what IS that?

its a nice pretty word

happiness is satisfaction with things as they are. For example, a blind person may be happier than a competition athlete.

Happiness is relative to objectively knowing ..... that you are doing what you are here on earth for the pusrpose of .... and doing it with truth and with love.

the meaning is in the word knowing because it is easy to think that you know when you really are off in some kinda of an imaginary thing and not REALLY knowing...like knowing why you are here on this planet and what you need to accomplish as far as INNER developement is concerned.

outer developement is of the earth...... and it stays here on earth ..... but the INNER becomes a part of your continuous self developement ......beyond the external earthly senses.

our psycholgical entity is "invisable" ..... and only each one of us can possibly know for sure the truth about where we are in our unquie personal developement.

other people only see the mask we allow them to see. the mask which portrays our "body/personality". our inner world is hidden from everyone but our own Consciousness .....which is what uses our brain and the five senses to navigate and progress(?) on the earth leval.

i think that the nervous system (brain, spinal brain, and nerves network)....is an interface for allowing the Eternal Essential part of a person to "join" and communicate through our "body/emotions/intellect" for the duration of our stay on earth.

there are so many things which can distract us from our true purpose and when we know that such is the case we are unhappy. false happiness obtained through sucess in our "external distractions" can keep us falsely happy for a long time if we are not Knowing Ourselves...... which is actually unhappiness in disguise.

observe with your consciousness and get to know yourself and keep on being truthful about what you see and loving being true to your SELF. progess may be slow but that is how a all things are..no such thing as a fast food universe.

just my opinion.

juicn' john

(edited...but the time ran out so here is how it sounded after i edited)


Happiness is relative to objectively knowing ..... that you are doing what you are here on earth to do .... and be doing it with truth and with love.

the meaning is in the word "knowing".... because it is easy to think that you know when you really are off in some kinda of an imaginary daydream type of thing and in fact not REALLY "knowing"...it's about knowing why you are here on this planet and what it is that you need to accomplish as far as your INNER developement is concerned. (for real purpose for being here)

"outer" developements (material and social) are of the earth...... and the outer stays here on earth ..... but the INNER becomes a part of our continuous self developement on a "spiral staircase to the eternal" (just my way of thinking about it)......which goes way beyond the external based five earthly senses
our psycholgical self is "invisable" ..... and only each one of us can possibly know for sure the truth about where we are in our unique personal psychological world ..... other people only see the mask we allow them to see.

the mask which portrays our "body/personality". and our Inner world is hidden from everyone but our own Consciousness .....that consciousness which uses our brain and the five senses to navigate and progress on the earthly leval.

i think that the nervous system (brain, spinal brain, and nerves network)....is an interface for allowing the Eternal Essential part of a who we really are to "join" and communicate through our "body/emotions/intellect" for the duration of our stay on earth.

there are so many things which can distract us from our true purpose and when we know that such is the case we are unhappy. false happiness obtained through success in external endeavors can keep us falsely happy for a long time.... if we are not Knowing Ourselves...... that of course is actually unhappiness in disguise folling us and trapping us away from our true reason for being here..

observe with your consciousness and get to know yourself and keep on being truthful about what you see and loving being true to your SELF. progess may be slow but that is how all things really are..no such thing as a fast food universe. patience is so important with everything ..i only recently was blessed to find that one out.

just my opinion on all of the stuff i wrote above.

juicin' john

hmmmm....

satisfaction via gratitude

and also doing what u feel is your mission

i agree with those two things

as bringing happiness

i was also wondering why happiness was necessary

Happiness to me is when you are so absorbed in an activity that you forget the sink is full of dishes.

la_veronique Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------


> and also doing what u feel is your mission

not quite what i meant... since what is your mission could get confused with what you need to be doing to overcome obstacles to a high leval of being...which is what i think that we are supposed to be doing...that is get to the next higher leval.

our leval of being attaracts the life circumstances which we are born into so to speak. we are fitted up with our "circumstances of life"with the events which allow us to discover our weaknesses and the behaviours in our psychology which hold us back from getting to a higher leval of being.

we must observe ourselves objectively so that we can "Know Thyself" as it has been so nicely phrased. only then can we change our leval of being and thus attract life circumstances which are improved.

and to address "why is happiness necessary?".....wll maybe its not if you are also not unhappy while not being happy...... but if you are truly unhappy and you know for sure that you are truly unhappy then true happiness is a necessary condition which balances things out psychologically.

