Buddhism Should Not Make You Happy?

[kurava]

I don't agree with this statement because I often see monks and nuns going about their lives happily. If this were true, who would want to take the ordination vows ? How long can one sustain if there is no joy in the practice ?

 Understanding that the "happiness " we have now is transient, we shall not be attached to it. Thus when this "happiness" is gone ,we will not be unhappy. While we have this transient state of happiness, we enjoy it till we find the ultimate bliss of happiness .

There is a saying - What  is the secret of Buddha's smile? Does he know something that we don't ?

Yes, the historical Buddha taught the 4 noble truths that in samsara there is no lasting happiness. However, the awakened one also taught the path to attain the ultimate happiness. He has found this happiness thus he smiled his secret smile.

[Big Uncle]

I think, it is more like Buddhism shouldn't make you attached to conventional happiness and comfort. In Buddhism, if we come across anything beautiful, we should offer it up to the 3 Jewels and enjoy it without getting attached to it.

Instead, our joy and happiness should come from bringing the Dharma to others. Such generosity of spirit is usually not naturally within us and it has to be cultivated. Hence, the first perfection is the perfection of generosity or giving. The truth is if we are still extremely attached to being happy and cannot bear the thought of suffering, it is our yardstick to see how far we have progressed on our spiritual path.                                                                                                                 

[Vajraprotector]

Thank you all for sharing. Many thought of Buddhism as a negative religion because of the meditation on 'suffering' and 'non-attachment'.

Buddhism speaks of our usual, ordinary happiness as the suffering of change. This means that this type of happiness is unsatisfying: it never lasts and we never have enough of it. It is not true happiness. If, for example, if eating something we like were true happiness, then the more we ate of it at one sitting, the happier we would become. But soon we reach a point at which the happiness at eating something we like changes into unhappiness and suffering.

So what actually should we meditate on, this 'suffering'? Is the practice then about refraining from the behaviour that seek 'happiness', eg eating something we like? But isn't it through engaging in the behaviour (eating something we like) itself, that we can then practice non-attachment?

Also, how should we view 'happiness' and the source of happiness then?

[rossoneri]

Why should we be an unhappy Buddhists if we understand and except the reason why are we in certain situation we are in right now is because is our own doing. We tend to have expectation and if we didn't get what we expected, usually we'll get very upset. We as a human being should see and be rejoicing because we are very fortunate to be able to have the sense of joy and sadness.

What is happiness if there's no sadness, what is sadness if there are no happiness? Be a person with a right attitude and be able to realized our precious human life and practice with correct motivation. I am sure eternal happiness is just around the corner.

[ratanasutra]

Buddhism should make us happy but a happy within and not cling into it and also not to do thing to make yourself feel happy but the happiness should come from the feeling after we do good deeds to other and when they are happy then we also happy without our expectation, its a feeling of true happy and rejoice.

If we become buddhism to make ourself happy, we will cling to the eight dharma concern more which will drag us down not the real practice which mean just to make our ego bigger.

Even the happiness that mention above should be only state of mind, once we feel happy, enjoy and rejoice it and move on. We should not cling to that happy too.

Buddhism should make other happy then we feel happy because of that, it should not be focus in but focus out.

[diamond girl]

When I first read this topic, I was about to reply - "What utter rubbish! How can Buddhism, or any religion/faith in that matter not bring people happiness???" However, after reading what you guys have shared I understand more. Happiness is much deeper than the normal ordinary definition.

Personally, I feel that happiness like love is an over rated subject matter. They are just merely feelings which we have conditioned ourselves to MUST believe we MUST feel. This is all the makings of commercial propaganda where happiness is linked to material things like houses, clothes, looks, beauty, etc etc etc... Very shallow but it seems to work and now we see... Happiness is falsely portrayed and a myth.

I would not indulge in the discussion of happiness as I would focus on the actions to be a better person. Fulfilling promises, thinking of others, caring for others, and transforming our minds to be unattached to all this talk of happiness. I do not mean disrespect and I am grateful for all that is explained here. 

[DSFriend]

It is common for religious teachings to be taken out of context and spins off on its own. I would have loved to read further where this quote comes from or the thoughts surrounding where this statement came about.

A few ways of deciphering this statement to be of benefit to my practice :
- this serves as a word of caution to check my arrogant mind that I am to NOT USING dharma knowledge( the little that i claim to have) , charitable voluntary work, to derive happiness which comes from feeding my ego

- if i have achieved happiness and i am content then is it really happiness i have achieved? How can happiness be only for oneself when there are countless beings still in samsara without happiness.

- has my happiness  been lasting? Or has my mind been distracted for the moment instead?

With that said, I do strongly believe that ultimate happiness can be found within our own minds and the above are ways to check my own mind if i have gotten the genuine or fake happiness.

[diamond girl]

It is common for religious teachings to be taken out of context and spins off on its own. I would have loved to read further where this quote comes from or the thoughts surrounding where this statement came about.

A few ways of deciphering this statement to be of benefit to my practice :
- this serves as a word of caution to check my arrogant mind that I am to NOT USING dharma knowledge( the little that i claim to have) , charitable voluntary work, to derive happiness which comes from feeding my ego

- if i have achieved happiness and i am content then is it really happiness i have achieved? How can happiness be only for oneself when there are countless beings still in samsara without happiness.

- has my happiness  been lasting? Or has my mind been distracted for the moment instead?

With that said, I do strongly believe that ultimate happiness can be found within our own minds and the above are ways to check my own mind if i have gotten the genuine or fake happiness.

I like what you have said here DS Friend. It is practical and not too much over play with the happiness notion... I still maintain happiness is a myth and a definite work in progress for us who are still learning to develop and nurture the Buddha in all of us.

[Dondrup Shugden]

My intention to revive this post is that I have found it to be a lively explanation and opinions on the subject of happiness.

My Guru once said that in "Buddhism it is to do what you do not like."  Would that not cause unhappiness?  But the depth of the advice is to overcome our ''COMFORT ZONE" and to venture out of it to experience our power of limitless and fearless NOT to mention to overcome our laziness.