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Article from jiqun.com id=213. source.dj/target.dj at 179-line parity;
bilingual.dj generated locally (not committed). Terminology verified against
terms DB; decisions and open points in edit-suggestions.dj. Toolkit bump
brings in speaker's-voice (语气) guidance applied in this translation.
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-Subproject commit 216a7658acd4c5afb68347e7ea1e9cae7fda43d2
+Subproject commit da0ee578340da7b348347fe7043073cd41e71a20
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+# Edit suggestions — 心灵创造幸福
+
+Terminology and consistency notes flagged for reviewer attention.
+
+## Terminology decisions (all verified against terms DB)
+
+- 心灵创造幸福 → *The Mind Creates Happiness*
+- 三法印 → the Three Dharma Seals (佛教术语, loc 心灵创造幸福)
+- 诸行无常 → all conditioned phenomena are impermanent (BAICKZ)
+- 《杂阿含经》 → the Samyuktagama (佛教术语/经论名, loc 心灵创造幸福). Note: DoT定稿 renders 《杂阿含经》 as "The Numerical Discourses of the Buddha" — that is the Anguttara Nikaya correspondence, not Samyuktagama. Article-specific entry used instead.
+- 两支毒箭 → two poisoned arrows (DoT初步)
+- 五福临门 → the Five Blessings descend upon this home; 康宁 → health and peace; 好德 → virtue; 善终 → a good death (佛教术语, loc 心灵创造幸福)
+- 善逝 → the Well-Gone One; 预知时至 → foresee one's time of death; 坐脱立亡 → pass away gracefully at one's own command, seated or standing (佛教术语)
+- 悲田 / 恩田 / 敬田 → the field of compassion / gratitude / respect (佛教术语, loc 心灵创造幸福)
+- 断德 / 智德 / 悲德 → the virtue of cessation / wisdom / compassion (佛教术语 + DoT定稿)
+- 贪嗔痴 → greed, hatred, and ignorance (BAICKZ majority; DB also has "delusion" — kept "ignorance" for consistency with 无明 → ignorance)
+- 勤修戒定慧，息灭贪嗔痴 → diligently practice the precepts, concentration, and wisdom to extinguish greed, hatred, and ignorance (偈颂经文名言, 传承国学)
+- 《金刚经》quote → DB 偈颂经文名言 version: "All conditioned phenomena are like dreams, illusions, bubbles, shadows, like dewdrops and a lightning flash. Contemplate them thus."
+- 念佛是谁 → "Who is actually reciting the Buddha's name?" (偈颂经文名言, loc 心灵创造幸福)
+- 本来面目 → original face; 心猿意马 → a mind like a capering monkey and a galloping horse; 举身微笑 → full-body smile; 知足常乐 → contentment brings happiness; 觉性 → awakened nature; 魔性 → demonic nature (all 佛教术语, loc 心灵创造幸福)
+- 塞翁失马 / 祸兮福之所倚 quotes → DB 偈颂经文名言 versions verbatim
+- 临终关怀 → hospice care; 《易经》 → the Book of Changes; 水中捞月 → scoop the moon out of the water
+
+## Open points for reviewer
+
+1. 福报 rendered as "blessings" throughout (DB also has "karmic reward", "merits"). "Blessings" keeps the 福 linkage with 幸福/五福 readable for a lay audience.
+2. 闽南人喝功夫茶 → "gongfu tea in Minnan" — kept the regional reference; consider "southern Fujian" if Minnan is too obscure.
+3. 胡润百富 → the Hurun Rich List (not in DB; standard media rendering).
+4. 明心见性 → "illuminate the mind and see its true nature" (literal Chan idiom) rather than DB's "realize the Buddha-nature within oneself", which would pre-empt the next section's 佛性 discussion.
+
+## Voice (语气) notes
+
+Per updated skill guidance, deliberately preserved: rhetorical questions as questions throughout; first-person teacher asides (我经常说 / 我曾在讲座中 / 我曾在微博 / 由此我想到); reasoning connectives (可见 → "clearly / so we can see", 所以说 → "so / that is why"); inclusive we/you address; homely analogies kept concrete (apple, leaking boat, teacup, mask).
diff --git a/translate-files/心灵创造幸福/source.dj b/translate-files/心灵创造幸福/source.dj
