Happiness Toolkit

We all want to be happy. It’s true for you, and it’s true for everybody. To fulfil this wish, we search for happiness in people, places, and activities. While these things can bring us temporary happiness, it tends not to last. Buddha taught that reliable sources of happiness can’t be found ‘out there’, and if we want to be truly happy we need to learn how to positively change our mind. In this course, we will learn more about this, as well as a toolkit full of practical methods to be able to develop and maintain that happiness we all desire! How many of our daily thoughts are consumed with our own worries and the challenges of those around us? Buddha's teachings present radically different ways of approaching the problems we encounter in our daily lives. By addressing our difficulties with a calm mind, a different view, and with new tools that create new habits, we can begin to experience a life with fewer problems and more space for happiness. For the next 11 weeks, we will be looking at special ways of thinking and daily living that are conducive to deep inner peace and joy. Specifically we will be looking at Buddha's teachings on the Eleven Virtuous Mental Factors, or eleven types of mind that if developed will bring the lasting inner peace and joy we all want. As these views are naturally causes of happiness, it is high recommended to develop familiarity with them, which we will do in these classes. The next 11 weeks will all be based on the masterwork by Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso Rinpoche titled, How to Understand the Mind. You do not need the book to attend the classes or the series, but it is recommended that you also do some reading. Class schedule: March 14: Developing a deep happiness through meditation March 21: Heading in a good direction through conscientiousness March 28: The key to success: concentration April 4th: How to enjoy the spiritual path April 11th: The Buddhist view of faith: the lifeline of spiritual practice April 18th: A free life: Non-attachment April 25th: Overcoming heavy negativity: Non-hatred May 2nd: Stainless wisdom: Non-ignorance May 9th: Protecting ourself from suffering May 16th: Protecting others from suffering May 23rd: A most sublime mind: compassion