Does the Buddhist concept and path to happiness have any correlation with the recent science on the subject?

Let me quote two paragraphs of Daisaku Ikeda from his book
Unlocking the Mysteries of Birth & Death: . . . And Everything in Between, A Buddhist View Life:


We all desire happiness, and yet happiness always seems to be just beyond our reach. The real cause is not just that we have problems but that we lack the power and wisdom to solve them. All individuals innately posses infinity power and wisdom so we must focus on the potentials that exist within us. If we cultivate those potentials we can not only withstands life's adversities but transform them into causes of happiness and empowerment.

Happiness is an inner joy and fulfillment that cannot be destroyed by any outside influence. True self means the establishment of a genuine independence that is absolute and indestructible. Purity is a life free from illusions and sufferings, which a person can maintain even while living and working in an impure society.


And now let me bring two TED keynotes about the science of happiness so you can make up your mind: The riddle of experience vs. memory by Daniel Kahneman; and Why are we happy? by Dan Gilbert.

When my friend Pablo read my post, he recommended me Happiness: A Guide to Developing Life's Most Important Skill, and found the following interesting concepts to share:

"To be satisfied is to permanently hold a treasure in the palm of one's hand.

The way people perceive the world is much more important to happiness than objective circumstances.

It is easy for circumstances to hurt one who is fearful, but they have no power over one who is stable.

Envy and jealously are absurd for whoever feels them, since unless resort to violence, he is the only victim.

'Your happiness depends on mine', it's only a reflexion of personal ego.

When you love someone, you cannot expect him to do as you please. That would be tantamount to loving yourself.

The anxiety that some people feel comes from a lack of direction in their lifes.

The simple person lives the day as he breathes."

Comments