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+*心灵创造幸福*
+
+——2014年12月讲于"幸福·力量"太湖国际论坛
+
+济群法师
+
+很高兴看到这么多人来参加关于幸福的讲座，可见这个内容很有吸引力。前些年，央视曾就此向数千个不同地区、年龄、行业者进行采访，一时间，"你幸福吗"成了热门话题。这个调查和种种出人意料的回复，从不同侧面反映了很多人对幸福的茫然。比如诺贝尔奖得主莫言的回答是"我不知道"，这个答案是作家的回避或调侃吗？他接着的解读是："我现在压力很大，忧虑重重，能幸福么？但我要说不幸福，那也太装了吧。刚得诺贝尔奖能说不幸福吗？"
+
+可以说，这也代表了很多人说到"幸福"时的共同感受：我们的生活条件提高了这么多，没理由说不幸福，可为什么就感受不到幸福呢？到底哪里出了问题？在过去的穷苦年代，我们把希望寄托在物质改善，以为有钱就能幸福。甚至对不少人来说，能吃饱穿暖就是莫大的幸福。但当越来越多的人富起来之后，当我们拥有的早已超出温饱之需，幸福却和我们捉起了迷藏。
+
+幸福在哪里？钱带来了暂时的满足，但这种愉悦如此短暂，随之而来的，还有攀比和竞争。看到别人有更多的钱，更优越的生活，满足就变成了不满足，甚至带来了嫉妒和嗔恨。而我们期待的幸福，却像天边的云彩，可望而不可即。可见，幸福远非我们曾经以为的那么简单，更不是拥有财富、改善生活之后的必然结果。
+
+为什么我们有了那么多，还是得不到幸福？这就涉及另一些问题：幸福到底是什么？幸福是特定条件下的假象，还是代表生命本质的存在？什么阻碍了我们获得幸福？或者说，幸福的最大杀手是什么？如果幸福只是一种暂时的假象，追求幸福岂不成了水中捞月，注定是一场不可企及的幻想？
+
+如果不解决这些问题，我们对幸福的追求，必然是模糊而一厢情愿的。答案在哪里？事实上，它取决于我们对幸福的认识深度，而这个深度又取决于我们对生命乃至人生意义的认识。生命包括两个层面，一是物质层面，二是心灵层面。那么，生命的本质是什么？悲观主义哲学认为，生命本身充满荒谬和痛苦。如果这样的话，我们追求幸福的意义在哪里？佛法又是怎样看待生命的本质？
+
+今天讲座的题目是"心灵创造幸福"，我想从以下几方面提供一些想法。
+
+*一、如何面对逆境*
+
+*1．不接纳，痛苦的放大器*
+
+人生不如意事十之八九。生活中，常常有信众来倾诉他们的不幸遭遇。包括健康问题，比如自己患有疾病乃至绝症；生死问题，比如亲朋好友突然去世；家庭问题，比如儿女教育、夫妻感情等等。此外，还有人际关系、事业发展、天灾人祸带来的种种困扰。应该说，每个人或多或少地遇到过这些问题，只是方式和程度有所不同。很多人本来按部就班地生活着，一旦遭遇逆境，就方寸大乱，一蹶不振，使人生陷入烦恼，甚至使整个家庭落入痛苦的深渊。
+
+如果客观分析，一个人或一件事的变故，未必能摧毁我们的生活。那么，究竟是什么让人如此痛苦，如此绝望？真正的原因，往往在于当事人的不接纳，而不是逆境本身。我们总是想不通，自己怎么会遇到这样的事！于是怨天尤人，抱怨社会不公，指责老天无眼。正是这种不接纳，把原来的那点痛苦不断放大。可以说，我们的抗拒多少，由此而来的痛苦就有多少。
+
+为什么我们无法接纳变化？关键在于内心有一种恒常的设定。这种设定是以自我需要为中心的，觉得我的身体应该永远健康，我的家人应该不离不弃，我的朋友应该无比忠诚，我的事业应该一切顺利。我们甚至会暗暗觉得：像我这么好的人，所有天灾人祸可以发生在别人身上，但不应该发生在我身上。
+
+有了这份恒常的设定，我们还会执著于此，进而形成依赖，不希望它有任何变化。因为变化就意味着失去依赖，意味着现有的平衡被打破。所以，一旦生活中出现不如意，就会因抗拒引发焦虑、不安、恐惧，甚至嗔恨、愤怒等破坏性的情绪。
+
+我们希望生活健康、婚姻美满、家庭幸福、事业顺利，希望一切都在稳定的状态下，感觉那才是幸福。但这个世界并不像我们以为的那么稳定，事实上，它时刻都处在无常变化中。如果不能正确面对逆境，人生就会充满随时可能引爆的定时炸弹。
+
+*2．接纳，转化的智慧*
+
+为什么不同人面对同样的境界时，会有截然不同的处理方式？关键就在于是否接纳。如果我们有接纳现实的能力，即使面对逆境，也能处之泰然，积极应对，而不会对内心造成任何痛苦烦恼。如何具备这一能力？首先要从内心正视"无常"。事实上，这才是世界的真相所在，就像春夏秋冬，花开花落。
+
+而所谓的永恒，只是我们的幻想和期待，是和世界真相不符的。在三法印中，就以"诸行无常"为首。这是佛法的核心教义，也是宇宙人生的发展规律，告诉我们：从内在身心到外在世界，一切都处在刹那刹那的变化中。也就是说，这种变化从不停息，哪怕任何一个极短的瞬间，都在不停地变化。就像苹果，不是在某个特定时刻腐烂的，而是在它看似完好时就趋于败坏了。人生也是一样，从我们出生的那天起，没有一刻不在生灭变化中，没有一刻不在走向死亡。
+
+变是正常的，不变只是相对的。中国古代《易经》所揭示的，也是关于变化的原理。如果我们真正认识无常，就能坦然接纳生活中的一切变化，因为它本来如此。那样的话，任何逆境都不会对我们造成伤害了。
+
+关于接纳，佛陀在《杂阿含经》中以"两支毒箭"为我们作了开示。第一支毒箭，是被箭射中时的身苦，也代表我们遭遇的各种逆境；第二支毒箭则是由此带来的心苦。当我们被第一支毒箭射中，痛苦已经发生时，要及时止损，避免继续被第二支毒箭射中。事实上，这是比之前更严重、更持久的伤害。
+
+比如有人打骂你，不过是一时的伤害，但你对此怀恨在心或念念不忘的话，就会长久地陷入负面情绪，持续几天、几个月甚至几十年。这才是真正可怕的。反之，如果你能接纳的话，伤害就到此为止，不会进一步发展。但我们也要知道，接纳不等于认同，更不是纵容，所以事后可以根据对方的情况，以适合的方式进行教育。其目的也是为了帮助对方，而不是自己要论输赢，争对错。
+
+除了无常，佛教所说的因缘因果也可以帮助我们接纳逆境。对于证果的圣者来说，即使遭受极大的身苦，哪怕因此失去生命，都不会悲伤怨恨，由身苦引发心苦。因为他们知道，这种身苦是众缘和合导致的，当结果已经发生时，就要坦然接纳，否则就是在继续制造新的苦因。
+
+佛法认为，任何事情都不是偶然的，都有它的前因后果。比如现在身体不好，可能是因为饮食不健康，生活没规律，也可能是因为缺乏运动，疏于调理，或是杀业造得太多，诸如此类，都是影响健康的因素。再如人际关系，很多时候，我们会责备身边的人，觉得都是别人不好。其实，这往往和自己的设定或处世方式有关，不会站在别人的角度考虑问题，冲突就在所难免。
+
+学佛是帮助我们在任何一件事发生时，去寻找它的原因，然后从调整自身下手。通过因上的努力来改变结果，而不是一味责怪环境，责怪对方。此外，佛教非常重视"忏悔"的修行，就是通过对自己的检讨，改过自新，进而影响别人。
+
+有不少人通过学佛，使家庭和工作中的人际关系得到很大改善，夫妻相敬如宾，父子上慈下孝，同事和睦相处，这样的例子不胜枚举。为什么能有这些效果？就是在学佛之后，懂得向内观照，自我反省。当一个人发现自己的不足和缺点时，就不会一味指责他人，使关系更加对立。随着这样的改变，身边人也会发生改变，乃至整个环境都在随之改变。因为这就是正能量的传递。
+
+当我们能如实接纳一切境界时，还有什么会让你受到伤害，让幸福打了折扣呢？
+
+*3．让逆境成为修道助缘*
+
+其实，逆境对人生来说未必是坏事。古代有个成语叫"塞翁失马，焉知非福"，此外，《老子》也告诉我们："祸兮福之所倚，福兮祸之所伏。"福，如果不知善用，会成为灾难的温床，堕落的资本；祸，如果善于转化，也会成为全新的起点，励志的动力。
+
+我们在生活中常常可以看到，有人在顺境中沉沦了，也有人在逆境中成长了。那些身陷囹圄的官员们，都曾身居高位，风光无限，结果为所欲为，沦为阶下之囚，这就是"福兮祸之所伏"的真实写照。对人生来说，顺境有时会成为麻醉剂，让人忘乎所以，而逆境反而能让我们更加清醒，对人生的思考更加深刻。
+
+所以说，正确面对逆境，接纳逆缘，既可以避免无谓的烦恼，也有助于人生的历练和成长，更能成为修行的增上缘。反之，如果不能接纳，一味抗拒，逆境非但不会就此远离，还会让我们沉溺在痛苦中，难以自拔。