"Our Being attracts our Life."

jj

thank you JJ

eagefly

i like what u said

Happiness is transparent in the face. Somehow the muscles of the face show even when you are smiling. And I sometimes think that if you are happy, then other people may try sink you down. It could be asking for your help, bringing you down to their level, attacking you indirectly, etc. It does attract flies!

I've had a rough life...

I come from a bad background...

Several minor health issues...

Life has dealt me a "bad" hand...

I will probablly never be happy...

Panchito Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> happiness is satisfaction with things as they are.
> For example, a blind person may be happier than a
> competition athlete.


What he said!

>Banana ice-cream rocks!<

veganrawdude

<<I've had a rough life...

I come from a bad background...

Several minor health issues...

Life has dealt me a "bad" hand...

I will probablly never be happy...>>

that's deep
things do happen that affect people in such a way so they feel that way
I respect your feelings
peace

wishing you happiness nonetheless

la_veronique Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> veganrawdude
>
> <>
>
> that's deep
> things do happen that affect people in such a way
> so they feel that way
> I respect your feelings
> peace
>
> wishing you happiness nonetheless

I appreciate your well wishes -

However, I am a product of my enviroment & cannot seem to rise above that/move past it no matter what I try. I admire those that are able to.

Rather than cast more of a downer on this wonderful thread, I will bow out now -

Peace to all

veganrawdude, have you try "stop thinking"? Maybe thoughts are what prevent you from feeling happy. To stop thinking takes some practice (not easy).

Panchito Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> veganrawdude, have you try "stop thinking"? Maybe
> thoughts are what prevent you from feeling happy.
> To stop thinking takes some practice (not easy).


Yeah, I know that. I spend a lot of time alone since I don't like people anymore, and I really don't trust anyone at all. My thoughts are all I seem to have left, since I have stopped caring.

I've read a lot of books on self help/healing, watched a ton of youtube vids...

I suppose there is some flicker of hope left in me that something may change, but not much. If it works out, it does, if not...well, that's what I expected to happen.

Sorry la_veronique, I know this thread is supposed to be about happiness - guess I blew it.

Sounds like classic depression to me.
I have heard that tune before.
You sound very in much in need of something...
Higer power?
A purpose?

I always believe that as long as you are breathing,there is the possibility of things getting better,and life seeming better.

Vinny



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/06/2012 12:02AM by eaglefly.

I ate crap over the 4th and am feeling like s--t,so lets enjoy the pity pot together.

rawvegandude

<<Sorry la_veronique, I know this thread is supposed to be about happiness - guess I blew it.>>

HA HA, that's funny you say that. your posts are all in alignment with this thread.
i think the first step to happiness is to simply state what you feel, why you feel that way etc. and just give yourself permission to feel exactly the way you feel without trying to resist it, deny it, have others tell you that you should feel differently, transcend it etc.


there is a saying that goes " we would all be happy if we could"

there is nothing "wrong" with being unhappy

you obviously have your own reasons and they are always valid


<<Yeah, I know that. I spend a lot of time alone since I don't like people anymore, and I really don't trust anyone at all. My thoughts are all I seem to have left, since I have stopped caring. sad smiley>>

that's probably a smart thing to do
now you have just yourself to trust
and that is a very good thing
freedom

<<I've read a lot of books on self help/healing, watched a ton of youtube vids.>>

its good that you are the king and CEO of your own wellness
a lot of people don't even do that

<<I suppose there is some flicker of hope left in me that something may change, but not much. If it works out, it does, if not...well, that's what I expected to happen.>>

i hear that some forest fires are caused by just a flicker of ember
like someone throwing a cigarette into some dry brush area

hope is like that.. just need a flicker

law of momentum starts from a flicker



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/06/2012 12:32AM by la_veronique.

