How Can I Experience A Deeper Joy?

With English interpretation] Ven. Pomnyun Sunim's Answer to “How can I experience a deeper joy?” A question chosen from the weekly Sunday meditation with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim.

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Transcript

How can I experience a deeper joy?

I tried other kinds of Buddhist meditation and it was easier to feel this joy.

Although I feel free,

I can't really be deeply happy.

And if that was what you like more,

That experience,

Then you're free to choose that experience.

Because this meditation,

The objective of this meditation is not to feel joy.

So our life's purpose,

We've been conditioned to accumulate things.

Accumulate money,

Accumulate knowledge,

Accumulate joy,

And accumulate pleasure.

And we think accumulate more of these things allow us to be rich and happy.

So compared to earlier generation,

We have accumulated a lot more of a lot more things.

But has that made us happier?

That's not so.

Actually our suffering,

Our distractions have increased in direct proportion to the things that we have accumulated.

So the objective of meditation is to get rid of all these accumulations that are causing our suffering.

And to train ourselves not to accumulate more that causes our suffering in the future.

So an important end state of meditation is to get rid of the underlying cause of suffering currently and try to prevent future suffering.

So when we say Nirvana,

That's a state where suffering doesn't exist.

So it's not a state where you are accumulating joy.

Because karma or reincarnation,

The concept of reincarnation is all about saying that the more you accumulate joy,

Consequently the more you accumulate causes of suffering.

So you're not allowed,

You're not able to get rid of your suffering.

You're not able to escape from the cycle of birth and rebirth.

In other words,

You're not allowing the cause of suffering to expire completely,

To be extinguished.

So try to accumulate joy is not the pathway that's taught by Buddha.

Thank you.