Dhamma for true happiness

True joy cannot be found in satisfying the five senses:

by Anushka Nanayakkara

[email protected]

With globalisation people have become busy in their day-to-day lives. Specially the young generation. When reaching for their targets due to the competition in today’s society, they have no second thoughts about turning back, but gohead to win the battle. The standards in society, financial stability or providing luxuries to their dependents etc. are their priorities.

Sometimes the young generation would feel their aspirations are almost impossible to achieve, maybe because the adults would expect them to be brilliant in everything they do. It can be in education, career or extra activities. The 24 hours in a day are not enough for them. So I thought of discussing this issue with some of the busiest figures in society.

Actor Dananjaya Siriwardane said, if a person gets involved too much in work, they would not be able to separate what is good and bad as their minds are too stressed. He says, this situation is being faced by the majority of the people in the world due to the lack of limited resources and unlimited aspirations.

“Personally as a professional actor I believe that I should not jam my schedule. If this happens, I will mess up not only my career but my life as well. I will be a burden to society. Some media organisations give too much publicity to newcomers. They grab all the opportunities without considering their capability.

As a result in a few years they disappear from industry. I think as a professional actor my responsibility is to give the best to the role that I play, for that I should balance my schedule by taking enough rest. If a person is interested to remain in the industry being busy would work, but not being too busy where your schedule is fully packed and have no space even to breathe would just make your life discomforting”.

A professional and a writer who did not want to reveal her identity, told Sunday Observer that her busy schedule started when she was in grade nine, from the moment she stepped into the school van.

“I came back home around eight in the night. I personally think if one stays at home and studies during that time it will be more effective than going for all these tuition classes. People or your parents might expect you to be productive or studious, they think by over working, miracles would happen. I believe to give my best, I should enjoy what I do, instead of just doing it for the sake of doing because the outcome would be different”.

She also said “when I did my Advanced Levels I simply refused to be pushed by my parents. I selected my extra classes, I decided to go for just one where I needed more assistance. My mother thought I should take tuition for all the subjects, but I ended up entering the university.

Presently, this is how I feel about my job as well, I believe the more a person enjoys ‘routine’ the more productive it would turnout to be”. Busy schedules may be a signal that people are not satisfied with what they get. Some may simply as a result end up as workaholics while others may tend to become too ambitious.

According to her, the main problem is that one would not know the circumstances, until over working becomes a habit.

Venerable Santha Sumana of Gnanarama Meditation Centre, Thalawathugoda said, ‘Dhamma’ has taught that children should be guided to learn extracurricular activities apart from having a general education.

The Venerable Thera said, the knowledge of ‘Dhamma’ teaching is what is lacking in society and it is the parents’ responsibility to guide them on the right path. “Every parent desires to see his/her children holding a respectable position in society which is natural but they should understand that true happiness does not lie on satisfying the five senses. They think by satisfying the five senses they would find happiness.

But the question is will one ever get satisfied? Let me give an example. If a butcher throws a bone covered in blood to a hungry dog, will its hunger disappear? Except it might get more greedy. Likewise, the more one is being guided to get the so-called luxuries, even after their desires are gratified, the more the avarice that overwhelms him.

When people try to fulfil their never-ending aspirations naturally they end up having too busy schedules, these schedules will make them more self-centred. Nowadays most of the young generation do not have enough patience,and even for the slightest thing they would get annoyed. This will turn into a grudge where people will end up in killing one another. But if one follows the path of ‘Dhamma’, one will be able to attain true happiness”.