Panchito:

you espouse " no thought"



thought preceded no thought ( No Mind)

and no thought is couched in the thought of having no thought

if one goes after no thought exclusively

it is because thought was conceived of as problematic

if one goes into No Mind with the acknowledgement that ALL thoughts will serve No Mind

then it is integrated

stars do not shine unless they are cloaked in darkness

No Mind ( no thought) is utterly useless unless it is totally merged with the darkness of Mind and "thought"



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/06/2012 01:08AM by la_veronique.

and how do you analyze with thoughts what is no thought? are you defending a theory?

where there is no thought there is no time, no problems, etc. it can feel superior and an experience to remember.

Yeh, as the saying goes, there are two types of fools in our world, happy ones and unhappy. And guess what, the happy ones have no idea they are fools

Is this what you're recommending by "trying to stop thinking"? Don't know, personally. If I happen to be a fool (or a looser, a failure, an unlucky one, etc), I would rather be unhappy but aware of my predicament, because being aware of it means I still have the chance to overcome it.

>Banana ice-cream rocks!<

Chat, I did not mention the word fool, you did. What you interpret is up to you.

Panchito Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Chat, I did not mention the word fool, you did.
> What you interpret is up to you.


Gee man, which side of bed did you wake up on today? I wasnt interpreting anything, I was asking! And in case you haven't noticed, the point of the quote was to underline the predicament, which could be anything as long as it makes the person unhappy (yeh, even grumpiness!)




>Banana ice-cream rocks!<



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/06/2012 03:58PM by chat.

panchito

<< and how do you analyze with thoughts what is no thought? are you defending a theory?>>

i don't know
i really don't
i wish i did
i have a feeling... just a chimera... and i express it
not sure if it was a theory though
just the idea that it would be great to integrate the nothing with the something

<<where there is no thought there is no time, no problems, etc. it can feel superior and an experience to remember>>

very much so

One cannot have the thought that there exist not thoughts without having thought that thought.

Happiness is a pretty word--it sounds like it's supposed to feel: sprightly!

I am going to try focusing on feeling that feeling, and perhaps that will make me happy in turn. Going about it through the back door, as it were



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/07/2012 12:07PM by Tamukha.

I believe in the "just do it" philosophy when it comes to happiness.

When I smile and act as though I'm happy, I actually FEEL happier. I used to wait for people to smile at me first before I smiled back. Then I realized that I was putting the burden on THEM to make ME feel good. Now, I try to smile at someone first and when I get a smile back, I feel good. That feeling is genuine.

I generally don't like sarcasm because I can be very gullible and at first believe the negative words (not realizing that they're intended to be humorous or cool). Unfortunately for me, when I first absorb the negative vibe of sarcasm, I frown and feel bad. I have a visceral feeling of negativity that stays with me. Then when I realize that it was sarcasm and not true, I feel stupid for being gullible and uncool. Double whammy.

My grandparents used to sing an old song from WWII that started,"Pack up your troubles in an old kit bag and smile, smile smile....'


My favorite raw vegan

veganrawdude Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I've had a rough life...
>
> I come from a bad background...
>
> Several minor health issues...
>
> Life has dealt me a "bad" hand...
>
> I will probablly never be happy...
>
>


i agree that some may have it better than others, but happiness is something that happens sometimes not all the time (if it was 100%, even 50%, we'd all be zombies). happy moments can be few and far between, but when you have them (they are there, you just have to recognize) cherish them. life is not a bowl of cherries.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/07/2012 05:09PM by sely00.

i'm reading a very interesting ebook... and today i came across a paragraph (designated as TEXT) which reminded me of "our happiness thread" here on the forum.... so i will copy it for all who may be interested.