+
+*二、幸福要有福*
+
+*1．五福临门*
+
+就像流水要有源头、树木要有根系那样，幸福也需要有福报的基础。中国古代有句非常吉祥的话，叫"五福临门"。所谓五福，即长寿、富贵、康宁、好德和善终，包含了构成幸福的各个因素。
+
+首先是长寿，古代医疗条件有限，人们往往会因一些并不致命的疾病早夭，能够颐养天年，安然享有人生，可谓人生重要的福报。
+
+其次是富贵，包括富和贵两部分。富是指财富，能够生活无忧，精神富足；而贵是指地位尊贵，品行高尚，受到世人的恭敬。
+
+第三是康宁，即身体健康，内心安宁，这点非常重要。虽然人人都在追求幸福，但我们的追求往往偏向外在的财富和地位，而康宁是现代人普遍缺乏的。我经常说："身心健康是人生的第一财富，修身养性是人生最有价值的投资。"如果没有健康的身心，就像一艘四处漏水的破船，无论装饰得多么华丽，也没有多少意义。如果没有健康的身体，整日缠绵病榻，生不如死，即使再富有，地位再高，有幸福可言吗？没有健康的心灵更是麻烦。现代人最大的特点，就是浮躁、混乱、不得安宁。曾经有首流行歌曲，叫"最近有点烦，有点烦，有点烦……"这个无处不在的"烦"，正是很多人的真实写照。其实，"烦恼"一词就来自佛教。烦是扰的意思，恼是乱的意思，烦恼就是扰乱内心安宁的因素。一旦陷入烦恼和负面情绪时，幸福就被自动屏蔽了。因为幸福是一种感觉，当内心被烦恼占据，幸福就没有立足之地了。哪怕你拥有别人艳羡的富贵荣华，也不会带来幸福感。因为在你心中，它们都被烦恼打上了烙印。只有当内心没有烦恼，像一片无云晴空时，幸福才会不请而至。所以，解除烦恼才能身心自在，这是幸福的重要前提。
+
+此外，古人把好德列为五福之一，很有意义。随着道德教育的缺失，很多人对道德不以为然，甚至将道德行为视为一种吃亏。这就涉及一个问题，道德对自身有多大意义，对社会有多大意义？德是德行，从外在来说，是待人处世的原则和素养，从内在来说，是健康、正向的心理因素。所以说，践行道德就是在培养健康心理，铸造健全人格，使我们的心灵充满正能量。另一方面，一个有道德的人，更容易得到他人的认可和尊重，使福报可持续发展。可见对人生幸福而言，不论内因还是外缘，道德都是不可或缺的。
+
+第五是善终。佛陀有十大名号，其中之一为"善逝"，就是能预知时至，生死自在。善终正是与此相似的美好愿望，希望临命终时身无病痛，心无挂碍，能安详自在地离开人间，而不是突遇横祸或久病在床。很多人对死亡是回避而恐惧的，我们知道人必有一死，但心里总觉得是别人的事。可回避并不能阻挡死亡，恐惧也不能改变什么，事实上，这只能令我们在死亡到来时措手不及。对现代人来说，越有钱，往往越不容易善终。因为有钱就不想死，最后全身插满管子，在各种抢救中毫无尊严地离开世间。所以，认识并超越死亡，是佛教的重要修行。佛教史上，很多修行人不仅能预知时至，而且坐脱立亡，潇洒自在，想怎么死就怎么死，为今生画上一个圆满的句号。虽然一般人做不到这样，但能不受折磨地安详离去，于人于己都是很大的福报。所以，古人也把善终作为五福之一。
+
+由此我想到，老年人的精神生活和临终关怀正是当今中国的两大问题。我们年轻时在社会打拼，感觉事业、金钱、享乐就是一切。可退休之后，当身体机能逐渐衰退，已不能享受多少物欲之乐，又该怎么过日子？不少人晚年无所事事，既没有信仰，也没有精神生活，几乎就在混吃等死。但因为对死亡的无知，又对这个即将到来的结局充满恐惧。这在中国社会尤其突出。所以，一方面要有精神追求，一方面要正确认识死亡，接受生老病死的规律，老来才能过得充实而安然。佛教的临终关怀就是对人进行心理疏导，让人知道，今生只是生命长河的一个片段，当身体到了使用期限，带着正向心念离去，才能在生命转换时找到向上的出路。
+
+总之，幸福是由诸多因素组成的，如果长寿而不康宁，富贵而无好德，或是最终不得好死，都算不上幸福人生。所以，追求幸福也要从这些方面着手，不仅拥有外在财富，还要身心健康，德行高尚。
+
+*2．要有福，先培福*
+
+那么，一个人如何才能拥有这些福报？不是说你能力强，就一定有福。因为福报也有它的前因后果，所以佛教告诉我们，首先必须培植福田，主要是悲田、恩田、敬田三种。
+
+悲田，就是慈悲普天下的劳苦大众。他们需要快乐，可是没有快乐；他们想摆脱痛苦，可是没能力摆脱痛苦。如果我们从慈悲心出发，帮助他们获得快乐，解决痛苦，就是在长养慈悲，耕耘悲田。慈善的本质是什么？并不是简单的捐献或帮助，而是慈悲大爱。当我们本着慈悲大爱来捐献或助人，才是实至名归的慈善。否则，即使捐了再多钱，做了再多事，严格地来说，只是善行而已，不能称为真正的慈善。也只有从慈悲心出发，我们所做的一切，才会源源不断地产生福报。
+
+恩田，就是对有恩于你的人，比如父母长辈、兄弟姐妹、亲戚朋友，包括一切众生，乃至山河大地，都怀着感恩心去回报。因为我们的生活离不开他人帮助，也离不开日月天地，山川草木。正是因为这一切的存在，我们才能自在无忧地生活。所以，我们要以感恩心面对这一切，尽己所能地回馈他人，包括关爱社会，保护环境。当我们心怀感恩时，看到一切都会非常欢喜。感恩不仅是福报的源泉，本身就是一种健康、正向、让人快乐的心理。在回馈的同时，自己当下就能受益。相反，如果不知感恩，总是带着负面心理看问题，觉得谁都欠了你，结果只能让自己痛苦。
+
+敬田，是对有德者心生恭敬，包括我们的老师、宗教师，也包括社会上德高望重的人。我们平时在寺院看到佛像会顶礼，因为这些神圣场所本身就有加持力，当我们进入其中，身心会被摄受；另一方面，当你有一份虔诚和恭敬时，会让自己的心得到净化，变得清净而调柔。而当我们无所畏惧时，则会肆无忌惮，使内心躁动而混乱。所以，带着恭敬心面对有德者，才能与佛菩萨和善知识感应道交，得到正能量的加持。
+
+耕耘福田，关键是建立三种心，即慈悲心、感恩心和恭敬心。这是产生福报的发电站，能源源不断地制造福报，让心灵越来越健康，生命越来越自在。我们有什么样的心，就会和什么样的境相应，可见，拥有什么样的心才是主导。就像前面所说，慈善的根本在于慈悲大爱之心。如果没有这样的心行基础，捐献也可能产生各种副作用。所以我们要培养爱心，让世界有更多的慈悲，而不仅仅是号召一些有钱人捐钱。如果我们具足爱心，有了经济条件固然可以对人施以援手；即使没有经济条件，也会尽己所能地帮助社会、利益他人，而不是做些损人害己之事。
+
+我曾在讲座中多次谈到成功的问题。现代社会评价成功的标准，如福布斯排行榜、胡润百富等，只是根据拥有的财富进行评估，并没有考虑做人的因素。如果一个人没有慈悲、不懂感恩，也不知恭敬为何物，即使拥有再多的财富，也是不能带来幸福的。所以，除了做事的成功，做人的成功更为重要，后者才是幸福的关键所在。总之，幸福绝不单纯是以财富决定的，而是由综合因素组成。其中，德行是基础，身心健康是关键，外在条件是辅助。建立在这些基础上的幸福，才是完整的。
+
+*三、提高认识，智慧没有烦恼*
+
+*1．外境、心态和认识*
+
+幸福和人生观有很大关系。西方的积极心理学，就是引导我们积极、正向地看待问题。从佛教角度来说，有什么样的认识，决定了我们会看到什么样的世界。因为我们眼中的世界，只是呈现在认识上的影像，是被个人感觉改造过的。
+
+比如说，我们看到的世界和狗看到的世界一样不一样？肯定不一样。因为狗的认识和人不同，所以狗的见闻觉知自然也和人不同。除了感觉以外，我们还要受到情绪的影响。比如我们对那个人有好感，看他做什么都顺眼；对那个人很讨厌，看他做什么都不顺眼。可见，拥有什么样的认识模式，对于每个生命非常重要。
+
+我们的认识也会影响到心态。有个故事说，一位老阿婆整天哭泣，天晴天雨都要哭。别人问她哭什么？她说：我有两个女婿，一个做雨伞，一个做瓦片。天晴时，我想着做伞的女婿没生意了，所以要哭；下雨时，我想着做瓦的女婿没法干活，所以也要哭。后来有位禅师对她说：你换个方式想，下雨就想着做伞的女婿，天晴就想着做瓦的女婿。阿婆自从调整认识之后，每天都乐呵呵的。这就说明了积极思维和消极思维的差别。
+
+佛教既不是消极心理学，也不同于积极心理学，它给我们提供的，是一种如实、正向的思维。所谓如实，就是和事实真相相符。佛教认为，人类的很多烦恼都和认识有关，这就需要调整观念，改变认识，所谓"智慧没有烦恼"。
