In Buddhism, happiness is achieved when a person can perceive the true nature of reality, unmodified by the mental constructs we superimpose upon it. This authentic happiness comes from having an exceptionally healthy state of mind that underlies and suffuses all emotional states and that embraces all the joys and sorrows that come one's way. The mental states necessary for authentic happiness are not simply found or happened upon. Rather, happiness is achieved through mental training that purges the mind of afflictive emotions, such as hatred and compulsive desire, which literally poison the mind, and above all through the eradication of ignorance. This article discusses the Buddhist conception of happiness and its attainment. In particular, the article addresses the methods and practices that Buddhism employs to train the mind to achieve authentic happiness and the recent developments in contemplative neuroscience that complement and advance these methods.
目次
Abstract 14 Introduction 14 Our Own Happiness Can Only Be Achieved Through That of Others 16 Happiness and Pleasure 16 Suffering 17 The Four Truths of Suffering 18 Contemplating The Nature of The Mind 18 Emotions 19 What We Mean By "Negative Emotions" 20 Desire 21 Hatred 21 Ignorance: Clinging to The Notion of Self Undermines Happiness 21 Is It Possible to Free Ourselves of Negative Emotions? 23 The Use of Antidot 23 Freeing the Emotions 24 Ethics as the Science of Happiness 24 Where The Path Leads 25 Cultivating Happiness and The Dawn of Contemplative Neurosciences 26 A Global Benefits 27 Change Can Come at Any Age 27 Unlocking Our True Potential 28
