Shared by Peter
In the book titled “The Art of Living”, it said “Happiness is a habit. It’s training” The author was Thich That Hahn, a renowned Buddhist monk.
Habit can be either an exceedingly good servant or a very bad master.
So how do cultivate a good servant and stay away from a bad master?
- Let go of the past. “It is mental slavery to cling to things that have stopped serving its purpose in your life.” — Chinonye J. Chidolue Equally important is, Letting go of strong attachment to things, such as wealth, power, fame, ego, and other possessions.
- Stop worrying about the future. We are always looking outside ourselves for something to make us feel satisfied and complete. But so long as we have the energy of craving in us, we’re never satisfied with what we have and with who we are right now, and true happiness is not possible. The energy of craving sucks us into the future.
The past does not exist, and the future is not here yet. Happiness can only possibly be found in the present moment. As soon as we realize that in this very moment we already have enough, and we already are enough, true happiness becomes possible.
With mindfulness, concentration, and insight, we can free ourselves from feelings of restlessness and craving, and realize that, right now, we already have more than enough conditions to be happy. It’s training. Practicing mindfulness (of the present moment) during mediation can be good training for happiness is a habit.
“Time is like a river. You cannot touch the same water twice, because the flow that has passed will never pass us again. Enjoy every moment of your life.” — quote from unknown
Hakone Zendo 