Asked the student: "Wise man, how can we find happiness when so many around us suffer so much?"
Asked the teacher in return: "How can you not find happiness despite all the suffering?"
Said the student: "It burdens my heart and my mind that other people as well as animals and trees go hungry, get oppressed, wage war, fall ill. I wish there were something I could do."
Inquired the teacher: "Why is it that you wish to help? What good does that do to them? And what good does it do to you? What do you expect?"
Answered the student: "I don't expect anything in return, wise man. I merely wish to see people happy. I just want to share the joy I found in participating in all the good things in life, so that when hard times come, we can look forward to the happy moments."
Said the teacher: "That is quite an honourable intention. It is also very hard to keep up. No gratitude, no acknowledgement, no compliments... how will you derive pleasure from all the work you do, if you expect nothing in return?"
Offered the student: "My pleasure should require no bragging, no chest-thumping, no limelight. The mere glint of joy in a person's eye should suffice. Knowing that a bad situation has been solved, knowing that things will be better in the future, knowing that I took part in that improvement, will make me feel accomplished and happy."
Asked the teacher: "But what if you fail?"
Answered the student: "Then I will savour the notion that at least I put in my best effort."
Retorted the teacher: "Even though the bad situation has yet to be solved? Even though people and animals are still starving or at war, or get oppressed?"
The student had no answer.
Continued the teacher: "Our goal in life isn't happiness. It is however quite important. Without it, we are likely to give up, which defeats the purpose. You may remember our lessons about the purpose of life?"
Summarized the student: "To experience life."
Agreed the teacher: "Exactly. Including all the hardships, and including all the happiness. Without the one, the other holds no value. So yes, put in the work to be happy and to make others happy, for without that work there is only misery. And yes, do so altruisticly, selflessly, without any expectation of reward or gratitude, not even an act of kindness in return.
And when you go hungry, experience the pain and the sorrow, and when you can't feed your family, experience the guilt, but don't despair: work on improving your situation, and find solace in the faith that the universe seeks balance: better times will come. Maybe they will come due to your own work. Maybe they will come due to someone else taking pity and helping you. Maybe it will be a combination of those and other actions.
And when you get oppressed: fight for equality. And when someone else gets oppressed: fight for their equality too. Not because you expect them to return the favour, nor because you hope they will join pur way of life. No: merely because without it, they can't experience life to its fullest.
Oppositely, you should avoid working to create illness, hunger, war, or oppression. Those situations arise almost as if by themselves, due to our human nature and that of the planet where we live. We can preach love and light all we want, but sometimes, in order to preserve happiness, we must fight and cause pain. Sometimes, in order to defend innocence, we must stand up and inflict fear and wounds. We derive no pleasure from the pain and fear we caused, but we can and should find joy in the happiness we preserved and the innocence we defended.
Is there happiness in suffering? Yes, though in a way only accessible to the transcendented: they realise that suffering is part of life. It doesn't make the suffering any more pleasant.
However, there can be happiness despite suffering. Joy in the hope that others come to our aid. Resolve in the faith that our pain may serve as a deterrent to those that come after us. Humility from the knowledge that our suffering isn't the end of the world, and most of the universe's existence will go on around us, as it did before us, and will do after us.
Happiness then, is a mindset. It is a way of looking at life and our position in it. Stop dwelling on past mishaps, and work to improve the future instead. Stop coming up with excuses for why something won't work, and start working on ways to make it work. Stop worrying about things beyond your influence, and start exercising the influence you do have. Be the best you that you can be. Be an example to those around you.
Happiness can be derived from many things, including but not limited to wealth, health, love, longevity, and accomplishment. You only touched upon the latter, accomplishment: the feeling you generate through making others happy. Admirable, though incomplete.
The pursuit of happiness also hides dangers: greed, gluttony, jealousy, and the likes. These are bad because they cause harm to others, taking away from their ability to experience life to its fullest potential. They are merely the extreme versions of the same things that bring us joy - there is but a fine line of virtue separating the two."
