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Dharma Thoughts
60 EASTERN HORIZON | DHARMA THOUGHTS

Vijaya Samarawickrama is an accomplished Dharma educator, teacher, and
author. He retired after 60 years of teaching in schools, colleges and universities.
However, he continues to give Dharma talks throughout the country, participates
in inter-faith dialogues, speaks at various international seminars, and writes for
Buddhist books and journals.

What price Happiness?

By Vijaya Samarawickrama

If Forbes magazine is anything to go by it would seem In Buddhism ignorance (avijjā) is the inability to
as if most of humanity measures success (and by see things - as- they- really -are. So long as there is
association, happiness) by the amount of wealth a Ignorance we will be unable to discern that what we
person amasses in a lifetime. Each time the list of the mistake for a ‘self’ (what makes us self-ish) is only a
world’s richest men (and, rarely, women) is published, coming together of diverse processes which are in a
the rest of us gasp and imagine what wonderful lives continuous state of change with no enduring reality at
they must lead, having the power to control what they the core. One of the hardest things for us to understand
want anytime, anywhere. But let us pause a moment and is that characteristic of existence which the Buddha
ask, “Does wealth necessarily guarantee happiness?” calls anattā, not-self. Deluded by an idea of a real entity
The dictionary defines happiness as “delighted, pleased called a self we create desires which can never be
or glad as over a particular thing”. This implies that we satisfied because they are not real. Our ignorance of this
experience happiness when we gain possession over fact gives rise to dukkha – ‘unsatisfactoriness’. In verse
some tangible or intangible thing. By this token, given 62 of the Dhammapada the Buddha says
the mind-boggling advancements made by modern
science and technology since the industrial revolution “Sons have I, wealth have I
we should expect that at least a good proportion of the Thus the fool assures himself,
‘developed’ world’s population should be considered But when self is not one’s own
‘happy’. On the contrary they seem to be more miserable Where are sons, where is wealth?
than their fellow humans in the ‘undeveloped’ parts of
the world. One does not need to go far to look for an Unfulfilled desire is at the root of the suffering of
explanation. The vast majority of us are desperately mankind. To end suffering we must learn to understand
seeking happiness but unfortunately they mistake the true nature of things which are empty of self,
sensual pleasure for happiness thinking that they impermanent, and unsatisfactory and learn to give up,
can be happy simply by pandering to the demands of to renounce and practice non-attachment. This is the
the senses. But the senses are subject to the laws of way to wisdom.
impermanence so that as soon as one desire is satisfied
it is immediately replaced by another and we are left It is not an exaggeration to say that all the religions of
desperately searching for more, like a dog with a severe the world take this all-pervasive unsatisfactoriness of
skin irritation which simply cannot be relieved by mere the human condition as their starting point to persuade
scratching alone. The solution is to get at the source of their followers to subscribe to their teachings. All
the irritation and to eradicate it permanently. The root religions agree that life on earth leaves much to be
cause of suffering is ignorance. desired but they promise that if people would obey