Venerable Misan
Joong-ang Sangha University
According to the Buddha’s teachings, real happiness can be attained through consistent practice of “dependent origination and the middle path” in one’s daily life. This paper shows that the teaching of mindful relationships and harmonious action is the foundation of real or sustainable happiness. This paper analyzes the Mahāmangala Sutta in terms of its role in the pursuit of practical happiness in human relationships, experiential happiness in concentration meditation, and supreme happiness in insight meditation. Real happiness cannot be achieved on a conceptual dimension, but can be attained through actual and concrete practice, i.e., mindful action, compassionate meditation and the cultivation of wisdom. These topics are fully dealt with in this paper, including insights and practical skills that can enhance real or sustainable happiness, all from the early teachings of the Buddha.
(Presented in the 2015 Chulalongkorn Asian Heritage Forum: Understanding Happiness, 16-17 July 2015, Le Meridien Bangkok Hotel, Bangkok, organized by Institute of Thai Studies and Faculty of Arts, Chulalongkorn University)