Page 3 - EH72

Editorial

Happiness is a Choice

and a Skill

Malaysian Buddhists were very fortunate to have Venerable Thanissaro, one of the best known
American Buddhist meditation teacher and scholar/translator, give a series of Dharma talks
in the country in December 2023. One of the talks I found most inspiring was given in Penang
titled “Happiness is a Choice and a Skill”. He mentioned at the start of the talk that someone
asked him what is the basic metaphysical principle of Buddhism. He explained that the Buddha
did not start his teaching with a metaphysical principle but with a problem - the problem of why
we create suffering for ourselves, and the Buddha then offered the solution.

So Buddhism is a principle of strategy of what we need to do for our long-term well-being
and happiness. It’s also based on an understanding of a causal principle that actions have
consequences. We are a result of our past actions, but actions we do now can change our future.
The Buddha explained that we suffer because of our bad habits, but we are also free to change
our bad habits by cultivating the correct skills. Buddhism is therefore about the choice we have
to create conditions of happiness and well-being. And we start with our mind.

Studies in psychology today agree that the key factor for us to be happy is to realize
that happiness is a skill we can develop and a choice we can make. If we choose to be happy,
we must develop the correct skill mentally towards it. Just as we need to be skilful to be a
competent and successful carpenter or a doctor, we need to be skilful in training our mind to be
happy, stable, calm and relaxed. This will also have a positive effect on our mental well-being.
It is important therefore that mind training becomes our priority where we continuously learn
and try out new ideas and work towards perfecting it.

Buddhism also teaches us to focus on the positive aspects of life by learning to count our
blessings, and be grateful for what we have. But life can also be difficult, so we should face it
with equanimity based on understanding the true nature of existence. In the Sallatha Sutta,
SN 36.6, the Buddha used the simile of two arrows in life: we may not avoid the first arrow;
however, the second arrow is our reaction to the first. The second arrow is optional. The first
arrow arises from causes and conditions beyond our control. But when we learn to deflect the
judgment and self-blame that we might experience in response to the first arrow, the second
arrow becomes completely avoidable. EH

Benny Liow

Dec 15, 2023