Hello everyone,
I want to talk today about happiness.
What is is beyond happiness.
And the ego says oh we're gonna learn about what what's happier than happy and actually maybe a better description of it is that what is is prior to happiness.
I am happy,
I am sad,
It's the same as that is good that is bad.
I'm not trying to rhyme there by the way.
You know I was having a conversation with someone the other day and there's there's something that's that's quite there's something that's kind of cool that's easy to even explain to children.
I explain this to my kids and it's when there's something that we want whether it's a an event,
A thing,
A relationship,
Whatever,
Anything outside.
We want that thing and I talked to them and say and explain to them that when you really really want a toy and we go and we buy it and we say you can't open it until you get home from the store there's so much excitement about it.
The feeling,
The the feeling of happiness that happens once you have it is for that short amount of time you stop wanting and then thoughts come up oh well it's just this thing and it comes up with more desires.
So that that brief period of time of not wanting is what we think or what we what we don't some don't understand don't realize this but that's what creates this quote unquote happiness and really it's just a not wanting.
So I explained to my kids and they're like oh yeah that makes sense and I'm go so we're we're not gonna buy any more toys.
They didn't they didn't believe me or like that but that's the that's the the ego coming in and being like okay I totally get that but but there's things that I want.
You know my vision board has stuff on it it doesn't have nothing it's not in this desireless state and my voice keeps cracking.
But happiness and sadness they're just thoughts they're just labels.
I'll put a quote in the description by Nisargadatta Maharaj in I am that there's this great chapter all search for happiness is misery and there's so many good little nuggets in that chapter that that that talk about that talk about this pursuit of happiness I mean the pursuit of happiness is in is in threaded into the culture of the United States life liberty and the pursuit of happiness and you're welcome to pursue happiness but it always ends up being something outside of you it's all and and it never ever lasts think of the last time that you that you found happiness in something and if you're honest with yourself and you think of how long it lasted it wasn't very long until something else arose what it appears that we're looking for and I'm always trying to be somewhat careful to make claims about what it is that we want but it's it's it's not so much happiness it's peace it's that state of not wanting that desire less state I can tell you my vision board I don't have one but I can tell you that it's it's completely blank not through not through logical thinking of well it just it just makes more sense I'll be happy if I don't want these things it's just whatever whatever happens happens this is it what is is what's happening and if there is a desire that comes up I want that you know I want this I want that those are just thoughts there's no reason to try to get rid of them or or talk yourself out of having them but happiness what is is beyond happiness and joy can arise as can sadness everything is allowed because it's all one thing it's all this so there's nothing wrong with happiness there's nothing wrong with sadness but they're all what's happening in consciousness man the ego does not like the title of that chapter all search for happiness is misery because so much of the story hinges upon us you know looking for happiness wanting happiness wanting not just some people say I don't even want happiness I just don't want to be sad anymore but that want that desire to be something other than what is is the the misery that's being talked about in the title of that chapter full acceptance of what is is freedom is peace is happiness contentment just being is what is that's the default setting that's the default state if something makes you happy there's nothing wrong with that but there's a deeper understanding and a knowing that the thing isn't what it is that makes you happy it's a great opportunity to observe observe the list observe the list of wants and desires and the ego actually does up it's so good at and it doesn't exist by the way the ego is just a thought or a bundle of thoughts still it's so good at it trying to make these cases to be on to get back on this treadmill so it will say things like thoughts will rise like okay I get it I don't need all this stuff to be happy but then it will slide in needs but I gotta eat I gotta eat I need a roof over my head so it starts sliding in needs and it's a slippery slope because it takes those needs and then all the sudden you're back into this wandering and the desire for these other things I need shelter so I might as well want and have a large house which maybe may or may not be a good example but so much of this pursuit of happiness has to do with this desire for more and you can't there can't be more you're already whole what you are is already whole that's it that's it they're just there there's just a recognition that of that fact of that truth and some people don't like that word truth I don't care because I don't not like any words there's no what's the point that that's just more desire of I desire to not hear that word I desire to not use that word all words are welcome because everything is though everything's accepted everything's included in consciousness in what is in the absolute pursue happiness if you want to realize that the pursuit of it doesn't last because if it can come to you it can go what you truly are is that which doesn't come it doesn't go it's always there it never decays it's never lost and in many ways if you want to look at it define it as happiness that is true happiness but happiness you know that implies a duality that implies sadness but that's what is that's the ultimate freedom acceptance of what is with happy thoughts arising sad thoughts everything is allowed everything is what is
