"happier than normal people"? What makes Buddhists abnormal?

I guess Nirvana and Satori really do make you happy.

Whooptie-freking-doo.

I'm going to have to agree with Dark12ider on this one.

fishrockcarving, you said it!

time to get back on the bench (or mat or cushion or whatever)

It is the vague and the elusive.
Meet it and you will not see its face;
Follow it and you will not see its back.

Lao Tzu, The Way of Tao

Hahahaha, it's because they smoke MARIJUANA!!!

HAHAHAHAHA!!!

I would think that any rastafarian that would meet a buddhist would achieve more than just a state of nirvana if they hanged out long enough. What a combo that would make!!!

Open the doors to the new temple of rastadhist of budfarians

/I got nothing

fishrockcarving:

Why do you hate America so much?

/laughs a sigh of pent-up relief after waiting so long to use that line...

bubble, bubble, bubble... moment of zen

HEY HEY HEY! We said the pursuit of happiness!

You watch you ass.

"there will be no money, but the end of your life you will achieve total consciousness. So I got that going for me, which is nice."

I and I is......smoke..puff...pass the Doritos.

i hate everyone who is richer, more sucessful, better looking and or happier than me. it's the way of my people.

farktopia here i come!

When I flagged down that sheriff twice, I was only trying to get him to slow down and enjoy life.

Not suprising. And I doubt the fact that they're buddhists has much to do with it. I bet you'd find the same happiness level in most truly devout christians. (But that's different because they're something that most people are used to to the point they feel that they're worth mocking -- Buddhism is 'exotic' and therefore more respectable)

Numerous studies has shown that age, wealth (or lack thereof), social standing, color, etc. has very little to do with overall happiness. You're either happy, or you're not. The real tie-breaker comes in religious faith. Those with a devout faith in some higher power or unifying characteristic that makes life worth living (religion) are usually happier, cope better with stress, and live longer lives than those without.

Rastafarians, buddhists, christians, I'd imagine it all ends out roughly the same.

Kinda hard to beat these guys in the happiness dept. that's for sure...

So? Happiness is overrated. What if I find happiness in hating people. I'll probably live until the ripe old age of 55. Who gives a shiat.

I feel Irie.

Drunkenness leads to a headache and hangover the next morning, though, MorningBreath.

And drinking usually leads to desire.

One of Buddhism central principles is the cessation of suffering. To cease suffering one must understand that suffering comes from unfulfilled desires. So by accepting that the fulfillment desires are illusory and fleeting one can end desire thereby cessation of suffering.

But to manage that is much easier said than done.

As typing coherent sentences can be easier said than done.

I just have trouble in believing that a brain scan is the true judge of happiness


and I agree with Desertfoxg.

So is there a "Buddhist For Dummies" or "Buddhism In A Nutshell" book I can buy to get this inner peace? I don't have time to travel and study the "teachings" right now.

Sounds good though...

I think there is a significant point made by DesertFox. (I think it is possible the mere structure provided by religions ultimately may give the mind greater freedom and thus a certain comfort - almost regardless of what such tenants are.)

Further, I think the article may make an important point regarding meditation. The learned "quieting" effect it has on the mind is almost certainly related to a learned calmnes and perhaps residual happiness. (prayer in christianity probably provides similar benefits, although maybe to a lesser degree since the mind does not geberally "clear" in the same manner as in meditation.)

While meditation is no secret, it has certainly not taken on any sort of a "following" in the same way that say working out has. Over time I think we will learn that meditation provides benefits to the mind (and thus one's life) in an even greater manner than exercise betters the body; the article suggests testing the effects of meditation is in its infancy.

DrToast beat me to it ... but this is obvious.

I'm happy! w3rd!

SomeCallMeTim
If there's a "Buddhism for Dummies" then this is it. Check it out. 41 sample pages on Amazon.com too.

One of the best books I've ever read. I've chatted with the author through email before. He's an exceptionally nice guy too.

Check out this book if you have any interest in buddhism whatsoever.

"Normal" people?

What is this, Fox: Buddhist Autopsy? Because whatever those liberal bastords say, it was a weather balloon! A WEATHER BALLOON!

If your happy and you know it...

And I've always preferred A Vision of Buddhism as a nice beginner's guide, even though it gets a little extensive for what someone not interested in practicing would need to know.

Something interesting to look at when you have time. http://www.clas.ufl.edu/users/gthursby/taoism/ttcstan1.htm

I wonder if this study included the Buddhists in Tibet being killed and having their temples destroyed by China. That may have skewed the data.

http://www.tibet.com/
http://www.freetibet.org/
http://www.savetibet.org/
http://www.tibet.org/SFT/

i and i be too.

another conclusion; individuals with gentle, happy temperments are more inclined to become (wifeless, childless, jobless) buddhists. how bout that.

Reards:(prayer in christianity probably provides similar benefits, although maybe to a lesser degree since the mind does not geberally "clear" in the same manner as in meditation.)

Praying by repeating a single verse/prayer does actually provide a feeling of intense euforia.

forget sars. affluenza is killing y'all.

wealth is the disease.
poverty is the cure.

/some buddhist dude

10 CLS
20 PRINT "Om Mane Padme Hum"
30 GOTO 20

05-21-03 07:39:05 PM Herbwarrior

I feel Irie.


dude,
you tele ski at petersberg pass? it's like chumulunga up there. i live down the hill (billsville).
verdad

Or maybe it's:

10 CLS
20 Z = 2
30 FOR A = 1 TO Z STEP 1
40 Z = A + 1
50 PRINT "Om Mane Padme Hum"
60 NEXT X

Oops, I can manage to leave bugs in a six line program!
That would be
60 NEXT A

I'm a bookworm not a computer geek.

I don't know if Christianity will make you happy, but it seems to me that it mostly makes you feel guilty (well, catholicism and calvinism do, anyway). Also, doggerel, not all buddhist are wifeless, childless and jobless. Don't mistake the sangha (sp?), which are the monks and nuns who have chosen to devote their lives to the community and consequently choose to live a chaste and frugal life, with other buddhists who can be married and have kids (though drinking is shunned upon, for reasons that become clear to anyone who's ever attended spring break...) A monk is not a "better" buddhist than a lay practitioner...in fact, in some of the early texts, Buddha said himself that there is no more sacred union than that of a man and a woman (homosexuality is still a matter of debate: theravada buddhists seem less tolerant of it than mahayana buddhists).

Anyway, one should not be concerned with labels. The important thing is to live a good, harmonious life and spread good karma around. The religion itself is only there to help you become a better person, it is not an end in itself. If you meet the buddha on the road, kill him. (I love zen humor.)

In case you're wondering, I am an unofficial buddhist, and at the moment I'm quite happy.

Same here, . Christianity can really get you down if you actually buy into the "hell" construct. As for me, focusing on a small, bright point of light (Buddhist meditation method) calms me down quicker'n kiss a duck.

The secret to happiness is lowering your standards

Lao Tzu
Dao de Jing

(not really, but that's how I read it.)