The Joy of Living: Unlocking the Secret and Science of Happiness

Back to reading “self-help” type books, or rather spiritual awakening that would help you control your thoughts, lessen your anger, and have a new approach to life.  In The Joy of Living: Unlocking the Secret and Science of Happiness by Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche, the reader gets a firsthand view of the Buddhist approach to living.  Rinpoche shares his story into Buddhism through the influence of his father and how it has changed his life.  So how do we begin?  We must first get to a complete sense of “Emptiness,” where we can gain a sense of all possibilities.  How do we get there?  Rinpoche suggests that meditation is one way to get to emptiness.  He provides techniques in the book to do so.   Remember the “ah om umm” … well practice it so you can get your breathing correct.  We need to have form and emptiness, and vice versa.  It is not purely a philosophical approach to living, though it is rooted in a strong philosophy.  For instance, a thought or feeling can't be happy or sad unless compared to another thought, so keep it free standing!  Through the Buddhist approach, suffering can be extinguished where there is an understanding through direct experience.  An important concept is the essence of time; time is not something to be fixated on.  With meditation to be successful, don't try too hard, rather change the direction of your mind; clarity changes everything and allows one to see through the power of awareness.  We need to develop a more compassionate heart where we are connected to all other living things.  The more material countries, the more suffering.  Buddhist thought suggests we do need to use our senses well; in fact there is a sixth sense: consciousness!  Being aware!   We are challenged in this approach to create a more harmonious world.  Be enlightened and learn that all is made of love.  Our bodies are not the only part of us.  As you can see there is so much in this book (a ton not even mentioned).  So why not use the approach that the author suggests?  There is absolutely nothing wrong with a positive mental approach, having a sound mind/body/spirit.  When I read the book I think of how my own father uses the power of his mind to control pain proving how powerful the mind really is.  Buddhist believes that you need a good teacher; this is so true.  It is through the power of interdependence that one becomes a member of that family.  Through thinking like this, things that bothered you will no longer do so.  This allows you to learn who and what you are, to become more open and happy.   I love this part, “Jerks stay that way because of vulnerabilities and fear.”   His final thought resonated the most, “We choose to be the way we are." The path of Buddha has one step into a new realm, an unfamiliar path which will lead us to choose to be aware rather than ruled by your unhappiness and allow your afflictions to rule over you.  If one “rests their mind longer a greater sense of calmness and confidence will pervade your being." We learn that the technique is less important but when integrated in our approach we will gain compassion and see ourselves as happier.  A very good read and learning about how to improve the struggles of day to day minutiae.