..續本文上一頁, what use is there in being sad

　　” I often use this verse to remind myself, you can also think thus: when you come across something unhappy, no matter if it is big or small, if there is still room for change, then why be despondent

　　 If is it like a broken bowl and there is no way of saving it at all, then what is the use of your wallowing in pain and suffering, and continuously complaining about everything and everyone

　　If you can clearly see this, I think you would also be convinced that past masters” wisdom, compared to our ordinary knowledge, is truly the most precious wealth!

　　Of course, in order to use these in everyday life also requires one to learn to contemplate. Aristotle once said: “The ultimate value of life depends upon awareness and the power of contemplation rather than upon mere survival.” But many people now are exactly the opposite; they only care about “survival”, haggling over gains and losses, and even feel down and depressed because of these, as if there is nothing else in life.

　　If everyone is like this, then what is the fundamental difference between human and animal

　　 Animals also are only concerned with survival; apart from eating, drinking, sleeping, living with the same species, they do not have higher thinking. If the human mind, under societal pressure gradually enters this limited state, then it is almost the same as animals.

　　Thus, if one wishes to obtain happiness, one should be adept at contemplation, at regulating the mind, no matter what happens, keep an open mind. Once you keep an open mind, the mind can encompass the entire world. Just as Victor Hugo said: “There is a prospect greater than the sea, and it is the sky; there is a prospect greater than the sky, and it is the human soul.” Over 2500 years ago the Buddha also said: “The capacity of the mind is as great as the empty space.” Since the mind is so vast, why be fixated on some trivial matters, not letting them go

　　Nowadays, we are not short of ways of finding happiness. Putting aside Buddhist theories, practices, and realizations, which could be too vast and profound for people generally to understand. Even many top selling books in the world have provided all sorts of good ways to help people be happier.

　　Unhappiness for a person comes mainly from pressure. Particularly in the 21st Century, no matter in the East or the West, people”s ways of life are basically the same. Under the incessant pressuring and squeezing of a mechanized, electronic life, if people do not know the secrets of how to adjust the mind, then what”s left in the world are only suffering, anxiety, and exhaustion. Under these conditions, how can one speak of quality of life

　　Thus, to be happy, one needs to first reduce the pressure, let the mind relax. As Tibetan Buddhism has entered the West, many masters have taught sitting meditation, and have called it “relaxation and stress reduction”. This allows people to experience a sense of ease when they first try it. When the mind is relaxed, no matter what you encounter, you are entirely equipped with the strength not to be overly attached to it. Then you would know that actually, all your former pains and sufferings were due to attachments. The more attached, the more enslaved, to the point of being crumbled, of breakdown… Therefore, people who are under great stress in life need to learn to relax. If there is time, do some sitting meditation and cultivate the mind.

　　This method of relaxation can also be called the “ease of mind method”. Originally, the term “ease of mind” has a particular meaning in the Chan tradition. But looking at it from a simpler angle, understanding the reality of all things and not to be restrained is also a form of ease of mind.

　　As described in a book: there was once a well-known man whose mind…

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