Ultimately fulfillment, and not pleasure, is essential to a happy life Essay

Ultimately fulfillment, and not pleasure, is essential to a happy life - Essay Example His book entitled The Art of Happiness opens with the simple statement: â€Å"I believe that the very purpose of our life is to seek happiness† (Dalai Lama and Cutler, 2009, p. 13) and he goes on to explain all of the ways that human beings can cultivate an inner state of happiness through self-discipline and an awareness of the connectedness of each human being with others and with the world. For him there is a spiritual dimension to happiness, that comes with a realization that there is more to life than just what is superficially visible. He does not think that happiness comes from pleasure of a physical kind: â€Å"Happiness that depends mainly on physical pleasure is unstable; one day it’s there and the next day it may not be† (Dalai Lama and Cutler, 2009, p. 33). A traditional Judeo-Christian perspective is found in the Old Testament in the verse â€Å"Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding† (Proverbs 3:18). This line of thinking reveals that it is in the process of working towards a laudable goal that people find happiness, and this rings true in modern experience too. Most people are happiest when they are lost in their work, or in a hobby, and they are proud and pleased when they can look back at their own hard won achievements. The transitory pleasures of modern life can keep us amused for short periods of time. True happiness, however, comes from the inside of a person, and develops over time as an attitude of mind. Life can be very hard, and for every living thing, death is the only certainty. This knowledge can lead to feelings of deep despair and hopelessness that no amount of pleasure can ever displace. It is only when people learn to focus on something worthwhile, and channel their energies into bettering themselves and helping their fellow citizens, that they start to fill up the empty hole of despair deep inside them. Fullfillment comes from