+
+古代很多文人士大夫都喜欢通过诵经来调心，这也是改变认识的过程。比如《金刚经》告诉我们："一切有为法，如梦幻泡影，如露亦如电，应作如是观。"在这个世界，从秦皇汉武到唐宗宋祖，所有这些辉煌，不过是因缘和合的假相，会随着条件的聚合和消散而生灭。具备这样的认识后，我们对现实世界就不会看得那么重。一帆风顺时，不至得意忘形，因为它未必长久；遭受挫折时，也不会受伤太深，因为它就会过去。有了这样的认识和心态，就能在积极进取的同时，不为所累。
+
+*2．如实认识*
+
+佛教中，将凡夫的生命状态概括为"无明"二字。什么是无明？简单地说，就像把房间的灯关掉，会一片漆黑。与此对应的则是"明"，代表智慧。佛法认为，每个人内心都有一盏智慧明灯。当这盏灯没有点亮之前，生命会处在无明状态，使我们看不清自己，看不清世界。
+
+人活在哪里？其实是活在自己的念头中，活在一种心理状态中。我们不了解自己，可又非常在乎自己，结果就会产生错误认定，把种种不是"我"的东西当做是"我"。其实，这是人生最大的误解。因为我们看到的都是来来去去的云彩，却从来没有见过那个虚空，从来都不知道，云彩背后的，才是生命的本来面目。当我们把念头当做"我"的时候，就会被念头所纠缠，使之成为生命的主宰，就像滚滚乌云，遮蔽了整个天空。但我们要知道，念头终究是无自性的，是没有根的。如果我们对念头保持观照，保持距离，它就无法影响我们了。
+
+西方哲学有一句重要的名言：认识你自己！我们每天都在关注自己，在乎自己，心心念念都是为了自己，难道还不认识自己吗？那么，抛开所有的想法、概念、设定，当一切念头都没有活动之前，生命是什么状态？我们关注过吗？所以，禅宗修行让我们参"念佛是谁"，参"一念未生前本来面目是什么"，参"父母未生前本来面目是什么"。事实上，真正认识自己，就能明心见性了。
+
+当我们对生命作智慧审视，不断追问"我是谁""什么代表我的存在"，就会发现，曾经认定为"我"的一切，和我们只有暂时的关系。无论是身体、情绪，还是身份、财富，哪一样是可以永远拥有的？但我们因为无明和贪著，很容易把身体当做是我，把情绪当做是我，把身份和财富当做是我，乃至把种种不是"我"的东西当做是"我"，进而产生贪著和依赖。问题是，所有这一切都是无常变化的。把身体当做我，就会害怕死亡，害怕这个色身的消失。把身份当做是我，一旦失去身份，就不知何以自处了。就像面具戴的时间长了，以为面具就是自己的脸，当没有面具时，反而茫茫然不知所措了。
+
+人生的烦恼和痛苦来自哪里？无非是来自感情，来自家庭，来自财富，来自地位，来自身份，来自身体……如果我们看清这些和生命只有暂时的关系，就不会因为它的变化而焦虑、恐惧，不会受到无谓的伤害。
+
+如何才能看清现实？佛法关于无我、空的思想，就是帮助我们纠正这些认知。佛法讲"无我"，并不是说"我"这个色身不存在；讲"空"，也不是否定一切存在的现象，而是要否定我们附加于自我和世界的错误设定。当我们不断以"无我"和"空"去审视自我，审视世界的时候，就能剥离种种外在执著，使智慧光明得以显现，从而解除迷惑，看清真相。
+
+当内心不再有迷惑烦恼，我们所感受到的幸福，将是生命本质的存在。它不需要依赖任何外在条件，无论在什么环境中，我们本具的智慧光明都会源源不断地散发喜悦。如果幸福是建立于外在条件上，必然是肤浅而不稳定的。因为环境会不断变化，感觉也会不断变化。真正的幸福是代表生命本质的存在，找到这样一种存在，才是幸福的宝藏。
+
+*四、多欲为苦，知足常乐*
+
+*1．欲望和幸福感*
+
+幸福是什么？通常，人们追求的幸福只是一种感觉而已，是欲望达成后的满足感。我们不妨回忆一下，凡是自己觉得不幸福的时候，一定有欲望不曾得到满足，包括物质的需求，也包括精神的需求。事实上，单纯的物质匮乏，只要不影响生存，未必会带来多少痛苦。真正让人烦恼的，是想要的却怎么也得不到，这种求不得之苦，其实远远大于匮乏带来的痛苦。
+
+每个人的需求不同，满足的难易程度也随之不同。有些人的欲望就像闽南人喝功夫茶的茶杯那么小，只要一点水就满了。我们小时候所求不多，就容易满足，也容易觉得幸福，所以人们记忆中的幸福时刻，往往是在儿时。一旦欲望膨胀之后，就像四大洋五大洲一样，再多的水也无法把它填满。哪怕再有钱，也觉得不如别人富有，不如别人风光。对于这样的人来说，还有什么幸福可言？
+
+当然，通过满足欲望得来的幸福，其实是一种假相，非常短暂。比如不少人觉得，品尝美食是件幸福的事。其实这是有前提的，必须是你想吃也需要吃的时候，美食才能带来满足和幸福。如果你没有胃口，或者已经吃饱，什么样的美食也只能给你增加负担。如果必须吃了又吃，简直就苦不堪言了。还有不少人觉得，早上可以睡到自然醒很幸福，但如果让你躺在床上不许起身，幸福就变成折磨了。如果从此将卧床不起，更会让人痛不欲生。那时候，能够起来行动自如，又成了梦寐以求的幸福。
+
+可见，欲望能够带来的，只是某种需求被缓解后产生的满足感，是在特定情况下产生的，是幸福的假相，而不是本质。这种幸福是不可靠的。
+
+*2．追逐欲望的过患*
+
+今天的社会都在通过鼓动欲望而刺激消费。厂家在不断升级产品，商家则全方位地激发购买欲，整个社会处在占有、攀比和竞争中。我们不但想占有财富，还会不断攀比：我要比你有钱，比你消费得起。这种攀比带来了竞争，甚至是不择手段的恶性竞争。一旦陷入这种占有、攀比和竞争的循环，人就会被挟裹其中，难以自主。
+
+我们现在有了那么多便利的生活用品，可以从洗衣做饭的劳作中解放出来，却没能因此过得悠闲，反而活得更累。为什么？在过去的年代，我们虽然物质清贫，但相对单纯，也没有攀比带来的压力。但在今天这个全球化的时代，我们可以看到太多激发欲望的东西，这就很容易带来攀比。有了这个，还要那个；拥有之后，还要追求品牌。为了攀比，只能不断向前。我们付出的很多努力，既不是生存所需，也不是生活和生命的需要，而是攀比让自己停不下来。
+
+另一方面，发达的资讯和各种电子产品也在侵占我们的时间。尤其是手机和移动互联网，让很多人时时刻刻地粘著其上。在那些庞杂的信息碎片中，我们的时间碎片化了，注意力碎片化了，生命也变得破碎不堪。现在很少有人可以安安静静地和自己相处，一旦有点时间，就得在手机上看些什么，否则就无所适从。这种习惯带来的最大问题，是使我们失去了休息的能力。很多时候，哪怕身体已经很想休息了，可心还在躁动着，不得安宁。古人讲的心猿意马，就是心在不断地抓取外境。这样活着，能不累吗？能幸福吗？
+
+我经常说，未来考量一个人能否获得幸福的重要条件，就是看他有没有休息能力。有休息能力，才可能有健康的身心，才可能获得幸福。为什么休息的能力那么重要？其实，这是代表对心的管理能力。一个不会休息的人，心是无法自主的，只能随着外境和业风飘荡，最后在飘荡中耗尽这个宝贵人身。世间最大的浪费莫过于此。
+
+欲望使我们很忙很累。当我们的需求越来越多，同时也意味着，对外在世界会有越来越多的依赖。而依赖越多，依赖对象发生变化的几率就越大。为什么现代人普遍焦虑、恐惧、没有安全感？就是因为生命难以独立，所以总在担心外在的种种变化，担心这些变化让自己的生活失去平衡。其实世界时刻都在变化，但只有那些我们需要、在乎并发生联系的部分，才会让我们受到影响。所以，少一分需要，就能少一分在乎和影响。
+
+欲望还使我们的生存成本越来越高。过去的人虽然物质贫乏，但也可以养活自己乃至家庭。而现在收入提高了那么多，养家却成了很大的压力。为什么？就是因为欲望使生存成本不断提升，相应的，幸福成本也水涨船高。古人讲知足常乐，你的欲望少，就容易满足，也容易幸福。反之，就不容易满足，不容易幸福。
+
+所以，怎么对待欲望，是获得幸福的关键。如果不能在和欲望的对垒中占据主动，就会被其所控。
+
+*五、幸福来自心灵*
+
+*1．心的不同层面*
+
+心既是痛苦的源泉，也是快乐的源泉。想要过得幸福，必须建设健康的心灵。我想大家应该有这样的体会，当内心贪婪、仇恨、焦虑、恐惧、嫉妒、自私等负面心理产生活动时，不仅会使心痛苦纠结，甚至会使身体产生不良反应。只要这些心理得不到解决，问题将接踵而至，永无宁日。
+
