Buyers for his expensive bone density machines are scarce and double-shifts at the laundry leave his wife Linda (Thandie Newton) exhausted and frustrated. Yet things so basic seem entirely out of reach for the medical equipment salesman. In Chris Gardner’s (Will Smith) case, it means a decent income and an adequate place to live with his 5-year-old son, Christopher (Jaden Christopher Syre Smith-real life son of Will Smith). But for people stuck on the street, it can be as simple as a warm meal and a place to sleep.
He began teaching the Four Noble Truths to others in order to help them achieve transcendent happiness and peace of mind through the knowledge and practice that is known today as Buddhism.Aristotle defined happiness as contemplation. He then practiced meditation through deep concentration ( Dhyana) under a bodhi tree and found Enlightenment. It was during his time practicing extreme forms of self-denial that Buddha discovered the “Middle Path” of moderation - an idea that closely resembles Aristotle’s “Golden Mean.”ĭuring his life, he had experienced intensive pleasure and extreme deprivation but he found that neither extreme brought one to true understanding. These shocking experiences moved Buddha to renounce his comfortable lifestyle in search of greater meaning in life. Even while he was completely deprived of life’s comforts, his eyes shined with contentment. Each of these experiences troubled him and made him question the meaning and transience of life and its pleasures.Īfter this, he encountered an ascetic who, by choice, lived a life renouncing the pleasures of the world. Despite his father’s attempts to shield him from the ugliness of life, one day he ventured out beyond the castle walls and encountered three aspects of life: the old, the sick and the dead. Born into a wealthy royal family, the Buddha was born and raised in worldly luxury. While there are several mythical stories surrounding his conception and birth, the basic facts of his life are generally agreed upon. Rather it is a tool to train the mind not to dwell in the past or the future, but to live in the here and now, the realm in which we can experience peace most readily.Īn early Gandharan statue of Buddha, 1st-2nd centuries CE, in the Tokyo National Museum.ĭuring the late 6th and early 5th centuries BCE, Siddhartha Gautama of Shakya, who later became known as the Buddha, was born in modern-day Nepal near the Indian border. Meditation is, of course, the most well known tool of this practice, but contrary to popular belief, it is not about detaching from the world. In Buddhism, this treatment is not a simple medicine to be swallowed, but a daily practice of mindful thought and action that we ourselves can test scientifically through our own experience. The illness however, can only be cured if the patient follows the doctor’s advice and follows the course of treatment - the Eightfold Path, the core of which involves control of the mind.
#The pursuit of happiness true story how to#
In this metaphor, the medicine is the Buddha’s teachings of wisdom and compassion known as Dharma, and the nurses that encourage us and show us how to take the medicine are the Buddhist community or Sangha. In fact, he is a skillful doctor - he may break the bad news of our suffering, but he also prescribes a proactive course of treatment. Those who consider Buddha a pessimist because of his concern with suffering have missed the point. The Science of Happiness: Theory and Practice (online courses)įor Buddha, the path to happiness starts from an understanding of the root causes of suffering.High School Happiness and Wellbeing Curriculum.