[Buddha-l] buddhism and brain studies

[Erik Hoogcarspel]

Alberto Todeschini schreef:
> Dear Erik,
>
> Thank you for your comments.
>
>   
>> Most ancient philosophers
>> as well as the Buddha as far as I can see thought happiness to be a
>> more or less continuous state of wellbeing which is not or very little
>> dependent on circumstances. 
>>     
>
> According to Sonja Lyubomirsky, whose book I mentioned yesterday, 
> circumstances account for 10%. Then there's a 50% set point (which was 
> explained by Jamie Hubbard recently) and a 40% due to intentional activity.
>
>
>   
Hi Alberto,
these figures come from interviews with average people, it's not 
impossible that interviews with exceptional people like the Buddha and 
his arhats or famous ancient philosophers like Socrates or Epicure would 
render different results. Let's see if the list below fits:
> the happiest people
> - devote a lot of time to family and friends;
>   
there you go: the Buddha left his family and Socrates spent most of his 
days on the marketplace.
> - are comfortable expressing gratitude; 
ok
> - are often the first to help coworkers and passersby;
>   
ok, perhaps rather a result then a cause
> - think optimistically about the future;
>   
doesn't fit: all happiness heroes were very much aware of their mortality
> - savor life's pleasure and live in the present moment;
>   
ok
> - engage in regular physical exercise;
>   
undecided
> - are committed to lifelong goals and ambitions;
>   
ok, if the commitment to have no commitment counts
> - cope well with challenges.
>   
ok
> Sure, most of these sound obvious. But let's notice some omissions, such 
> as any reference to wealth. And yet, how many people devote their 
> existence to making money and acquiring material goods?
>
>
>   
Perhaps they prefer goods to happiness. There is something else that I 
observed. The ancient idea of happiness is that it is a more or less 
natural state of mind. If you have no worries you're happy. I explain 
this sometimes as existential happiness, the happiness of just being 
there. When christendom took over it taught the people that this is not 
real happiness. Real happiness is not yours naturally. If you think 
this, you're just proud and pride is the worst of all sins. Only God can 
give you real happiness and you have to believe in order to recieve. 
When God eventually died, this idea of happiness stayed. So now people 
tend to believe that you cannot just be happy, you need something to 
become happy. And so becoming happy has become an industry and amounts 
to hard labour.  Even finding out what happiness is has become a real 
drag. In the sixties this was still unproblematic for most, how was 
it... drop out, turn on tune in or something like that? Nowadays people 
are lost. If you can you should watch Adam Curtis's documentary 'The age 
of the Self'.

-- 


Erik

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