Is this the world's happiest man?

[sonamdhargey]

Brain scans reveal Buddhist monk Matthieu Ricard has largest capacity for happiness ever recorded.
Meditation 'completely changes your brain and therefore changes what you are', says 66-year-old.
He says you can do it too by learning how to let your thoughts drift.


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2225634/Is-worlds-happiest-man-Brain-scans-reveal-French-monk-abnormally-large-capacity-joy-meditation.html#ixzz2BADA0qE0
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[Jessie Fong]

I would think that if they ever scan my brain, they would find this monkey mind has all sorts of emotions crammed in there.  It's not easy to meditate - the day I find myself completely free from wild thoughts interfering, will be the day I start feeling real happiness - free from all worries and pain.

[buddhalovely]

Of course, it is better to be called the happiest person in the world than the contrary, but this assertion is not at all based on scientific findings. Some years ago, the Australian television network ABC made a documentary on happiness, in which he participated. At one point the commentator said, “here is perhaps the happiest person in the world.” Things remained quiet for a while, but a few years later the English newspaper The Independent published a cover story entitled “The happiest person in the world.” From then on, things went out of control.

In truth, anyone can find happiness if he or she looks for it in the right place. Authentic happiness can only come from the long-term cultivation of wisdom, altruism, and compassion, and from the complete eradication of mental toxins, such as hatred, grasping, and ignorance.

The journalist based his story on the fact that for several years he participated in neuroscience research in the USA, in particular with Richard Davidson, at the University of Madison, in Wisconsin. It was found that when long-term meditators engaged in meditation on compassion, the activity of certain areas of the brain was increased to a magnitude that had never been seen before. It also happened that certain brain areas thus activated were known to be related to positive emotions. More than 20 experienced meditators showed similar results, but he happened to be one of the first to participate in this experiment. That’s all.

When the story came out in various newspapers, he tried to make a disclaimer about this farcical exaggeration, but in vain. He apologized to his scientist friends, and now he tries to take this story with philosophy and amusement.

[Tammy]

In my humble opinion, happiness is a state of mind and under the same physical condition, two persons may not feel the same level of happiness, if happiness is measurable.

In Budhdhism, we aim to achieve a state of mind where we are constantly feel blissful. In samsara, what we perceive as happiness is a state of mind when we are less unhappy and his 'happiness' does not last.

Found an article Meditation linked to happiness and positive behavior
Friday, November 19, 2010 by: Carolanne Wright

(NaturalNews) A study at the University of Wisconsin confirms meditation can alter the structure of the brain, fostering a brighter outlook and increased empathy. Since positive thinking and emotions affect health, meditation can contribute to overall wellness.

Richard Davidson, a trained psychologist who has practiced meditation for decades, believes meditation can strengthen brain circuits connected with happiness and positive attitude in a similar way we strengthen muscles with exercise. Davidson and his colleagues have produced scientific evidence that this form of mental exercise permanently changes the brain for the better.

www.naturalnews.com/030442_meditation_happiness.html#ixzz2CY6CPRqE

Hence, meditation is one of many ways to train our mind to achieve the state of happiness?

[dondrup]

Everyone’s perception on happiness is different.  Happiness is subjective.  A person lost in a desert will be happy when he is given water to quench his thirst.  Whereas a homeless person without the means to find food will be very happy if someone is to provide food to him.  Sentient beings’ happiness is very limited and short-lived because their happiness is contaminated with the eight worldly dharmas.  True or ultimate happiness is free from the eight worldly dharmas.  If we have the mind of renunciation, we will be contented with what life offers to us and be happy. 

Using special camera, or if we have clairvoyance, we can observe the aura or energy fields of everyone.  People who are positive, happy, compassionate, loving, kind will exude a big, bright coloured and far-reaching aura field around their bodies.  Whereas those persons who are negative, unhappy, pessimistic etc. exude a small and dark-coloured aura field around their bodies.  These observations can show us happy or unhappy persons.

Buddhist Meditations will help develop the meditators minds with good qualities like patience, loving kindness, compassion, altruism etc.  In other words, meditation will lead these meditators on the path to ultimate happiness.  Matthieu Ricard practises Buddhist meditations and definitely he will be happy with the results of his practice.

[brian]

My question will be does happiness means we are not easily disturbed or we can accept any bad news or something that doesn't turn out the way we wanted. And of course does that mean we are happy because we don't have hatred, anger and ignorance in our mind. We learn to accept the phenomenas in this wolrd that we will die one day, we grow old, we do get sick and ill and that is all because we are still in samsara and have to go through this life after life. If the answer is yes, then I would say this is the true happiness that someone should look for in life and not superficial happiness for example like your girlfriend got you a new car.

[sonamdhargey]

I begged to differ here about some of your opinions about happiness as subjective. The happiness that we want to achieve is universal. The happiness that does not have labels. The happiness that does not discriminate or differentiate. A happiness that is not based on perception. My argument is that the Buddha's teaching is one. Therefore the happiness is one. If the Buddha thoughts us different happiness for different perceptions then we are still in the sea of suffering becuase we are still in diffrerent levels of happiness and how is that going to bring about harmony? Ultimately we want to reach Nirvana a state free from all suffering.

