Isn’t happiness the motivation for all we do?
Nice house College Education Fast car Beautiful wife Career at the Big 5 Handsome husband Fat salary Cute kids Lots of friends Drama, theater
Can we define happiness? Pleasure Satisfaction Security No suffering … Eyes Nose Ear Tongue Skin Mind Feelings experienced through the facilities we have
happiness as we know it Short-lived –How long does the chewing gum last? –How many pizza slices can one consume? Not fulfilling enough –Off on the weekends / vacations –Hobbies Relative
Getting down to basics What makes us happy today?
Eating Animals also eat!
Sleeping Animals also sleep!
Mating Animals also do it!
Defending Animals also defend!
happiness as we know it Short-lived –How long does the chewing gum last? –How many pizza slices can one consume? Not fulfilling enough –Off on the weekends / vacations –Hobbies
How different, then, are we from animals?
Why do we work so hard for the same things animals don’t have to?
“We are solving the problems of life!” “There’s more to life” “Today, we can do things faster, cheaper, and better”
“Technology = happy life” “Dude, I want to retire in heaven - the Bahamas!”
No Doubt we have progressed…
Luxurious Houses
Skyscrapers
Jet Planes
Latest methods of communication
Then why is there so much suffering around us?
why are we … Dissatisfied? Full of anxiety? Stressed? Depressed? & above all, unhappy?
Pain
We want to remain young, But…
We want to remain healthy, But…
Ronald Regan U. S. President,
Nov , Regan announces… “I have recently been told that I am afflicted with Alzheimer’s disease...I now begin the journey that will take me into the sunset of my life.”
“I am the greatest” Suffers from Parkinson’s disease… Can’t even lift a cup of coffee
disease starvation
And Finally, death
And… at any given time, we suffer due to…
natural calamities other living entities our body & mind
With so much uncertainty, we are hoping to be happy in the future
“But, human civilization is meant to solve these problems!”
True, but… We are more insecure today –Nuclear and biological warfare –Identity fraud New diseases are being discovered –Physiological –Psychological People are still dying –An abrupt end to all dreams and plans
Happiness does exist, however eluding it may seem!! Is there no happiness at all?
It’s a matter of looking for it with the right perspective
And, that is… We humans are made with higher intelligence The higher intelligence is for asking higher questions –Who Am I? Why Am I? –What is the goal of my life? –Where do I go from here?
For us to know what we want We first need to know who we are!
Fundamental understanding The soul is active; body is inert Body is the instrument thru which the soul experiences The body and soul are distinct
Just Like The driver and the car are distinct The bird and the cage are distinct
Today, All of us focus on… The externals of satisfying the needs of the body only… Gas in the car, but driver starving! Cage polished; bird dead!
To continue this discussion You are invited! Sunday, [date & time]