Principle of a Happy Life

Author: Master Jiqun
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2001-03-01
Features: The purpose of human existence is to attain happiness. However, in today's highly materialized society, many people, despite fully enjoying material life, still fail to live happily. Why? (1) They do not understand what happiness truly is; (2) They lack an understanding of the principles for building a happy life. Because human actions often go against the path of a happy life, even though people desperately pursue happiness, they rarely attain it.
I. What Is Happiness?
Before pursuing happiness, one must first understand what happiness is. Is happiness an objective entity, or a subjective feeling? Is it material, or spiritual? If one does not understand the essence of happiness but still strives to pursue it, isn't that too blind?
1. Happiness Is Not a Fixed Entity
Ordinarily, people consider wealth, status, a happy marriage, longevity, health, beauty, career success, good food, good clothing, and a good home to be the essence of a happy life. They believe that acquiring any of these will bring life's happiness. This view is mistaken because happiness is not a fixed entity. If it were, then: (1) Happiness should be relatively easy to attain; (2) Once humans obtain a "happiness entity" (e.g., wealth or status), they would automatically be happy, which is not the case in reality; (3) There are many people with wealth and status, yet they may not be happy. From this, we can see that happiness is not an objective, fixed entity.
2. Happiness Is Relative
People often cling to certain conditions as happiness, but in reality, happiness is relative: (1) Human desires differ, and thus the requirements for happiness vary from person to person. Some may find happiness in wealth, others in status, longevity, health, marriage, or being single. Some may find happiness in living in a bustling city, while others prefer a quiet rural life. Because people's perspectives differ, their expectations for the state of happiness also vary. (2) Happiness arises from comparison: Comparing oneself to oneself—feeling happy when recalling past good times while facing current difficulties, or feeling happy now when reflecting on past hardships. Happiness can also arise from comparing oneself to others. For example, thinking of one's comfortable living conditions while seeing others' poverty may bring a sense of fulfillment and happiness. (3) The experience of happiness is like drinking water—only one knows how it feels; it is like shoes on one's feet—only one knows whether they are comfortable or not.
3. Happiness Is Composed of Many Factors
When people favor something (wealth, status, etc.), they believe that acquiring these things is equivalent to achieving happiness. In reality, wealth, status, or any other entity is not the essence of happiness; they are merely conditions that contribute to it. A happy life is composed of many factors. In ancient China, there was a concept of the "Five Blessings": longevity, wealth, health, virtue, and a good death. These are all indispensable elements of a happy life.
4. Happiness Is the Unity of Material and Spiritual
Is happiness material or spiritual? Some believe that material conditions lead to happiness, viewing happiness as material. Others believe that as long as one is mentally content, they are happy, viewing happiness as spiritual. In truth, happiness is the unity of material and spiritual: (1) People's minds are influenced by their surroundings. Comfortable environments, such as career success or family harmony, form the foundation of happiness, indicating that happiness requires material support. (2) Happiness is experienced through the mind. Only a healthy state of mind can bring happiness. If one is in a bad mood, even if they are an emperor with absolute power, wealth, and status, they will still live in misery.
II. Happiness and Unhappiness
The world is composed of favorable and unfavorable circumstances. Generally, people consider health to be fortunate, illness to be unfortunate; success to be fortunate, failure to be unfortunate; wealth to be fortunate, poverty to be unfortunate. Those living in favorable circumstances are often seen as lucky and happy. Conversely, those who encounter adversity are considered unlucky and suffering. However, both society and individuals inevitably face both favorable and unfavorable conditions. There is always a balance between the two, which is a universal phenomenon that humans should understand correctly.
1. View Happiness and Unhappiness Equally and Objectively
Since favorable and unfavorable circumstances are both aspects of life, their existence is natural. (1) We should acknowledge the objective existence of favorable and unfavorable conditions, just as day and night or the changing seasons follow natural laws. (2) In the face of favorable or unfavorable conditions, we should not develop attachment or aversion.
2. Suffering Makes Joy More Joyful, Misfortune Makes Good Fortune More Precious
Pain and joy in the world are interdependent and cannot exist without each other. Some people desire only joy and reject suffering, or only favorable circumstances and reject adversity. However, without suffering, there is no joy. Without experiencing adversity, one cannot appreciate the value of favorable circumstances, just as those who have long enjoyed favorable conditions may struggle to find happiness. Thus, suffering makes joy more joyful, and misfortune makes good fortune more precious. For example, illness makes health joyful, and poverty makes wealth more precious.
