Mixed messages about happiness.

[Unseeking Seeker]

Originally Posted by Starman

Very beautiful Unseeking Seeker, and well said.

Thank you, Starman. I recognise most cannot resonate with what I say but I say it anyway

[Altair]

Originally Posted by ReturningMoon

What do you think the truth of this is from a spiritual perspective?

I don't believe there is a one-size-fits-all...

Some will be happy with more wealth, a better house, more space etc. Others will say, no you don't need much, just be poor and meditate. That's fine too. There are so many things to consider here. For example, if you don't have material and financial stability, then you will feel better when you do. So when someone who does have it tells you that you don't need it it's just a bit of a joke.

[AngelBlue]

Hi.. From a "spiritual" perspective I'm not even sure that we are meant to be "happy". By that I mean we are here to learn and grow and I'm pretty certain we were not brought back to be happy.
Don't get me wrong, that is not to say that we don't experience bouts of happiness along the way, but ultimately that is not usually our goal.
As humans in this lifetime we have to get through this lifetime to the best of our ability , but it would be un-realistic to assume that we all trip about in cloud 9 in ultimate happiness.
If that was the case then without a doubt the world would be a lovely place to live in.. paradise one could argue, but if that was the case then there would be no point in us being here.
In many cases happiness is an illusion, a "quick fix" for example my ex next door neighbour that suffered depression and had to have many weeks off work at a time, but on occasion she seemed on top of the world ,laughing , joking, why? She'd been on a "retail therapy" trip and spent a lot of money on credit cards and was so happy showing me everything she bought . Her endorphins were well and truly released until the next day where usually she went and returned her purchases as she was already thousands of pounds in debt.
Myself , I don't have a credit card ,neither does my husband .
Quite simple, if I don't have enough money in the bank to buy something , I can't afford it.
Of course I have had moments of happiness in my lifetime , the ultimate ones being each of my babies and grandchildren being born.
My son will ring on video call and the first thing I see is my youngest year old granddaughter and her face looms in to kiss grandma ... And my heart could explode.
But then again, is this happiness, joy or just simply Love ?
Going back to money, fine if people have lots of it and it makes them feel happy , but in general , money cannot buy love , health
or happiness.....

[iamthat]

We may get pleasure from buying new possessions or having new experiences but this pleasure is temporary.
Possessions and experiences are limited so they can only give limited satisfaction. And then the desire for more arises.

And any happiness gained from these things is conditional. And that is the problem. If our happiness depends on external things then what happens if we cannot afford the new car or the foreign holiday? We still desire them but we cannot have them. So we are unhappy.

There is nothing wrong with having possessions and enjoying them. And being poor is not a spiritual virtue - it just makes life much more difficult.
But the real source of all our happiness is within. Discover that and we are content with life just as it is.

Peace

[Redchic12]

IAMTHAT……..

“There is nothing wrong with having possessions and enjoying them. And being poor is not a spiritual virtue - it just makes life much more difficult.
But the real source of all our happiness is within. Discover that and we are content with life just as it is.”

I totally agree with this.

[Rah nam]

It is not about what we have or possess, but rather the attachments to it that keep us trapped. And this goes for all attachments.

[Miss Hepburn]

I dunno. Was there ever a Master, a teacher, an Avatar, a Swami that came here
to teach us how to be sad or miserable?

I think that even if we reincarnate to learn something, sometimes a tough lesson, thus suffer, it was TO learn to overcome the issue, the
the blockage to our happiness... TO be able to be happy.

I do think life is about enjoyment, being content, happy, peaceful and ultimately to reach the Reality that is Bliss.
I'm not here TO suffer - unless I needed that obstacle, (which I did), TO realize I can be happy and enjoy life to it's fullest.

[CosmicWonder]

Agreed with Miss H.

With the nuance that I constantly chose to step into the deep (to become a more loving, more wise, more empowered person).

Kind regards,

CW

Actually IamThat, what I see comes from a very raw 'vision' (nothing to do with perception whether the word implies that), a very sensitive one, that one can compare it with an aboriginal's kind of perception.

I feel the disturbance on the row of things that way.

....

[iamthat]

Originally Posted by deadCanDance4

definitions of power vary.
Think of that relevant to the aboriginal mind thing I 'm holding'.

I have no idea what you are holding.

Peace