Buddhist philosophy states that we cause our own suffering, and it’s true. We have all sorts of assumptions, expectations and beliefs in place of how things are supposed to be, and when reality doesn’t live up to that, we decide that we are unhappy. That’s the basics of being happy, folks. It’s really that simple. Just stop forming opinions about things and you’ll be instantly blissful. So now that you know the secret, you can get out there and start being happy!
But it’s just not that simple, is it?
Now please don’t be silly and presume that this girl is 100 percent happy, 100 percent of the time. And don’t be even sillier and assume that I was always a mostly happy person. I’ve always had my demons, and over the years I have learned how to deal with them. Once in awhile they get the best of me, and you can hear me screaming at them occasionally to take a hike and leave me be. I talk about the simple philosophy of not have expectations or opinions as a seeker, not a master.
I lose the faith occasionally, and I make a lot of mistakes. Sure, I could joke and say that I never make the same mistake twice, but that’s the thing… I’m absolutely sure I have. My father always pointed out that my head was made out of a very hard material, and many can attest to that still. But that’s how life teaches us.
We learn the same lesson again and again, and once we finally get it down, we move on to the next lesson. At least if we are lucky, we do. If you are not learning, then you probably aren’t doing much of anything, much less reading this column. You’re probably six feet under.
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