One of the things human beings want the most is… HAPPINESS! Nowadays there’s a big movement about how to be more positive, more happy, and there’s thousands of article about how to achieve happiness, which you probably have read a few.
Deep down, everyone is searching for happiness and freedom from suffering, and yet most of us don’t really know how to go about achieving that aim.
What I wonder is … Are we approaching this subject correctly? Do we really know what REALLY happiness entails?
Last week I had the opportunity to meet a great speaker and teacher Rime master, Khentrul Jamphel Lodrö Rinpoche. He studied in 11 monasteries under 25 teachers before becoming Khenpo (teacher) of Dzamthang monastery in Tibet. His vast and comprehensive knowledge offers the West a rare opportunity to engage in Buddhist practice from a non-religious/ political point of view and access the most profound teachings of Highest Yoga Tantra.
There’s something so wonderful when you meet someone who has dedicated all his life into learning all the traditions of the world and has taught thousands of people the essence of happiness. I don’t know about you, but I haven’t met anyone like this!
He’s teachings are not biased, scientific or religious. He teaches the Kalachakra Path, which offers a profound method for actualising your greatest potential while contributing to greater peace and harmony within this world.
This should be very important for us and I will share with you now what entails…
Have you ever wonder why human beings want more things?? This need of “I want this” and “I want that” and if we get those things, we’ll be more happy.
The reason why we want more stuff is because we believe that if we got them we’ll be more happy. We want things because we want things. We want money to get more things. There’s a constant want and we aren’t aware how much we want those things to fulfill our soul.
If we go more deep: everyone wants the same things! We think we are so unique, but in fact we aren’t. Only 1 person of a million could be unique.
We want to always fit in and to be accepted by others. We want to be part of everyone else’s way of living. That’s why we see people wearing the same clothes, buying the same houses, cars, going to the same places and getting similar jobs.
At the end we all want happiness! But we aren’t being real with ourselves. We don’t understand where happiness comes from and how to achieve it. We are superficial selves in a constant need to get things just to be happy.
What we don’t know is that happiness comes from within.
There’s three types of people we need to analyze. What people do for happiness their entire life….
1. Unrealistic/ Selfish – want happiness so much that makes them unhappy. The mood is sad and a need to complain. Happiness comes from superficial things. Not energetic, not working so hard to achieve a happy state.
2. Realistic / ego driven – can understand the need to work hard to achieve happiness, but not thinking abroad since the way of thinking is self focused. What about others?
**In here the positive approach comes. Be more positive! By the master Rime the positive movement it’s too self focused and attached to comparison, which causes unhappiness. (Yikes!)
3. A more realistic – A way of thinking more down to earth “Do I really want this so much? There’s less desire of things and the need of want is reduced. Even better!
Repeat: “I don’t need much to be happy”. Repeat and repeat
Take a moment and ask yourself this question: Why I emphasise only on me?
Have you ever wonder that the biggest problems come from thinking “me, me, me” ?
How can we achieve happiness? How to become like this?
First, focus on others and do not pass judgment. While practicing our natural law we can achieve more happiness.
Second, we have to relax and meditate more. Stop comparing and competing with others. It’s impossible to be happy if we are in a constant comparison and competition. We need to accept we all have limitations. We are all able to be unique!
Third, Love people in a rational way instead of sentimental. Creating too much sentimental value can create unnecessary attachments.
Fourth, be on the present but plan the future. Always imagine the worst scenario. If you can face it, then go ahead and do it. Dead is unpredictable. Enjoy every moment!
Fifth, learn from anything. When something negative comes think that you will learn from that experience. Don’t stuck into the rule, but the purpose of the rule. This only creates worry.
Sixth, drop your ego. When we drop our ego we think for the wealth being of everyone. We don’t take things to heart and we focus on within.
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Sounds simple, but it’s not. When a student asked the teacher if he was able to cut his ego he said no, but he’s been working all his life to not compare his experiences to others and not pass judgment because it’s in fact the root of suffering.
Knowing this valuable information is vital to our wealth being. Now I’m more aware of my actions. When I encountered myself comparing or judging others I stop. I say “Cristina you are comparing/ judging, stop it”. Since I’ve been doing this I find myself more at peace and yes, more happy! Not only that, I’m enjoying life. It’s like I’m reliving my consciousness from unnecessary stress.
I suggest everyone to really process this information and accept what’s unnecessary in our state of mind. Understand what’s vital to be more happy. Think before acting and before over thinking. The root of suffering comes from not practicing the above recommendations. If you really want to be happy, you need to work for it!
If you really want to dive more into this subject and The Kalachara path, please click here
Love,
Cristina
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