DHAMMA REFLECTION
The word happiness is perhaps the most beautiful word in any language. Everybody wants happiness and tries to get it by any means. Some think that happiness comes from wealth, others believe that it comes from beauty, and still there are others who think that power and position can create happiness. But experience has shown us that true happiness does not come from these things, because they are fraught with dangers like worry and anxiety. So, if we cannot find happiness in wealth, beauty, power and others, we must find it somewhere else.
We do not need to be rich or beautiful or powerful to be happy. When we give or practice Dana, we find that we feel happy; when we help others, we feel happy; when we are peaceful, we feel happy. So, true happiness lies not in wealth and others, but in giving or dana, helping others and being peaceful. In short, happiness lies, according to Buddha's Teachings, in doing merit, in keeping our minds clear of mental defilements and having our minds imbued with loving-kindness, compassion and good will. Buddha once said, "Do not be afraid of merit; he who is afraid of merit is afraid of happiness."
Every time we are ushered into a year, we wish ‘a Happy New Year’. But it is not enough just to make wishes; we must make the year a happy one by staying happy. One way to stay happy is to keep our minds happy. In order to keep our minds happy we need to practice something which conduces to happiness. One of the practices which is most conducive to happiness is loving-kindness; by it we can easily and inexpensively make the year a HAPPY ONE. After all, in this time of wide-spread violence and hate, only the practice of loving-kindness can diminish the suffering of all beings. So, let us fill this year with loving-kindness and make it THE HAPPIEST YEAR EVER in our lives.
Extracted from ‘The Happiest Year Ever’, By Venerable Sayadaw U Silananda
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