09/05/2023
This is when the seed dropped for me. Durring a Vipassana course when the image of this shirt arose and the idea of Dhamma Threads was born.
The words Be Happy is something SN Goenka often says and Iβd like to quote from a passage by which explains Happiness and how to allow it into your life so clearly:
Without a proper definition, happiness will always feel elusive and unattainable. Happiness can seem like an opaque goal until you realize that what you are actually striving for is a mixture of peace and joy.
On the road to happiness many get sidetracked by thinking that what they are looking for is pleasure. Getting happiness confused with pleasure becomes problematic because the craving for pleasure builds a lot of tension in the mind and it keeps the mind focused on external things. This idea makes you think that what you need is outside of you. Even when you get what you want there is always more to crave, it is a non-ending and dissatisfying habit pattern.
After a certain amount of reflection, the insight arises that happiness is not about what you can get, itβs an internally cultivated mindset. By examining your own past, you see that the distance between you and happiness has been created by the intensity of your reactions and the turbulence in your mind, both of which are internal dynamics that can shatter your enjoyment of good things that are trying to come your way. If your mind is not in a good place, it will not be able to accept the gifts that life is trying to give you.
To build a mindset that allows happiness in, you need to develop the quality of non-reactiveness. Life is generally uncontrollable and it is not possible to live without challenges, so eventually unwanted things and tough situations will appear. Being able to create space in your mind where you can recognize something as undesirable without reacting to it intensely not only helps you deal with it better, but it also keeps you connected to your peace. Not reacting literally allows peace to exist in your mind. The less you react, the more peace you have. π