Discourse on Happiness

A Discourse on Happiness 

(as taken from, and inspired by/edited/expanded upon, the Mahamangala Sutta)

What can bring about a peaceful and happy life?

To transform anger into compassionate awareness, 

impulse into loving action, 

and loss into honoring, learning and growing

To freely give every wounded ego (including my own) 

my loving hand to lift them up, 

keeping attentive presence 

to my own capacities as well as others'

To listen deeply to foolish and wise ones, 

keeping solid like a tree my inner-knowing, 

and sustaining the balance 

and diversity of my interactions; 

to honor those who call my honoring 

and life in all its different forms within each being

To cultivate my environment into healthiness, 

to plant good seeds, 

and to realize that I am on the right path

To have a chance to learn, 

to be skillful in my profession or craft, 

and to know how to practice mindfulness and loving speech

To be able to support my parents, 

to cherish my own family, 

and to have a job that I like and work with love

To be generous in giving, 

able to give support to relatives and friends, 

and to live a life of mindful conduct, consumption 

 and contribution

To avoid doing things that are harmful, destructive, 

unethical or ultimately contradictory to 

my deep, true inner-knowing; 

to avoid being caught by intoxications, 

and to be diligent in doing nourishing 

and life-sustaining, life-enhancing things

To be humble and polite, 

grateful and content with a simple life, 

and not to miss the opportunity to learn and grow

To persevere and be open to change, 

to have regular interaction with self, 

others, and environment, 

knowing that each is on their own path; 

to participate in constructive, 

wellness-oriented discussions

(As a group or community:) 

To be collectively like the sturdy Redwood trees, 

whose roots all interconnect; 

to bring our consciousness to intergrowing 

(as individuals, as community)

To live diligently and attentively, 

to perceive truth where I find it in myself, 

others, and my environment; 

to realize peace within and around

To live in the world, with my heart in the cycle of 

filling and emptying, embracing and letting go, 

growing towards the healthiness of 

all living beings and the planet, 

with all sorrows embraced and transforming, 

dwelling in peace

Living such practices, I will grow with and through and past 

and again, never-redundantly again,
 the states of the heart and the mind
 and the nature emergent, with recognition
 Wherever I am; 

always I'll be home and happy----

Living such practices---this is the deepest happiness.