3. Happiness and Misfortune Can Transform Each Other
Fortune and misfortune are not absolute; they can transform into one another. (1) Fortune can turn into misfortune. For instance, holding great power is fortunate, but using it for personal gain and committing illegal acts leads to misfortune. Being born into a loving family is fortunate, but growing up in such an environment may make it difficult for children to become independent in society, which is misfortune. Being born into a wealthy family is fortunate, but many spoiled heirs, who waste their wealth on gambling and debauchery, develop all kinds of bad habits, which is misfortune. (2) Misfortune can turn into fortune. Adversity can inspire people to strive and contribute greatly to society in the future. Favorable conditions may lead to complacency, while adversity can bring clarity and prompt self-reflection, deepening one's understanding of life. Additionally, turning misfortune into fortune (e.g., "a blessing in disguise") illustrates how fortune and misfortune can transform.
4. Happiness in Misfortune, Misfortune in Happiness
People feel fortunate or unfortunate based on their preferences. Those who desire to be officials feel fortunate when they attain a position, but unlucky if they don't get one. Those who want to marry feel fortunate when they find a suitable partner but unlucky if they don't. In reality: (1) Fortune contains misfortune. For example, having too much wealth may lead to concerns about being kidnapped by gangsters; having high social status may restrict freedom of movement; being too successful in one's career may leave no time for leisure. (2) Misfortune contains fortune. Without status or reputation, one is free from their burdens; without a career, one is free from its pressures; without a family, one is free from family-related troubles.
III. Methods for Building a Happy Life
Driven by ignorance, humans blindly pursue happiness but fail to attain it, instead bringing endless suffering. To achieve happiness, one must adopt reasonable methods.
1. Eliminate the Causes of Unhappiness
To build a happy life, one must first eliminate the factors that lead to unhappiness. (1) Wrong perceptions and inverted views, such as disbelief in cause and effect, leading to reckless behavior, or attachment to permanence despite impermanence. (2) Strong ego, where one faces the world centered on self, or clings to possessions as part of self, such as identifying oneself with body, name, or wealth. (3) Greed, hatred, and delusion, which, if allowed to dominate life, harm oneself and others. (4) Unwholesome actions, which plant bad seeds and bring bitter fruits. These are all factors that cause unhappiness in life. If one wishes to live a happy life, they must strive to eliminate these factors.
2. Embrace Non-Attachment and Understand the Impermanent World
The world of defilements inevitably brings various forms of unhappiness. However, when faced with the same circumstances, people's levels of suffering differ. Why? (1) Unhappiness in the world arises only when one attaches importance to it; if one is indifferent, even the greatest misfortune becomes insignificant. (2) By detaching from personal emotions and correctly understanding the reality of life, observing the emptiness of all phenomena and practicing non-attachment, one can face life's misfortunes with composure.
3. Cultivate Merits—Perform Good Deeds
Fortune and misfortune both have their causes and effects. To attain a happy life: (1) Avoid planting the seeds of misfortune, thereby escaping the that cause unhappiness. (2) Cultivate abundant merits by performing good deeds, such as practicing the Ten Virtues, to tap into the sources of happiness and joy in life, thereby gaining boundless happiness.
4. Live Simply, Think Simply
Most urban dwellers today feel overwhelmed by life. Why? Society is too complex, life is too complex, and minds are too complex. Physical exhaustion can be resolved with sleep, but mental complexity can make even sleep difficult. Human suffering comes in both physical and mental forms, with only a few experiencing physical pain, while many suffer mentally. Complex society and life make people feel burdened, while complex thoughts give rise to endless and delusions. Conversely, a simple life and simple thoughts bring ease and freedom.
5. Be Content
Happiness is a feeling. Only when one feels happy is it truly happiness. Conversely, if one does not feel happy, can one call them happy? Contentment is a cheap way to attain happiness. A greedy person, even with immense wealth and high status, remains unsatisfied and cannot find happiness. In contrast, a content person can find fulfillment and joy even in simple material conditions.
IV. Conclusion
To build a happy life, one must first correctly understand what happiness is. Then, one must explore the causes and effects of fortune and misfortune. On one hand, eliminate the root causes of unhappiness, and on the other, diligently cultivate the conditions for a happy life. Only in this way can one ultimately achieve the true result of a happy life.