How does your religion help you be happy?

[whirlingmerc]

19 jun 2018 stvdv 011 85


The best way to make "all happy" is to NOT judge each others' feelings in regards to belief = mutual real respect

The moment one implies "my religion/master is higher/better than yours; my way is the highway" tension and irritation starts

My favorite teaching is "All religions [including atheism and humanism ++] are equally valid and good to use to find the truth"

This teaching "gladdens my heart". This I knew from age 10 telling my mother "Jesus can never be the only way; that is rude to say also"

I don't see other religions backing up this very clear and "happy making" statement unfortunately; there is always a sneaky "catch"

Most creative trick was "We respect all religions .................. but finally they have to accept ours, being the last true ........etc".

I do not believe in 1 truth for all. All personal truths added together comes closer to the truth; this much I can believe.

Gauguin painted a picture with the questions: Where do we come from? What are we? Where are we going?
meant to be read right to left. Start of life, mid life, end of life.... and a weird bird representing death



What makes you happy might depend on your answers to the questions to an extent

 

[whirlingmerc]

Sad when people chase money, beauty, power and find in the end by themselves those are very unsatisfying

Eccesiastes how to be happy

 

[Liu]

Sad when people chase money, beauty, power and find in the end by themselves those are very unsatisfying

Eccesiastes how to be happy

Why would that be sad? They then have learnt a great life-lesson. Would be better if they learnt it earlier, though - but since they only noticed in the end that they are not really satisfied by these things, that means all the time before they were happy more or less.

Also, even though the things you listed on their own might not be satisfying, they can still contribute to satisfaction.

And, I took a look at the slide-show you linked and it does a good job at giving the impression of a very confused chain of reasoning. Not convinced. But no worries, I have my own deity and I'm quite satisfied with it

 

[whirlingmerc]

Why would that be sad? They then have learnt a great life-lesson. Would be better if they learnt it earlier, though - but since they only noticed in the end that they are not really satisfied by these things, that means all the time before they were happy more or less.

Also, even though the things you listed on their own might not be satisfying, they can still contribute to satisfaction.

And, I took a look at the slide-show you linked and it does a good job at giving the impression of a very confused chain of reasoning. Not convinced. But no worries, I have my own deity and I'm quite satisfied with it

Thanks for your kind words
I agree earlier lessons learned the better
Many apparently accomplished individuals in the arts, sports, politics, business are not satisfying if not accompanied by satisfaction from relationships with God and others

Eccesiastes how to be happy

It's designed ... ok imperfectly ...to present the argument from the book
Ecclesiastes addresses the pursuit of happiness with and without God
In some ways Psalm 127 does as well

 

[ajay0]

Advaita states that the Self or Awareness is one's true identity and all other secondary identities are of an impermanent nature and creations of thought.

One may use such secondary identities for functioning in society, but to view them as one's true identity is a falsehood which can potentially lead to suffering due to its impermanence and falsity.

By abiding in the Self, which is one's true and natural state, bliss, peace and joy is understood to be intrinsic to one's own Being itself and not derived from external sources.

As the spiritual master Mata Amritanandamayi stated, " If you constantly maintain self-awareness you will experience peace and happiness. "

And as Vicki Woodyard stated, “Awareness is who we are and forgetting that leads to suffering.”

 

[ChanaR]

Yes, for me, sorrow has been my path to happiness. Suffering has been my path to virtue, and maybe if I'm lucky, even some wisdom. How? Because suffering has burned away illusion, has caused me to question my assumptions, has caused me to reflect on the deeper things in life and cultivate myself.

You can suffer and never become wise, but you cannot become wise without never having suffered greatly. It's a matter of how you choose to deal with the pain. You can become bitter. Or you can become better.

If you choose to go THROUGH the pain, you find out that your happiness is not dependent on having a lot of stuff, on having health, on being young or beautiful, or successful, or having status or power, or enjoying the pleasures of life. Indeed, you find out that your happiness isn't dependent on anything outside yourself at all. It can rain or the sun can shine. You can eat or you can be hungry. You can give birth or you can attend a funeral. You can work, or you can lose your job. And you will still be happy.

When I was a teenager, I read a wonderful short story called Nieghbor Rosicky. It's about a man who has lived life in the moment, connected to the earth and to his fellow human beings. There is one scene in which a drought in July kills all the crops, and all his farmer neighbors are in despair, but neighbor Rosicky (if I remember this correctly) goes swimming with the kids. This story inspired me as a teen, and as my own life went through its tragedies, I have tried to see my sufferings through those kind of eyes.