Said the student: "It burdens my heart and my mind that other people as well as animals and trees go hungry, get oppressed, wage war, fall ill. I wish there were something I could do."
Inquired the teacher: "Why is it that you wish to help? What good does that do to them? And what good does it do to you? What do you expect?"
Answered the student: "I don't expect anything in return, wise man. I merely wish to see people happy. I just want to share the joy I found in participating in all the good things in life, so that when hard times come, we can look forward to the happy moments."
Said the teacher: "That is quite an honourable intention. It is also very hard to keep up. No gratitude, no acknowledgement, no compliments... how will you derive pleasure from all the work you do, if you expect nothing in return?"
Offered the student: "My pleasure should require no bragging, no chest-thumping, no limelight. The mere glint of joy in a person's eye should suffice. Knowing that a bad situation has been solved, knowing that things will be better in the future, knowing that I took part in that improvement, will make me feel accomplished and happy."
Asked the teacher: "But what if you fail?"
Answered the student: "Then I will savour the notion that at least I put in my best effort."
Retorted the teacher: "Even though the bad situation has yet to be solved? Even though people and animals are still starving or at war, or get oppressed?"
The student had no answer.
Continued the teacher: "Our goal in life isn't happiness. It is however quite important. Without it, we are likely to give up, which defeats the purpose. You may remember our lessons about the purpose of life?"
Summarized the student: "To experience life."
Agreed the teacher: "Exactly. Including all the hardships, and including all the happiness. Without the one, the other holds no value. So yes, put in the work to be happy and to make others happy, for without that work there is only misery. And yes, do so altruisticly, selflessly, without any expectation of reward or gratitude, not even an act of kindness in return.
And when you go hungry, experience the pain and the sorrow, and when you can't feed your family, experience the guilt, but don't despair: work on improving your situation, and find solace in the faith that the universe seeks balance: better times will come. Maybe they will come due to your own work. Maybe they will come due to someone else taking pity and helping you. Maybe it will be a combination of those and other actions.
And when you get oppressed: fight for equality. And when someone else gets oppressed: fight for their equality too. Not because you expect them to return the favour, nor because you hope they will join pur way of life. No: merely because without it, they can't experience life to its fullest.
Oppositely, you should avoid working to create illness, hunger, war, or oppression. Those situations arise almost as if by themselves, due to our human nature and that of the planet where we live. We can preach love and light all we want, but sometimes, in order to preserve happiness, we must fight and cause pain. Sometimes, in order to defend innocence, we must stand up and inflict fear and wounds. We derive no pleasure from the pain and fear we caused, but we can and should find joy in the happiness we preserved and the innocence we defended.
Is there happiness in suffering? Yes, though in a way only accessible to the transcendented: they realise that suffering is part of life. It doesn't make the suffering any more pleasant.
However, there can be happiness despite suffering. Joy in the hope that others come to our aid. Resolve in the faith that our pain may serve as a deterrent to those that come after us. Humility from the knowledge that our suffering isn't the end of the world, and most of the universe's existence will go on around us, as it did before us, and will do after us.
Happiness then, is a mindset. It is a way of looking at life and our position in it. Stop dwelling on past mishaps, and work to improve the future instead. Stop coming up with excuses for why something won't work, and start working on ways to make it work. Stop worrying about things beyond your influence, and start exercising the influence you do have. Be the best you that you can be. Be an example to those around you.
Happiness can be derived from many things, including but not limited to wealth, health, love, longevity, and accomplishment. You only touched upon the latter, accomplishment: the feeling you generate through making others happy. Admirable, though incomplete.
The pursuit of happiness also hides dangers: greed, gluttony, jealousy, and the likes. These are bad because they cause harm to others, taking away from their ability to experience life to its fullest potential. They are merely the extreme versions of the same things that bring us joy - there is but a fine line of virtue separating the two."