[fruven]

This is good news because it promotes meditation as a tool to gaining happiness. We are well versed with meditating on things we want, the next brand new gadgets iPhone, Android, good food, good shopping experience. The method is the same but the focus is different, awareness as pointed in the article. Awareness of our emotions we experience, seeing it, and letting it go. As our awareness grows so do our happiness level. We feel less distraught when 'bad things' happened. We would be thinking it as difficulty to overcome as opposed to labeling as bad and non-changeable. Being happy and being aware means knowing things can change and it is entirely in our power to affect the change to better or positive.

[yontenjamyang]

Using empirical measurement scientists can measure the "happiness" of a person through the brain. By scientific methods; which means starting with a theory, test it and make conclusions, repeat the experiment/measurement, refine the theory, until the enough results are consistent with the theory; scientist are able to "measure" the happiness of a person. Interestingly, the measurement is done on gamma rays that has the second smallest wave length  electromagnet wave. The smallest is cosmic ray which is everywhere in the cosmos. It the measurement is made on cosmic ray, I am sure it is even better/higher (just a speculation). Why? Because, the smaller the wave length the more it is connected to the cosmos. When practicing meditation we are suppose to be at one with the cosmos.

Dharmically, the happiest are the Buddhas. So unless the monk Matthieu Ricard is enlightened, I do not think he is the happiest, for there are many enlightened masters of all traditions. They all has the same infinite "happiness". These is not worldly self cherishing happiness but true universal bliss.

So, not one can be the "happiest" for it is the same for all the Buddhas. The are equally "happy", if we want to call it that way.

[Q]

Thank you for sharing this article, very insightful for us, Dharma practitioners to read about the outcome or the goal that we are all practicing in... to see and read about someone whom have reached that goal truly motivate me to practice with more dedication.

I begged to differ here about some of your opinions about happiness as subjective. The happiness that we want to achieve is universal. The happiness that does not have labels. The happiness that does not discriminate or differentiate. A happiness that is not based on perception. My argument is that the Buddha's teaching is one. Therefore the happiness is one. If the Buddha thoughts us different happiness for different perceptions then we are still in the sea of suffering becuase we are still in diffrerent levels of happiness and how is that going to bring about harmony? Ultimately we want to reach Nirvana a state free from all suffering.

Sonamdhargey, I really like your comment! I too believe that happiness is NOT subjective. As long as we feel that we believe or feel that happiness is subjective and different for every individual, we have not truly understood the main purpose of Dharma or have not understood being free of any attachments and the false pleasures of samsara.

For example, a friend of mine may be happy to own a Porche and drive around, but I may be happy just owning a Toyata. To say that happiness varies is very samsaric in thought. Happiness in Dharmic sense should be equal in all level.

Although the Buddha have thought 84,000 ways to enlightenment, and the practices may differ accordingly to the person's capability, acceptance and level of spirituality... it however all leads to only one true goal, which is attaining Enlightenment.

[DSFriend]

Some may say that happiness is subjective, the different ways of getting happiness (be it short term or long term) differs from one person to the next. There are chemically altered state of mind that puts people in a state of happiness. There are also questions of what is "happiness". Is the indicator for happiness the feeling of peace, rest, feel good...what is it?

Whatever it is, this research shows that the subject in this case, Matthieu Ricard was in the state of happiness when meditating on compassion....which means, the focus should be on the benefits such meditation instead of what is happiness (since it is so subjective) How we find happiness for most of all of us is about the self. Here, this experiment shows differently,...that meditating on making others happy, meditating on benefitting others is what makes the subject happy. Something to ponder on...

[Positive Change]

Happiness is yet another emotion is it not? If so, it is a form of attachment and hence to "feel" happy in itself a form of delusion. I do not think an enlightened mind "feels" such emotions... they merely recognize it and accept it as it is and not dwell or become engrossed in it.

Hence for me the pursuance of happiness in itself a delusion and hence should be recognized as so or we will be chasing it like we all chase the almighty dollar!

There is however the joyous state of a Buddha whereby the enlightened mind is the personification of joy in all its magnitude and perceptions. Can this be equated to the happiness we seek? I think not. We cannot even begin to perceive the endless suffering of others, so how can we even begin to understand what the true joyous state of being "happy" is! This is merely my interpretation and flawed I am sure. However it gives me an indication or benchmark as to where my pursuance of this state of happiness can bring me.

[Big Uncle]

This is very interesting. There's already a lot of preliminary studies on the workings of the mind of yogis. Buddhist yogis and monks who have practices that harnesses the power of the mind that can elevate the heat of the body to stay warm in the wintery cold Himalayas and are even able to completely dry up the drenched towels that are placed on the bodies of these meditating yogis. This has baffled and astonished scientists. Check out this documentary :-

Yogis Of Tibet (2002)- Full Movie

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

[pgdharma]

In the Buddhist perspective, happiness does not depend merely on material goods and human relationships. Stable happiness requires spiritual practice. Through spiritual practice it is possible for people to achieve true happiness. Happiness is something that we see or experience through realization. By simply realizing that our wants are unlimited, we will not crave for more because we know that craving kind of happiness cannot be satisfied.


Bliss simply refers to the essence, the undiluted nature or essence of the mind. When this essence is totally free of defilement, emotions or any kind of forces; then the underlying state that we uncover, our natural state, is pure happiness. In this state we are totally free from anxiety, want, anger, or any kind of thoughts. When we don’t have these negative forces – happiness naturally flows in. When we are not happy it is because we are listening to negative wants and emotions. When these cease, we discover that we are actually truly happy. So when we meditate on compassion, the brain produces the gamma waves that’s link to consciousness, attention and learning and this could create the happiness from within.