02-09-2013, 06:24 PM
(02-09-2013, 03:46 PM)Johan Wrote: Namaste
Norral,
It seems you are talking about the "have's and have nots", i.e. the amount of wealth a person has, and material posessions. There are many wealthy people who are desperately unhappy, which means we can elimate wealth as a cause of happiness. If it is not wealth, then what is it?
What you said in your first post is indeed true, peace, freedom and good health are amongst the things that bring happiness or, it at least elevates your mood. But what you have also said, or it is implied, is that happiness comes from within.
You came into this world as a baby without any clothes or any belongings, yet when your received the intangible things like love and attention, you were a happy baby. Only later in life did you learn about material posessions and you were taught from a very young age, that gifts, presents and money should make you happy.
So appreciating material wealth is a conditioned response. Thus the happiness you're talking about is of temporal value. The truth is, happiness is a choice. If it is a difficult choice, one should examine your values, perhaps if you "revalue" your conditioned values, you might see happiness in a different light and then choose to be happy.
OM
Yes! I so agree with what you are saying. I see this happen so often in conversations about spiritual matters. We mix the spiritual with the physical.
I think happiness is the joy we can know in spite of (rather than because of) any physical wealth or attribute, including good health. In fact, I think, as you said, it is a choice we make, albeit a difficult one.
Thank you for saying it so very beautifully, Johan.