PureInsight | September 16, 2007
[PureInsight.org] Where does happiness come from? I believe that everyone is concerned about that.
(1) Wealth
Many of us think that money can bring us happiness. In realty, it may
not. Lately it has been reported that many entertainers are suffering
from depression. Among them, many are pretty new in the field and they
are troubled by their popularity. Some people are quite successful in
their career and are worried about pressure from work. Others are
troubled by their love lives. Compared to average folks, they are quite
wealthy, but they may not enjoy their lives as much as an average
citizen.
Now we can see that the most important thing in life is not money. Just
look around, people who seek fame may not be happy when they become
famous. By the same token, people who seek wealth may not be happy
after they are rich.
Human beings desire what they do not have and they suffer pain from not
having what they desire. They discover then what they seek is no longer
that important. Therefore, they seek something else and keep busy.
When can the ship of life sail to a peaceful harbor?
(2) Belief
Scientists discovered that when people think of "divine beings" or
"God," they have more compassion in their heart. Dr. Azim Shariff from
Columbia University in Canada made this discovery. When people
were asked to construct a sentence, some sentences were religious and
some not. They were then given10 dollars apiece. The purpose of
doing that was to find out what they did with the money, for example
how much they kept for themselves and how much they gave away.
The result shows that among the participants who made a religious
sentence, 68% of them gave up half of the money to others. On the other
hand, participants who made nonreligious sentences would keep the money
for themselves.
Shariff was surprised at the great difference between the two groups.
Truth be told, both Eastern and Western cultures encompass good and
evil, right and wrong. When people can maintain compassion in their
hearts, they can bring blessings for others and themselves.
(3) Relaxing Moments
Nowadays life is a rat race. Very few people can calm down. If everyone
could have peace and calmness in his heart, life would be quite
different.
It has been reported on September 4, 2007, in the New York Times, that when many women were troubled by not being able to conceive, relaxation could bring unexpected results.
Actually, many people have slowly recognized this. At the present,
there are millions in America doing meditation to improve their mental
health.
(4) Conclusion
In ancient times, Chinese talked about the harmony of man and nature. That idea carries profound meaning.
If we could let go of seeking fame and gain and look at the world with compassion, what would happen?
Perhaps, it means that happiness is not too far away.
Translation from:
http://www.zhengjian.org/zj/articles/2007/9/12/48326.html