+但这颗心同时也是快乐的源泉。当内心没有烦恼时，我们很容易开心。这个开心从哪里来？其实很多时候和物质条件并没有什么关系。就像佛菩萨的举身微笑，那种发自内心、遍布全身的欢喜，并不是因为得到什么，而是来自觉醒的心。佛法告诉我们，每个人内心都有觉悟潜质，这个觉性会源源不断地制造快乐。
+
+我曾在微博中说过佛教关于人生苦乐的认识。学佛者都知道，佛教说"人生是苦"。其实这个说法并不完整，而是有特定对象的。也就是说，凡夫以迷惑和烦恼为基础的生命才是痛苦的。而对于觉悟者来说，生命的本质也是自由而欢喜的。因为在迷惑烦恼的背后还有觉悟潜质，一旦开启这个层面，生命就是无限的自在，无限的宁静，无限的喜悦。
+
+这是生命的两个层面，是由内心的两大阵营造就的。其中，健康的良性心理是我们的朋友，会让生命得到提升，给人生带来幸福快乐，给社会带来安定和谐。而那些不健康的负面心理则是我们的敌人，会不断制造痛苦和麻烦。佛法认为，人生最大的敌人就是自己。这个自己，正是指内心的烦恼。生活中一切痛苦，从对自己的折磨，到不和谐的人际关系，乃至杀盗淫妄等种种犯罪现象，都是这个敌人造成的。从根本上说，人的两面性就是佛性和魔性。开启佛性，能让我们成就圆满的智慧和慈悲；而放任魔性，结果只能是堕落恶道，长劫受苦。
+
+在座有不少是成功人士，我们会花很多精力去了解和关心社会，可从来没想过，真正应该学会的是了解自己，管理自己，这才是人生的头等大事。佛法就是帮助我们了解，内心有哪些正向的力量，哪些负面的心理。
+
+*2．从自利到利他*
+
+佛菩萨是学佛修行的目标。之所以能成为目标，在于佛菩萨所成就的三种功德，一是断德，即断除一切烦恼；二是智德，即圆满无量智慧；三是悲德，即成就大慈大悲。
+
+佛教认为，凡夫的生命都有贪嗔痴三种病毒。一切的痛苦和负面情绪，都是由这三种病毒而衍生，这就需要"勤修戒定慧，息灭贪嗔痴"。此外，还要开发生命的良性潜质，成就智慧和慈悲。因为慈悲，我们不仅要自己解脱烦恼，还看到每个生命都有贪嗔痴，都有迷惑烦恼，所以发心帮助他们。这种慈悲是广大而没有分别的，就像观音菩萨的大慈大悲，没有一个众生是你不愿意帮助的。所以说，佛法修行不仅是帮助自己建立幸福人生，同时要帮助普天下的芸芸众生建立幸福人生。
+
+我们通常所以为的幸福，往往只是一种假相。真正的幸福，应该代表生命本质性的存在。这就必须彻底去除破坏幸福的心理，开显生命内在的良性潜质。一旦开发觉性，生命才能真正成为幸福的存在，也能源源不断地给众生带来幸福。这也是大乘佛法的修行目标。
+
+*结束语*
+
+以上从五个方面探讨了心灵创造幸福的原理，从中说明，我们向往幸福，首先要具备接纳一切顺逆境界的能力，这样才不会被外境所转，保持平和与从容。其次要认识到带来幸福的诸多因素，时时耕耘福田，使福报可持续发展。第三要提高认识，以积极正向的心态看待自己，看待世界。第四要避免追逐欲望带来的过患，这是破坏幸福的大敌。最重要的，则是看清心的不同层面，知道应该发展什么，舍弃什么，进而从自利到利他，从追求个人幸福，到给予众生幸福，这才是究竟、圆满的幸福。
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+*The Mind Creates Happiness*
+
+—— Delivered in December 2014 at the "Happiness and Strength" Taihu International Forum
+
+Master Jiqun
+
+I am delighted to see so many of you at a lecture on happiness—clearly, this topic has real appeal. Some years ago, CCTV interviewed thousands of people across different regions, ages, and professions, and for a time "Are you happy?" became a catchphrase. The survey, and the many surprising replies it drew, reflected from various angles how bewildered people are about happiness. Nobel laureate Mo Yan, for example, answered, "I don't know." Was that a writer's evasion, or was he being facetious? Here is how he explained it: "I'm under a lot of pressure right now, full of worries—how could I be happy? But if I said I wasn't happy, that would sound too affected. I've just won the Nobel Prize—how could I say I'm not happy?"
+
+You could say his answer captures what many of us feel when the word "happiness" comes up: our living conditions have improved so much that we have no reason to call ourselves unhappy—so why can't we feel happy? Where exactly have things gone wrong? In the hard years of the past, we pinned our hopes on material improvement, believing that money would bring happiness. For many, simply having enough to eat and wear was the greatest happiness imaginable. But as more and more people have grown prosperous, as what we own has long since passed the point of mere subsistence, happiness has started playing hide-and-seek with us.
+
+Where is happiness? Money brings temporary satisfaction, but that pleasure is so fleeting, and in its wake come comparison and competition. When we see others with more money and a better life, contentment turns into discontent, and even gives rise to jealousy and resentment. The happiness we long for, meanwhile, drifts like clouds on the horizon—visible, but forever out of reach. Clearly, happiness is far from as simple as we once thought, and it is by no means the automatic result of owning wealth and improving our lives.
+
