Aversion to happiness

Buddhist ethical conduct including the Five Precepts (Pañcasikkhāpada), and Eightfold Ethical Conduct (Aṭṭhasīla).
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befriend
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Joined: Thu Jun 09, 2011 11:39 am

Aversion to happiness

Post by befriend »

I practiced the shorter discourse to Rahula sutta for the full day. This was on Monday. The sutta says to not think speak or act which would cause affliction to oneself others or both. At the end of the day I felt very happy and was looking forward to practicing this way the next day. But when I woke up I felt aversion to this happiness does anyone know what happened? Am I just not used to feeling this type of happiness? I am familiar with meditative happiness but this morality happiness felt more subtle yet I enjoyed it at the time. Maybe I'm thinking it's my defilements that don't like the happiness any others have experience with this it should be noted I did not meditate that Monday.
Take care of mindfulness and mindfulness will take care of you.
paul
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Location: Cambodia

Re: Aversion to happiness

Post by paul »

There are two types of (happiness) feeling, one based on feelings of the flesh and the other on feelings not of the flesh (renunciation). Spending a day contemplating feelings not of the flesh, a reversion to feelings of the flesh would occur overnight, then the process of overcoming would have to begin again. In the sequential Seven Factors of Enlightenment, energy precedes rapture, so the effort to overcome must be applied ever and again.
befriend
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Re: Aversion to happiness

Post by befriend »

Awesome thanks Paul.
Take care of mindfulness and mindfulness will take care of you.
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phil
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Location: Tokyo

Re: Aversion to happiness

Post by phil »

Hi, great question, thanks.

Let's not forget the fact that on his awakening the Buddha saw the world burning with greed, hatred and ignorance. Our minds are festering due to long-established mental habits, it's going to take a long time to get to the gold. Having said that, you can be very happy to know that you had such a day, how many people are working towards purifying and clarifying the mind, you are making good use of your precious human birth.

That is how I answer myself when I too wonder where that nice Buddhist wisdom-flavoured happiness of the day before went!

(and of course appreciating anatta, no ultimate control over our happiness, forces have to play out, but we can keep changing the composition of the forces that have to play out.)
Kammalakkhano , bhikkhave, bālo, kammalakkhano pandito, apadānasobhanī paññāti
(The fool is characterized by his/her actions/the wise one is characterized by his/her actions/Wisdom shines forth in behaviour.)
(AN 3.2 Lakkhana Sutta)
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