Happiness?-Tenzin Dasel

H ave you ever read the book ‘The Little Prince’? I must say I found it rather amusing when I first read it again as an adult. It took me time to realise and know why I loved it in the first place again. This strange and lovely parable made me realise what happiness meant to me as a child. It’ s a not book crafted by an old person for juvenile audience of for the adults with the intentions of restoring the cosmic wonders and innocence of lost childhood, it’s an attempt to intertwine each of these strands so each can understand the other and an equilibrium is created. 

To an adult it seems a child’s happiness is listening to lullabies, drink hot chocolate, reading fairy tales and giggling- secretly wanting to back in time and wishing they never grew up. But to a child , sparkles in their eyes that will be forever lost longs to grow up. Each is oblivious of the happiness they have at present -This is aptly described by the Buddha as ‘Dukkha’ meaning suffering.

“You are the cause of your suffering,” said the Buddha, what you seek is at your present- looking back at the bygones day or the desire to peep into the future is not where happiness lies. Happiness is a physical place to each of these individuals. They fail to realise happiness is not a mystic time machine. It is in no position to reach the recesses of yesterday. and offers no immediate relief to the pangs disquieting their core.