+Why is it that we have so much, yet still cannot find happiness? That raises further questions: What is happiness, really? Is it an illusion that exists only under particular conditions, or does it represent something essential to life itself? What stands between us and happiness? Or to put it another way, what is happiness's greatest killer? If happiness is only a passing illusion, isn't pursuing it like trying to scoop the moon out of the water—a fantasy doomed from the start?
+
+Until we resolve these questions, our pursuit of happiness will inevitably be vague and wishful. Where does the answer lie? In fact, it depends on how deeply we understand happiness, and that depth in turn depends on how we understand life and the meaning of human existence. Life has two dimensions: the material and the mental. So what is the essence of life? Pessimistic philosophy holds that life is inherently absurd and full of suffering. If that were true, what meaning would our pursuit of happiness have? And how does the Buddha's teaching view the essence of life?
+
+The title of today's talk is "The Mind Creates Happiness," and I would like to offer some thoughts from the following angles.
+
+*I. How to Face Adversity*
+
+*1. Non-acceptance: the amplifier of suffering*
+
+Life rarely goes as we wish—eight or nine times out of ten, things fall short of our hopes. In my daily life, devotees often come to pour out their misfortunes. Health problems, such as illness or even terminal disease; matters of life and death, such as the sudden passing of family and friends; family troubles, such as children's education or the relationship between husband and wife. Beyond these, there are the many difficulties brought by relationships, career setbacks, and natural or man-made disasters. To be fair, everyone encounters such problems to some degree; only the form and severity differ. Many people are living along in an orderly way when adversity strikes—and they fall apart, unable to recover. Their lives sink into affliction, and sometimes the whole family plunges into an abyss of suffering.
+
+If we analyze it objectively, a change in one person or one event need not destroy our life. So what is it that makes people suffer so deeply, that drives them to such despair? The real cause usually lies not in the adversity itself but in the person's refusal to accept it. We simply cannot get our heads around it: how could something like this happen to me! And so we blame heaven and earth, complain that society is unjust, and accuse fate of being blind. It is precisely this non-acceptance that magnifies the original pain over and over. You could say that however much we resist, that is how much suffering we create for ourselves.
+
+Why can't we accept change? The key lies in a deep-seated assumption of permanence in our minds. This assumption centers on our own needs: my body should stay healthy forever, my family should never leave me, my friends should be utterly loyal, my career should go smoothly in every way. We may even secretly feel: I am such a good person—calamities may happen to others, but they should not happen to me.
+
+Once we hold this assumption of permanence, we cling to it, and clinging turns into dependence: we don't want anything to change. Change means losing what we depend on; it means the balance we now enjoy will be upset. So as soon as life disappoints us, our resistance sets off anxiety, unease, and fear—even destructive emotions like resentment and anger.
