Wednesday, March 04, 2009

This post came from "Awakening the Buddha in Us", a blog I found through Vincent. I loved it, and since I've been so happy, it seemed like a great post.
Vincent's blog is here, called "This Wonder-ful life." I try to read it every day, it's got a lot of great messages.

Happiness: An Instruction Expressed Spontaneously

by Lama Gendun Rinpoche

Happiness cannot be found
through great effort and willpower,
but is already here, right now,
in relaxation and letting go.
Don't strain yourself, there is nothing to do.
Whatever arises in the mind
has no importance at all,
because it has no reality whatsoever.
Don't become attached to it. Don't pass judgement.
Let the game happen on its own,
emerging and falling back - without changing anything -
and all will vanish and begin anew, without end.
Only our searching for happiness prevents us from seeing it.
It is like a rainbow which you run after without ever catching it.
Although it does not exist, it has always been there
and accompanies you every instant.
Don't believe in the reality of good and bad experiences;
they are like rainbows.
Wanting to grasp the ungraspable you exhaust yourself in vain.
As soon as you relax this grasping,
there is space - open, inviting and comfortable.
So make use of it. Everything is already yours.
Search no more,
Don't go into the inextricable jungle
looking for the elephant who is already quietly at home.
Nothing to do,
nothing to force,
nothing to want
and everything happens by itself.


~End of Post~
Thanks to Awakening the Buddha in us
for such great thoughts!

7 comments:

Vincent said...

Yup, that about sums up how to achieve happiess. All we need to do is relax, lighten up, take things easy, and 'enjoy the ride.' Happiness is more of an attitude than circumstances.

Beth said...

I don't want to be all negative and I really do like this post but I see families every day struggling with horrible medical conditions.(I don't mean me at all) ...they can't just sit back and enjoy the ride as other can. This post has merit but I don't feel is universal. WOW...get me off my soap box now....

Sue said...

Vincent -- Thanks! I liked the post on your blog today, too, it was very thoughtful...

Beth -- I know what you mean; and I know you aren't including yourself in that, but why not? You have an extremely challenging situation, and you might get mad or depressed sometimes, but basically you see the good things that are happening as well, and you DO enjoy the ride, a lot of the time.

And when Frankie was really sick, and the doctors were saying "He's not out of the woods yet," I was still pretty peaceful and relatively happy; maybe pretty loopy and stressed as well, but I tried to not be depressed. And I HAVE been depressed in my life -- but that wasn't the time I look back on as "when I was in a depression." The depression time was more when the kids were like 1 and 3 and I was stuck home that winter... I was MISERABLE.

I think you can only apply this post to yourself, or I guess I can only apply this post to Myself, because I can't experience anyone else's exact "ride", or their hormone levels or past experiences. But if EVERYONE tries to just apply the idea to themselves, as well as they are able, I think everyone would be a little happier :D

Talk about a soap box! I could run on forever!

Beth said...

guess what....I posted on my blog....come see.....

Sue said...

Beth... loved your post! :D

Vincent said...

"But if EVERYONE tries to just apply the idea to themselves, as well as they are able, I think everyone would be a little happier :D "

Spot on Sue! :-)

Sue said...

Thanks Vincent!