(an interesting and meaning full quote from the same book) " we should not forget the Cheshire Cat's words to Alice: If we were not mad we would not be here. The earth plane is the lowest, grossest level of existance that there is-evan the astral hells are superior.................. perched on it life after life, we have no cause for boasting or looking askance at others"

(intoduction from precedeing paragraph appearing before TEXT)

Much as we should desire to return to the Source we should not desire to end incarnate existence–either here or in the higher worlds–until we have fully developed the capacities that the incarnate condition is intended to produce. It is senseless to abandon the class until the lesson is learned. Therefore life must be engaged in without ever being involved in it.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(TEXT)

Be happy as those are who live for happiness. Living for happiness is a spontaneous, completely natural way of living in the happiness (bliss–ananda) that is really the essential nature of existence itself.

Those who seek happiness artificially are never really happy, because they think that happiness comes from an external result or from a physical condition, whereas there is no real contentment to be derived from an external object.

This is because all external objects are material things–even if astral or causal matter–and we are exclusively spiritual in our nature. Therefore contentment can only be found in the spirit. Neither material nor psychological objects can satisfy us, for we are neither body nor mind. It is an especially deadly delusion to equate pleasure with happiness.


To reach outward for happiness is to eventually be disappointed and therefore suffer. Instead, we must be happy inwardly, resting in the divine perfection of our inner Self, the immortal spirit.


Happiness is within because the spirit is within. We already are perfectly at ease, in balance, in harmony, at rest, and contented–but only in the spirit. In one sense we are NOT happy–we ARE happiness itself, just as we are not conscious, we are consciousness itself, we are not alive, we are life itself.


Happiness is dwelling in the consciousness that is the Self. Otherwise we will be like the musk deer that smells the fragrance emanating from its own body and rushes around wildly, exhausting itself in the search for the source of the perfume. How many of us have searched for an item of clothing we were already wearing or looked for an object that was right in our hand? So it is with happiness, indeed with life itself in its fulness.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


note:

the book from which the above quote was taken from is one of the best i have ever found and if you find it ....share it with discretion.

as Jesus Christ advises in Wisdom :


Give not that which is holy unto the dogs

Lest they turn again and rend you:

Neither cast ye your pearls before swine,

Lest they trample them under their feet



here is link to the pdf file for the ebook.

i recommend printing the book out (over 100 pages) and clamping it with "binder clips so you can read it like book.

[www.ocoy.org]

wishing you the best of sucess.

jj

Happiness is a choice or decision to be content with yourself, current situation and future paths. Possibly only obtainable by ignoring many times the input and or reactions of others. People want to happy but in general don't like others be truly happy. Jelousy arrives! My first name on this board way back in the good old days was HappyAlan and am noted every where I go for my way out sense of humor and laugh.

trive

i think it really is empowering when u feel that you alone have the power to elicit the joy that is perhaps our true nature

by smiling first, one is not only relieving the other of the burden of making you happy but it is being the Source and uniting with it

i also like the idea u say of just acting happy and then you are happy

there was this story i remember

in this story
a couple was living with the mother of the woman
the man
detested the mother and wished her ill because the mom was constantly criticizing the man
then the man had the idea of poisoning her
weakening her little by little
but to do that
one had to treat her with care to win her trust
so that she would eat the food that he made for her ( because he had never done the cooking before, the mom always had though)
so little by little
he would do things that would please her
like chores around the house ( that the mom used to do )
and little things here and there
she would always be startled and return the gifts in kind
which kind of surprised him
and he would also make great efforts to see the good in her
so he could throw compliments her way
and this went on and on for days and days
as he was slowly poisoning her food
until one day he realized, from all the effort of acting like he was grateful
and treating her with great respect
and seeing the results of that ( her changed behaviour)
that she was actually a REALLY nice person
and in making great efforts to see her good side ( to compliment her to win her "trust", he actually began to genuinely see her good side
and he decided to stop poisoning her food
and
she lived
and the couple was happy to have the mom in the house
and everyone was happy