Reclaiming Our Innate State of Happiness

The title of this post is identical to the title of a chapter in The Art of Happiness. The Buddhist doctrine of ‘Buddha Nature’ provides some grounds for the belief that the fundamental nature of all sentient beings is essentially gentle and not aggressive. But one can adopt this view without having to resort to the Buddhist doctrine of ‘Buddha Nature.’ There are also other grounds on which HM bases this belief. HM thinks the subject of human affection or compassion isn’t just a religious matter; It’s an indispensable factor in one’s day-to-day life.’

If we look at the very pattern of our existence from an early age until our death, we can see the way in which we are fundamentally nurtured by other’s affection. It begins at birth. Our very first act after birth is to suck our mother’s or someone else’s milk. That is an act of affection, of compassion. Without this act, we cannot survive. That’s clear. And that action cannot be fulfilled unless there is a mutual feeling of affection. From the child’s side, if there is no feeling of affection, no bond, towards the person who is giving the milk, then the child may not suck the milk. And without affection on the part of the mother or someone else, the milk may not come freely. So that’s the way of life. That’s reality.

Our physical structure seems to be more suited to feelings of love and compassion. We can see how a calm, affectionate, wholesome state of mind has beneficial effects on our health and physical well-being. Conversely, feelings of frustration, fear, agitation, and anger can be destructive to our health.

We can also see that our emotional health is enhanced by feelings of affection. To understand this, we need only to reflect on how we feel when others show us warmth and affection. Or, observe how our own affectionate feelings or attitudes automatically and naturally affect us from within, how they make us feel. These gentler emotions and the positive behaviors that go with them lead to a happier family and community life.

So, I think that we can infer that our fundamental human nature is one of gentleness. And if this is the case, then it makes all the more sense to try to live in a way that is more in accordance with this basic nature of our being.

The Dalai Lama concludes, “it is still my firm conviction that human nature is essentially compassionate, gentle. That is the predominant feature of human nature.

The purpose of our life is happiness. This simple statement can be used as a powerful tool in helping us navigate through life’s daily problems. From that perspective, our task becomes one of discarding the things that lead to suffering and accumulating the things that lead to happiness. The method, the daily practice, involves gradually increasing our awareness and understanding of what truly leads leads to happiness and what doesn’t. The turning-toward happiness as a valid goal and the conscious decision to seek happiness in a systematic manner can profoundly change the rest of our lives.

This chapter concludes, So let us reflect on what is truly of value in life, what gives meaning to our lives, and set our priorities on the basis of that. The purpose of our life needs to be positive. We weren’t born with the purpose of causing trouble, harming others. For our life to be of value, I think we must develop basic good human qualities—warmth, kindness, compassion. Then our life becomes meaningful and more peaceful—happier.

Tags: Buddha Nature, The Art of Happiness