Different Definitions of Extreme Happiness

Throughout history, and even to this day, humans has spent all their lives striving for one thing, supreme happiness. And to define this term, many people depending on their culture and background, would each have a different definition. Whether it's wealth, long life, or material, none of would be able to offer a person true happiness. Because while one spend their entire life seeking wealth and materials, one will soon realize that he has been neglecting other aspects of his life that are worth far beyond materialistic values. As for the desire of a longer life, what is the purpose of one having a long life when one's life has no greater good for society and oneself? Therefore, these shallow interpretations cannot truly define happiness. However, there are many techniques where one can practice to help achieve supreme happiness. An example would be from the Dhammacakkapavattana Sutta.

The Dhammacakkapavattana Sutta is an ancient Buddhist text, that is widely recognized as a record of Buddha's first teaching after reaching enlightenment. It presented many ideas and theories of how one can achieve true peace and freedom. Two of the main concepts were the ideals of the middle way, and the four noble truths.

The ideology under the meaning of the middle way is that one must stay between two extremes: "the pursuit of sensual happiness and sensual pleasures" and "the pursuit of self-mortification" (Bodhi 1). Buddha believed that the pursuit of sensual happiness and pleasure is "low, vulgar, ignoble, and unbeneficial," while the pursuit of self-mortification was believed to be "painful," and ignoble as well (Bodhi 1). As a result, when one can finally separate oneself from these extremes, then he has successfully reached the midd...

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... the image that suffering is inevitable in one's life. One must understand that no one can break away from the suffering of birth, age, illness, and death. The second noble truth was about the origins of suffering, and that all problems were in essence created by one's own mind. The third truth explains that one can end one's own suffering by simply putting the first two noble truths into practice, and integrate it into one's daily actions and decisions. At last, the fourth noble truth clarifies the eight-fold noble paths. The eight-fold noble paths were the paths of correct thought, speech, actions, livelihood, understanding, effort, mindfulness, and concentration. In conclusion, Buddha's techniques in the Dhammacakkapavattana Sutta were therapeutic because if practiced the correct way, one should be able to experience happiness, peace, and love when practicing.