiness in thier hand.
Does this mean learn to live alone ? NO
We need eachother to survive. And we need eachother to live the best lives possible. It is through other people that you experience life...where you experience passions, enjoyments and sufferings.
The Ultamate Happiness is to love yourself enough to the point where you no longer need anymore for yourself..where you are enough, where you are all you need, where you are your ultamate source of happiness.
Therefore, you only desire for the happiness of others.
Bodhisvattva is the Ninth World, the state of being where our happiness is sustained and increased through the effort to help others become happy. You cannot make them happy, but you can CERTAINLY help them become so. You can help others grow, learn, mature, and be free. It is a path they themselves must take, but you can be the catalyst of someone else's freedom from needless suffering.
I DO NOT MEAN TO MAKE OTHERS LIKE YOU...to want others to like you is a selfish aim.
To genuinely want others to be happy..like you...to achieve the happiness you acheive...that is the highest state according to Buddhism.
To care for, help, free, and alleviate as many people from needless suffering as possible.
I hope this was not confusing....I hope all of you understand what I am saying. If you have any questions, either post them in this thread, or pm me.
I do not have all the answers, but I can help you find your own.
Buddha was a severely disturbed prince who suffered from annorexia and ultimately came to his conclusions about enlightenment after a near-death exprieince.
Statement:
Humans can never know happyness as long as there are other humans to ruin it for them. As biological creatures you will always know suffering wether in the form of minor discomfort, pain-stimuli, or emotional hurt. But the only way to minimize your suffering is to destroy other humans.
Conclusion:
Mankind should seek to be as the most brutal dictators they claim to be so disgusted with. As hummanity is under the strict law of inverse. The less men there are, the happier they become. Because thier egos are less threatend.
There is happiness, but you find it from within. That's the only place to find it. You can make changes in your external world but ultimately it's how you view it. You can live in a disturbing relationship or environment, but still be in your own little world. That's the key to happiness.
Last edited by debbiejo on Jun 13th, 2007 at 12:44 PM
Absolute Happiness is happiness that you created for yourself, indepedent of external influence. It is being happy with yourself, no longer desiring anything else.
You only desire for others to be happy as well.
It doesn't meant you will never suffer. You will.
But you have to learn to choose what to suffer over.
You do not have to suffer over every little thing. You have to choose what things are worth suffering over.
When you can learn to set your priorities, and choose when to allow yourself to suffer, and realize that not all suffering is necessary, in fact most suffering is needless and pointless....then you can strengthen your happiness.
Absolute happiness is determined by each person, because what is "absolute" varies for everyone. Happiness comes scientifically from chemicals...so a scientist would argue that whoever stimulates the most chemicals in their body is the happiest... That is obviously not true, it is about each person's own will to be happy.
So there is no "absolute" as applied to all people -there is only absolute happiness to a person's own point of veiw. But as was said already, a person's own self and actions, is the only way of bringing the most happiness, so that is all that matters.
I disagree with the statement that no one can help others achieve their happiness, because that is not true. Helping to achieve other's own happiness is a real possibility, and in doing so you will make yourself most happy as well. That is seen in real relationships between people, where the goal of each is to provide for the happiness of the other. It can be achieved.
Life is not all suffering, it is a mix of the good and the bad, and suffering is a part of it sometimes.
And what is JIA?
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Yes, different things make different people happy, which is why I beleive it can only be achieved through one's own effort.
That is what I am talking about. Absolute happiness is when the person is happy with themselves and needs no more. People who are happy want others to be happy as well.
I didn't say you couldn't help. You can, in fact, that's a fundamental component of Buddhism.
I have said that you can't make someone else happy. They have to achieve it themselves, but you can certainly help them.
I didn't say all life was suffering. That is Dukkha, first Noble Truth of Buddha.
Life is suffering entwined with enjoyment. It is up to us to decide which we will aim to experience more.
Jesusisalive
That is Alliance's bitter way of attacking me, he really has nothing else to look 4ward to.
I see what you mean. Yes, then I agree completely.
Alright, I am sorry I misread.
I dont really understand what it is, it seems to me to be no different from any other Christianity sect. Unless I am wrong about their intent, there seems to be nothing wrong with it. Everyone can beleive what they want. I dont know why he would be attacking you though.
__________________ Blog discussing politics, society, and current events! TOMORROW TODAY: A CHANGING WORLD
***> http://ttacw.blogspot.com/ <***
Observation:
I fealt pretty happy when I saw Dr.Strangelove and the doomsday device was activated and everybody died. Perhaps there can be absolute happiness. But only at everyone else'es expense.
KMC Community Forums
Absolute Happiness
Jun 12th, 2007 11:15 PM
