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Originally Posted by Angela  Parthon, I LOVE your answer! Expanding more and more, continuously. I love it.
I do wonder why so many people (and popular books!) focus on happiness so much. Happiness is one shade, and there are so many other variations of feeling good. Chasing after a shade, to me, is like chasing after a greased pig, which can be fun, but a little exhausting. What tends to work better for me is to practice relaxing more and more into infinite joy that is who I really am. Just to let go of resisting my essence. |
Hahaha! Great imagery. Just the idea of chasing after happiness like chasing a greased pig makes me laugh. It's so apt! I think happiness is more slippery though. Being accepting is the key to it though, accepting the present moment, accepting the wonderment that we all are, and accepting all of life and the challenges it gives us. Perhaps before we can be joyful, we need to accept that there can be joy, whenever, wherever.
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Originally Posted by throughout i think we are asking the wrong question. instead we should probably ask why do we seek happiness so much?
my opinion is that you can b peaceful all the time but a part of you wont join you and that part is ur ego.
i got this from the book I read called "A new Earth." |
I think you are on to something. The "seeking" of happiness is the problem, because true happiness is in the moment, not anywhere else. Just being present brings joy and peace into whatever you are currently feeling. It's possible to feel sad, and bring joy into the moment at the same time.
I think the Ego likes to seek happiness, because it's out there. It can make itself feel more complete if it gets there, but you never get there, because the seeking itself is the problem. Plus you could always be *more* happy, in theory, so you are dissatisfied because there's the next big happiness to seek. No wonder we are all tired, always trying to get somewhere we don't want to be.
It's possible to be completely at peace though, but it has to come from outside the Ego. If you are aware, present and free of attachments, you will find peace, no doubt. This peace permeates all of you, even your Ego. Like a puppy the Ego can be trained to behave like it should, it's a good slave, but a terrible master. It can reflect the peace you create, but first you have to learn how to create peace on your own.