+
+We hope for good health, a happy marriage, a harmonious family, a smooth career—we hope everything stays stable, and we feel that is what happiness is. But the world is not as stable as we imagine; in fact, it is changing impermanently at every moment. If we cannot face adversity correctly, life will be littered with time bombs that could go off at any moment.
+
+*2. Acceptance: the wisdom of transformation*
+
+Why do different people respond in utterly different ways to the same situation? The key lies in whether or not they accept it. If we have the capacity to accept reality, then even in the face of adversity we can remain composed and respond constructively, without letting any pain or affliction take hold in our minds. How do we develop this capacity? First, we must honestly face impermanence in our hearts. That, in fact, is the very truth of the world—like the turning of spring, summer, autumn, and winter, like flowers blooming and falling.
+
+So-called eternity is only our fantasy and expectation; it does not correspond to the truth of the world. Among the Three Dharma Seals, "all conditioned phenomena are impermanent" comes first. This is a core teaching of the Buddha Dharma and the law governing the universe and human life. It tells us: from our own body and mind to the world outside, everything is changing from instant to instant. This change never stops—not even for the briefest moment. An apple, for instance, does not rot at some particular moment; it is already on the way to spoiling while it still looks perfectly sound. Human life is the same. From the day we are born, there is not a moment when we are not arising and passing away, not a moment when we are not moving toward death.
+
+Change is normal; only non-change is relative. What the ancient Chinese Book of Changes reveals is likewise the principle of change. If we truly understand impermanence, we can calmly accept every change in life, because that is simply how things are. Then no adversity can harm us.
+
+On acceptance, the Buddha taught us in the Samyuktagama through the simile of "two poisoned arrows." The first arrow is the physical pain of being struck, which also stands for the various adversities we encounter; the second arrow is the mental pain that follows from it. When the first arrow has hit us and the pain has already occurred, we must cut our losses in time and refuse to be hit by the second arrow. In fact, that second wound is more severe and longer-lasting than the first.
+
+Suppose someone scolds or beats you—the injury lasts only a moment. But if you nurse a grudge over it or keep brooding, you will sink into negative emotions for days, months, even decades. That is what is truly frightening. If, instead, you can accept it, the harm stops right there and goes no further. But we should also understand that acceptance is not approval, and certainly not indulgence. Afterwards, depending on the other person's situation, we can still offer guidance in an appropriate way—and the purpose is to help them, not to win an argument or prove who is right.
+
+Besides impermanence, the Buddhist teaching of causes and conditions can also help us accept adversity. For noble ones who have attained fruition, even extreme physical suffering—even the loss of life itself—will not provoke grief or resentment, will not let bodily pain trigger mental pain. They know that such suffering arises from the coming together of many conditions. Once the result has occurred, they accept it calmly; to do otherwise would only keep planting new causes of suffering.
+
+The Buddha Dharma holds that nothing happens by accident; everything has its causes and effects. If your health is poor now, it may be because of an unhealthy diet or an irregular routine, or because of too little exercise and too little care—or perhaps from having done too much killing. All such things are factors that affect health. The same goes for relationships. Very often we blame the people around us and think the fault is all theirs. In fact, it usually has to do with our own assumptions and our own way of dealing with others. If we never consider things from the other person's standpoint, conflict is unavoidable.
+
+Studying the Buddha's teaching helps us look for the cause whenever something happens, and then start by adjusting ourselves. We work on the causes to change the results, rather than blaming the environment or the other person at every turn. In addition, Buddhism places great emphasis on the practice of repentance: examining ourselves, correcting our faults and making a fresh start—and through that, influencing others.
+
+Many people, through studying the Dharma, have greatly improved their relationships at home and at work: couples treating each other with respect, parents and children showing kindness and filial devotion, colleagues living in harmony. Such examples are too numerous to count. Why does this happen? Because after studying the Dharma, people learn to look inward and reflect on themselves. When a person sees their own shortcomings and faults, they stop pointing fingers at others, and the relationship stops hardening into opposition. As we change in this way, the people around us change too—and eventually the whole environment changes along with them. That is how positive energy is transmitted.
+
+When we can accept every situation exactly as it is, what is left that could hurt us or discount our happiness?
+
+*3. Making adversity a support for the path*
+
+In fact, adversity is not necessarily a bad thing for one's life. There is an old Chinese saying: "When the old man lost his horse, how could one know it wouldn't turn out to be a blessing?" And the Laozi tells us: "Good fortune follows upon disaster, while disaster lurks within good fortune." Fortune, if we don't know how to use it well, becomes a breeding ground for disaster and a license for corruption; misfortune, if we know how to transform it, can become a brand-new starting point and a source of inspiration.
+
+We often see in life that some people sink in favorable circumstances while others grow in adverse ones. Officials who end up behind bars once held high positions and basked in glory; then they did whatever they pleased and became prisoners. That is "disaster lurks within good fortune" played out in real life. For human life, good times can act like an anesthetic that makes us lose ourselves, while adversity can actually make us more clear-headed and deepen our reflection on life.
+
+So, facing adversity correctly and accepting adverse conditions not only spares us needless affliction; it also tempers us and helps us grow, and can even become a supportive condition for our spiritual practice. Conversely, if we cannot accept and only resist, adversity will not go away—it will leave us wallowing in suffering, unable to free ourselves.
+
+*II. Happiness Requires Blessings*
+
+*1. The Five Blessings at the door*
+
+Just as flowing water needs a source and a tree needs roots, happiness needs a foundation of blessings. In ancient China there was a most auspicious saying: "May the Five Blessings descend upon this home." The Five Blessings are longevity, wealth and honor, health and peace, virtue, and a good death—together they cover every factor that makes up happiness.
+
+First is longevity. In ancient times, with limited medical care, people often died young from diseases that were not even fatal. To live out one's natural span in comfort and enjoy one's years in peace was an important blessing in life.
+
+Second is wealth and honor, which has two parts. Wealth means having enough to live without worry and to be spiritually well-provided; honor means holding a respected position, conducting oneself nobly, and receiving the esteem of others.
