Happiness and Suffering in Buddhism

That we all seek a happy life is, I think, a claim which needs no justification. No one wishes for difficulties or troubles. This is something that the very constitution of our bodies confirms. Medical science increasingly suggests that who is peaceful and happy person, free from fear and anxiety, will enjoy tangible health benefits. It is also a matter of common sense that even people afflicted by illness are much better off if they have a positive outlook. A  healthy mind is a happy mind, and a happy mind is good for the body.

But human happiness and suffering, unlike those of other animals, are not straightforward. A dog may find happiness by eating a good meal and then going onto the veranda to lie down. While we may relate to such simple pleasures, it is clear that they are in no way sufficient for genuine human satisfaction.

The never-ending human quest for happiness and avoidance of suffering explains not only humankind's greatest achievements but also the evolution, over many millennial, of this large brain of ours. Even the very concept of religion, I think, has arisen from the quest. For in the course of life we inevitably face problems that are beyond our ability to control. The maintain hope and to keep our spirits up, therefore, we develop faith, and to support faith we turn to prayer, and prayer is a core element of religion. Similarly, I would suggest, the extraordinary human achievements in science and technological innovation over the past few centuries also stem from the urge to overcome suffering and achieve happiness.

However, although our extraordinary mental sophistication distinguishes us humans form other form of life and drive our astonishing success as a species; this very mental complexity is, at the same time, the source of many of our most enduring difficulties and hardships. Most of the problems we face in the world today such as poverty, armed conflict, injustice, and environmental degradation have arisen and are maintained by complex human activity. Furthermore, our most persistent sources of inner suffering at an individual level fear, anxiety, and stress, for example are also closely connected to our mental complexity and our excitable imaginations.