Happyness Is...

Reading:

For a long time it seemed to me that life was about to begin -- real life.

But there was always some obstacle in the way, something to be gotten through first,

some unfinished business, time still to be served, a debt to be paid.

At last it dawned on me that these obstacles were my life.

This perspective has helped me to see there is no way to happiness.

Happiness is the way.

So treasure every moment you have and remember that time waits for no one.

Happiness is a journey, not a destination. --Father Alfred D'Souza

Sermon:

Happiness is a journey, not a destination.

Happiness, like love, is a hard concept to describe. Happiness is a state of mind, perhaps even a delusional one. Happiness cannot be imposed. Happiness can exist even when you have a righteous reason to be depressed, e.g. death of a loved one or in the face of a new diagnosis of an incurable, but manageable, disease. These are all true but just what is "happiness?"

Wikipedia tells us that "Happiness is a mental state of well-being characterized by positive emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy"

Although simplistic, it is largely to the point. Individual happiness can be achieved, or at least sought, by many means. Drugs, mediation, and religious fanatical adherence have been some paths to personal happiness. But personal happiness oftentimes not enough; happiness for the whole of mankind is often desired. In the words of William Ellery Channing:

[Peace] is the highest and most strenuous act of the soul, but an entirely harmonious act, in which all our powers and affections are blending in a beautiful proportion, and sustain and perfect one another. It is more than the silence after storms. It is as the concord of all melodious sounds ... an alliance of love with all beings, a sympathy with all that is pure and happy, a surrender of every separate will and interest, a participation of the spirit and life of the universe.... This is peace, and the true happiness of [humanity] - William Ellery Channing

Too often we focus on the wrong things. We seek love but only when we stop seeking, or become distracted, love finds us. We seek happiness, or things that we believe will make us happy and through this pursuit, happiness becomes elusive, remaining beyond our grasp. As predators, we are exceedingly inept at stalking the prey known as happiness. We crouch, like cats, thinking that we are well hidden behind blades of grass, around corners of building, or behind trees hoping that happiness will come within striking distance only to have happiness wave us a greeting and pass on, just out of reach.

Eric Hoffer, in his 1954 "The Passionate State of Mind" clearly stated this ineptitude by saying "The search for happiness is one of the chief sources of unhappiness."

To attempt to actively seek out happiness is to do a pointing finger problem. In a Buddhist simile: "The doctrine is like a finger pointing at the moon, and one must take care not to mistake the finger for the moon." By mistaking the finger for the moon, the focus is diverted from the goal, to the path. But even more subtlety, by focusing on the path the goal is lost and the path then becomes meandering, confused and meaningless.

Happiness is not the purview of the poets, philosophers or faith leaders, although nearly everyone that speaks about it is being philosophically inclined. Even for a warrior, the idea of happiness has some meaning. Army General Peyton Conway March (1864-1955), US Army Chief of Staff during the final year of WWI had this to say:

"There is a wonderful mythical law of nature that the three things we crave most in life -- happiness, freedom, and peace of mind -- are always attained by giving them to someone else."

- Peyton Conway March*

Gen March's statement may be better understood in light of several of our UU Principles:

By treating each individual with the inherent worth and dignity due them; they can have greater happiness, and peace of mind. By treating all as equal, and compassion in our interactions freedom and peace of mind are achieved. I am sure that if you would think a while you would be able to see how nearly all of our principles are in harmony with this concept of happiness shared.

Ultimately the General's comments exemplify the interdependent web of all existence. An effect felt