Master Lu once said, “If you are obsessed with money and happiness, you are planting the root of suffering. We all know that we must have the right view on what suffering and happiness entail as they are critical foundations in the study of Buddhism”. But, do you know what is true happiness in the world?
In this sharing, we will realise what we have misunderstood about happiness, and how we can get it right.
< What is the Greatest Happiness in the World? >
The happiest thing in life is to understand that change is a constant in our life and when there is birth, there is destruction. If all of you can understand that nothing will be yours forever because all things will eventually come to nought, you will not fight for them and henceforth, there will be no sorrow. This is what true happiness is all about.
< Do you really know what Happiness is? >
HAPPINESS IN BUDDHISM IS INTERPRETED AS SUFFERING IN THIS WORLD
In observing the Five Precepts, the Buddha once said that after He attained enlightenment, what He believed to be righteous is contrary to what the people of the world believed.What is considered wholesome and wise in Buddhism, is considered unwholesome by them. When they see something tempting, greed arises in them.
In Buddhism, greed is viewed as a poisonous snake that dwells within a person. This is clear as we witness the many people in the world who get themselves into trouble because of money. Fame and fortune are the objects of human’s relentless pursuit. That is why when the Buddha was enlightened to the truth, He urged us not to be infatuated with money.
If you are obsessed with money and worldly happiness, you are planting the root of suffering. Think about it, isn’t this the case?
Look at the alcoholic who suffers from an eventual liver damage; the chain smoker who suffers from lung disease; lustful men who die young due to kidney failure and a body that falls apart.
The Buddha tells us that we should see through the illusory nature of this world, that is, it is not real. Sadly, the mortals are not convinced of this truth as they are more inclined to entertain their selfish desires (私欲) that are in contrary to the quality of an enlightened view (与正知正觉相违背).
Source: Master Jun Hong Lu’s Buddhism In Plain Terms, Episode 21, 11 April 2020
ERADICATE YOUR DUALISTIC VIEW OF HAPPINESS AND SUFFERING!!!
In this world, what is the foundation you build your happiness on? Many people build theirs on the foundation of suffering. Hence, they are able to appreciate happiness. Those who don’t have any clue what suffering is will never be able to understand what happiness is.
In the case of a child, if he has been treated like a king since birth and has never tasted any bitterness whatsoever in life, do you think he knows what suffering is?
Only a person who has experienced poverty will appreciate the joy of having wealth. That brings us to the question, how exactly do worldly suffering and happiness feel like?
For example, are you happy when you go for a holiday? Yes, you are.
But, when you need to sit in a car for 5 or 6 hours during the trip, do you feel the pain? You will start to ache all over, won’t you? Don’t you think that there is happiness in suffering? And vice versa?
The same is true with spiritual cultivation. When you have yet to accomplish this path (没修成时), you will find there is too much suffering. But, once you do, you will feel extreme joy.
You feel the pain when you need to perform recitation but when you are able to resolve your life challenges and difficulties one after another through chanting, isn’t there happiness?
In this world, when we have yet to be awakened to the truth (没有悟道之时), we are said to have yet to attain happiness which explains our dualistic view on the concepts of happiness and suffering (会有苦乐之分). Such differentiation will no longer exist once one has truly realised the truth.
I have told you earlier that there is joy in suffering (吃苦就是快乐); and the joy you feel may well be due to the suffering you are experiencing. Therefore, there is a saying: “Boundless joy is when one finds sweetness in bitterness” (苦中有乐，其乐无穷).
When undergoing hardships in life, you will appreciate that happiness is hard to come by. The more bitterness you have to swallow, the more you will cherish the taste of sweetness. Just like, if you don’t perform recitation, where would you ever find happiness?Therefore, we must have the right view on what suffering and happiness means as this is a very important foundation in the study of Buddhism.
Wealth, sex, fame, food, sleep (财、色、名、食、睡) are worldly desires (人间的欲望) – a kind of worldly happiness, which may be available today but not tomorrow. The happiness they bring is nothing but momentary. This is what worldly happiness is about – transient and limited (带有一定的暂时性和狭隘性).
Source: Master Jun Hong Lu’s Buddhism In Plain Terms, Volume 3 Chapter 6
WITH GREED, HATRED AND IGNORANCE, YOUR HAPPINESS IS NEVER REAL
Master Jun Hong Lu: A person who truly understands the teachings of the Buddha knows that true happiness is when one can steer clear of suffering. This is to say when we let go of our worries, greed, hatred, and ignorance, we attain true happiness.
Yet, many people claim, “I am fine, I am very happy” – these are nothing but empty and false assertions. The fact that they are still living with greed, hatred and ignorance, they will never be able to attain true happiness.
For example, a person with an injured leg and walking difficulties has to rely on a walking stick all the time. One day, when he no longer needs it anymore, he is free from suffering and happiness sets in. Won’t you call that happiness? Of course you will. However, when he is in a state of happiness, he forgets about the pain that his leg once caused him as he doesn’t feel it anymore. Sadly, from thereon, he is bound to suffer other kinds of bodily afflictions.
Source: Master Jun Hong Lu’s Buddhism In Plain Terms, Episode 88, 13 June 2020
GREED: THE ROOT OF UNHAPPINESS
Master Jun Hong Lu: In truth, all the happiness in this world stems from worldly desires. The pleasure of eating stems from our desire to consume food, the pleasure of wealth and fame stems from our greed; our quest for sexual intimacy stems from our carnal desire, the pleasure derived from sleeping and laziness is another type of desire, that is, the desire for enjoyment.
