Satisfaction & A Joyful Life

Satisfaction & A Joyful Life

• Article of ALOK MIND (Buddhist Psychology) No. 6.
• Author: Bhikkhu ALOKA (Arlawka)
• Published by ALOK MIND Foundation 
• Issued: 8 September, 2024

1. Introduction

The pursuit of a joyful life remains elusive for nearly half of the global population, with many struggling to find true happiness. This article explores the critical role of satisfaction, according to Buddha’s teachings, in promoting a joyful life. The tendency to compare oneself to others often leads to dissatisfaction, jealousy, envy, and negative emotions that block true happiness. By studying Buddhist scriptures like the Dhammapada and Dasuttara Sutta, as well as the notions of scholars, the article underscores that contentment and positive emotions are essential for achieving inner peace. True joy arises from focusing on one’s personal goals, practicing wise attention, and cultivating sympathetic joy. By reducing dissatisfaction related to factors such as position, physical condition, and opportunity, one can overcome the problems of negative competition and comparison that disturb a joyful life.

2. Satisfaction

Everyone wants joyful life but Global Report says that 45% of world people have not felt true happiness. This is a very big issue for near half of world population. The reason is because people compare a lot with other. For example, a disable person compares with able people; an able person compares with rich and famous people; a middle-class person compares with high class people; un-educators compare with educated people; ugly people compare with beautiful people. Thus, comparation bring many dissatisfactions of self-life. For the solution of these types of worse mentality, here the writer would like to remind a very valuable phrase of Dr. K. Sri Dhammananda, “Always remember the saying, ‘I complained that I had no shoes until I met a man who had no feet.’ When we think thus, we will realize that there are many people who may be in an even worse position than we ourselves, and against this understanding our own problem can be reduced accordingly.”[1] This phrase is directly concerned with the people who are comparing with other neglecting current self-condition. If you are unsatisfied with your current condition or if you are with a sulky face for your current position, look at the people who are disable, homeless, or out of position. This kind of thought can develop satisfaction. If one out of satisfaction, he or she will compare with other moreover negative competition that make jealousy, envy, anger, and other evils. When one is with the evil mentality, there is no space within him or her for sympathetic joy practice.

Satisfaction which is known in Pāli waord as santutthi, is the greatest wealth taught by lord Buddha in Dhammapada verse number 204 as the following:

Without cultivating contentment or satisfaction, it is difficult to find true happiness or a joyful life. Those who are pursuing true joy must understand that satisfaction does not mean stopping the effort toward achieving their vision. Actually, it means that one should put energy for their gold and achieve it satisfy and be joyful with it; do not to compare with other but to focus self-gold.  Dr. K. Sri Dhammananda also gave a advice for happy and successful living. He said that, “the secret of happy, successful living lies in doing what needs to be done now.”[3] So, for daily sympathetic practice emphasizing life satisfaction, the practitioners should put their effort for the things they need to be done and satisfy with self-condition and stop comparing with others.

3. Joyful Life

According to Buddha’s teaching, for the one who seeking for true joyful life, must cultivate positive emotion and practice sympathetic joy. Positive emotion, which is known in Buddhism as Yonisomansikāra, is very important for the practice of sympathetic joy. Literally, it is translated as right attention or wise attention. Without right attention, it is difficult to see others’ growth in the right way. On the other hand, without wise attention, one cannot be happy with oneself due to an unsatisfactory mind or unwise attention, which includes over-greed, ego, jealousy, and so on. Therefore, Bhikkhuni Do Le Anh Thi said, “Wise attention is an important condition on the journey to true happiness. When the mind develops, life becomes brighter and happier.”[4] In Dasuttara Sutta, Lord Buddha said that, “In one who is appropriately attentive, joy is born. When one is joyful, rapture is born. In one who is enraptured at heart, the body grows calm.[5] Therefore, positive emotion or wise attention is very important for daily sympathetic joy practice which can give true joyful life.

4. Conclusion

The pursuit of a joyful life depends on one’s ability to cultivate satisfaction and positive emotions. As outlined in Buddhist teachings, the harmful habit of comparing oneself to others breeds dissatisfaction, jealousy, and unhealthy competition. By turning focus inward and embracing contentment, individuals can cultivate a more joyful life. Wise attention and sympathetic joy are essential for achieving inner peace. Ultimately, true joy comes from living with gratitude, appreciating one’s current circumstances, and focusing on personal goals without jealousy, envy, comparison or negative competition. Cultivating satisfaction does not mean the cessation of ambition, but rather finding a harmonious balance between striving for personal fulfillment and living a joyful life.

[1] Dhammananda, K. Sri, How to Live Without Fear and Worry? (Taiwan: The Corporation Republic of Hwa Dzan Society Publication, 2012), p. 22.

[2] Ibid. Daw Mya Tin (trs), The Dhammapada: Verses and Stories, (Rangoon, Burma: Burma Tipitaka Association, 1986), p. 168.

[3] Ibid., p. 154.

[4] Bhikkhuni Do Le, “The Effective Way of Cultivating the Mind Based on Wise Attention (Yoniso-Manasikāra)”, Ph.D. dissertation, Graduate School, Mahachulalong-kornrajavidyalaya University, 2021. p. 1.

[5] Dhammatalks Organization, (Translation of Thānissaro Bhikkhu), Progressing by Tens Dasuttara Sutta, [online], Resource: https://www.dhammatalks.org/suttas/-DN/DN34.html [July 8, 2024].