So, beware! In this human realm, the happiness you experience today could be the setup for your slackness in cultivation tomorrow!
Why do we need to practise extreme asceticism? It is to allow us to be enlightened to the reality that all things in this world are impermanent and they are all worldly desires.
It is through cutting down these worldly pleasures that we are able to experience the “real” happiness within. After all, inner joy begins from one’s state of mind.
Source: Master Jun Hong Lu’s Public Talk, Singapore, 22 April 2016
< You are UNHAPPY because you are focusing on the wrong things in life! >
Our life is akin to the “water”, while work, money and status are the “cups”, which merely serve as the tool for us to hold the water. The characteristics of the “cup” should not affect the quality of our life.
Sadly, many of us place our attention on the cups. We spend our days pursuing wealth, status, fame and fortune without even savouring the “water”.
The Buddha once said that wealth, status, fame and fortune that people yearn for are actually just desires and the illusion of life, and they do not represent life itself. Just like the clothes we wear whether they are of good or poor quality they serve the same purpose.
It’s a pity that many people have misplaced their focus and forgotten the purpose of their coming to this world, because they yearn for the wrong things all their lives.
< WHAT ARE WE GREEDY FOR? >
Master Jun Hong Lu: “Wealth, sex, fame, food and sleep” are known as the five main roots of hell. If these roots are unwholesome, they are the tickets that will take you to hell. Think about it. Isn’t this true?
When one has too much greed for money, to the extent of harming others, don’t you think he will go to hell? There are also many people, who, because of sex, ended up in jail to serve their sentence, while many others are ruthless in their fight for fame and personal gains. Am I right?
Next, food – some eat their way to ill-health and ruin their own lives. When you eat gluttonously or if you wolf down your food, you may even be termed as a reincarnation of a hungry ghost. One must eat in moderation and yet many gorge on their food – a typical characteristic of someone who was a hungry ghost in his past life. Didn’t your elders tell you all these?
Last but not least, let’s talk about sleep. Some people suffer from grogginess from too much sleep because all they do is sleep. They fail to cherish their life and they do not see the need for personal cultivation or learning. These people are simply wasting their time away, and worse still, they do not hesitate to do anything bad, only to end up in hell eventually.
Source: Master Jun Hong Lu’s Buddhism In Plain Terms, Volume 7 Chapter 7
< GREED BRINGS OUT THE WORST IN A PERSON >
Master Jun Hong Lu: Master Lu says, nothing makes us more vulnerable than our desires. Greed has the effect of consuming a person such that his life is wasted away, if he fails to get rid of this bad trait. Hence, we should not allow ourselves to be the victims, caught up in changing situations. No matter how the external environment changes, we should learn not to be affected by the notion of gains and losses; never give in to our desires because if we do, they will dissolve every ounce of happiness there is in us and mess up our consciousness and lines of thought.
Source: Master Jun Hong Lu’s Public Talk, Sydney, Australia, 27 January 2019
“CALM IS THE HEART WITH NO DESIRE”, BUT HOW?
Master Jun Hong Lu:
All of you are familiar with my motto in life: Calm is the heart with no desire. Therefore, I hope all of you will break free from desires. Your heart should be calm like the water. When there is no greed, you will not give rise to hatred, and you will not do foolish things.
We need to see through the reality of things in life, understand the Buddhist doctrine and the truth within that teaches us that all desires are transient; they are hallucinations brought forth by one’s bewilderment.
In the grip of desire, you will go into a state of confusion. Once ordinary people like you get seduced, your soul is lost. That is why I need to tell all of you that desires are detrimental because of them, your soul goes astray.
The more we have, the more we want and the better we want them to be. With that, we step into the realm of insatiable greed and lose all control – a state that eventually puts you in a predicament.
When you seize wisdom, you will have no desires. Deep down, you understand that everything in this world is illusory – no matter how much happiness there is, it will all come to an end; similarly, no matter how much pleasure it may be giving you, it will leave you one fine day. With this understanding, you will take a look at what is right in front of you and feel content, that’s when you will always be happy as you are no longer enticed by the things that used to be your objects of desire.
Source: Master Jun Hong Lu’s Buddhism In Plain Terms, Episode 72, 20 May 2020
EQUANIMITY
Master Jun Hong Lu:
If you can treat everything that occurs in this world as a natural phenomenon, then you will not be saddened, nor will you grieve. When you view this world with equanimity, your heart will be calm and settled. It is only with equanimity can you attain tranquillity, and thus, you will not be overwhelmed by worries.
When you begin to see all phenomena as ordinary, and that they are things that occur naturally, your heart is pacified and peaceful. This is the state of an unmoving mind. When the mind is unmoved, it rests in tranquillity.
Source: Master Jun Hong Lu’s Discourse, Guan Yin Hall, Sydney, Australia, 24 November 2010
Happiness lies in letting go:
Letting go of selfishness,
Letting go of the self and
Letting go of the attachment.
Source: Master Jun Hong Lu’s Words of Wisdom Volume 4
< TRUE HAPPINESS LIES IN HELPING OTHERS >
Happiness is when you have a reputation of serving all sentient beings; love is only meaningful when you dedicate it to others and wealth comes to you when you give because it is through giving that you receive.
It is only by helping sentient beings can we enjoy TRUE HAPPINESS.
< Buddhism in Plain Terms < 白话佛法共修分享