+
+Third is health and peace—a healthy body and a peaceful mind. This is extremely important. Although everyone seeks happiness, our pursuit often tilts toward external wealth and status, while health and peace are precisely what modern people generally lack. I often say: "Physical and mental health is life's greatest wealth; cultivating body and mind is life's most valuable investment." Without a healthy body and mind, we are like a leaking, broken ship—however gorgeously decorated, it is not worth much. Without a healthy body, confined to a sickbed all day, living worse than death, what happiness can there be, no matter how rich you are or how high your position? An unhealthy mind is even more troublesome. The defining trait of modern people is restlessness, confusion, and the inability to find peace. There was once a popular song that went, "Lately I've been a bit vexed, a bit vexed, a bit vexed…" That ubiquitous "vexation" is exactly how many people really feel. In fact, the Chinese word for "affliction" itself comes from Buddhism: its first character means "to disturb" and the second "disorder"—afflictions are whatever disturbs the peace of our minds. Once we fall into afflictions and negative emotions, happiness is automatically blocked. Happiness is a feeling; when the mind is occupied by affliction, happiness has no ground to stand on. Even if you possess wealth and glory that others envy, they will not make you feel happy, because in your mind they have all been branded by affliction. Only when the mind is free of affliction, like a cloudless clear sky, will happiness arrive uninvited. So, dispelling affliction and finding ease of body and mind is an essential precondition for happiness.
+
+In addition, the ancients included virtue among the Five Blessings, which is deeply meaningful. As moral education has waned, many people think little of morality and even regard moral conduct as a losing deal. This raises a question: how much does morality matter for ourselves, and how much for society? Virtue means moral character: outwardly, it is the principles and cultivation with which we treat people and handle affairs; inwardly, it is a set of healthy, positive mental factors. So practicing morality means cultivating a healthy mind and building a sound personality, filling our hearts with positive energy. On the other hand, a moral person more easily wins the recognition and respect of others, which allows their blessings to grow sustainably. Clearly, for a happy life, morality is indispensable, both as an inner cause and as an outer condition.
+
+Fifth is a good death. The Buddha has ten epithets, one of which is "the Well-Gone One"—one who can foresee the time of death and has mastery over birth and death. A good death is a similar beautiful wish: that at the end of life the body be free of illness and pain, the mind free of attachments, and that we leave this world peacefully and at ease—rather than meeting sudden calamity or lingering long in a sickbed. Many people avoid death and fear it. We all know we must die one day, yet in our hearts we feel it is always someone else's affair. But avoidance cannot hold death back, and fear changes nothing; in fact, it only leaves us caught unprepared when death arrives. For modern people, the richer they are, the harder a good death often is. Having money, they don't want to die, and in the end they leave the world with tubes all over their bodies, without dignity, amid one resuscitation attempt after another. So understanding and transcending death is an important Buddhist practice. In Buddhist history, many practitioners could not only foresee their time of death but pass away gracefully at their own command, seated or standing—dying however they wished and putting a perfect full stop to this life. Ordinary people cannot manage that, but to depart peacefully, free of torment, is a great blessing both for ourselves and for others. That is why the ancients counted a good death among the Five Blessings.
+
+This brings to mind two pressing problems in China today: the spiritual life of the elderly, and hospice care. When we are young, we hustle in society and feel that career, money, and pleasure are everything. But after retirement, as our bodies gradually decline and we can no longer enjoy many sensual pleasures, how are we to pass our days? Many people have nothing to do in old age—no faith, no spiritual life—practically just eating and waiting for death. And because they know nothing about death, they are filled with dread of the end that is fast approaching. This is especially pronounced in Chinese society. So on the one hand we need spiritual pursuits; on the other, we need to understand death correctly and accept the law of birth, aging, sickness, and death. Only then can our later years be full and serene. Buddhist hospice care is precisely this kind of psychological guidance: helping people see that this life is but one segment of the long river of life, and that when the body reaches the end of its term, only by departing with a positive state of mind can we find an upward way out as one life passes into the next.
+
+In short, happiness is made up of many factors. Long life without health and peace, wealth and honor without virtue, or failing to die well in the end—none of these amounts to a happy life. So the pursuit of happiness must begin from these aspects: not only possessing external wealth, but also enjoying physical and mental health and noble character.
+
+*2. To have blessings, first plant them*
+
+How, then, can a person come to possess these blessings? Being capable does not guarantee being blessed. Blessings, too, have their causes and effects, so Buddhism tells us we must first cultivate the fields of blessings—chiefly three: the field of compassion, the field of gratitude, and the field of respect.
+
+The field of compassion means having compassion for all the toiling masses of the world. They need happiness but have none; they want to escape suffering but cannot. If, out of a compassionate heart, we help them find happiness and resolve their suffering, we are nurturing compassion and tilling the field of compassion. What is the essence of charity? It is not simply donating or helping—it is great compassionate love. Only when we give and help in the spirit of great compassionate love is our charity worthy of the name. Otherwise, however much money we donate or however much we do, strictly speaking it is merely a good deed and cannot be called true charity. And only when everything we do springs from a compassionate heart will it produce blessings in a continuous stream.
+
+The field of gratitude means repaying with a grateful heart those who have been kind to us: parents and elders, brothers and sisters, relatives and friends—all sentient beings, and even the mountains, rivers, and the earth itself. Our lives depend on the help of others, and also on the sun and moon, heaven and earth, mountains, rivers, plants, and trees. It is because all of this exists that we can live freely and without worry. So we should face all of it with gratitude and give back as best we can—caring for society and protecting the environment. When our hearts are full of gratitude, everything we see brings joy. Gratitude is not only a wellspring of blessings; it is itself a healthy, positive, joyful state of mind. Even as we give back, we benefit in that very moment. Conversely, if we don't know gratitude and always look at things through a negative lens, feeling that the whole world owes us, the only result is our own misery.
+
+The field of respect means honoring those of virtue: our teachers and spiritual guides, as well as people of high standing in society. When we bow before a Buddha image in a monastery, it is because such sacred places carry a power of blessing in themselves—entering them, our body and mind are gathered in. On the other hand, when we bring a measure of devotion and reverence, our own minds are purified and become serene and pliant. When we hold nothing in awe, we become reckless, and our minds grow restless and chaotic. So only by facing the virtuous with respect can we resonate with the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and good teachers, and receive the blessing of their positive energy.
+
+Tilling the fields of blessings comes down to cultivating three kinds of heart: the compassionate heart, the grateful heart, and the respectful heart. These are the power plants that generate blessings, producing them in a steady stream, making the mind ever healthier and life ever freer. Whatever kind of mind we have, that is the kind of circumstance we will correspond to—so the kind of mind we possess is what truly governs. As said earlier, the root of charity is the heart of great compassionate love. Without such a foundation of heart and practice, even giving can have all sorts of side effects. So we must cultivate loving-kindness and bring more compassion into the world, rather than merely calling on a few rich people to donate money. If we are endowed with loving-kindness, then with financial means we can of course extend a helping hand; and even without means, we will still do all we can to serve society and benefit others—instead of doing things that harm others and ourselves.
+
+I have spoken of success many times in my lectures. Modern society measures success by standards like the Forbes list or the Hurun Rich List, which assess only how much wealth a person owns and take no account of what kind of person they are. If someone has no compassion, knows no gratitude, and has no idea what respect is, then no amount of wealth can bring them happiness. So beyond success in what we do, success in how we live as human beings matters more—and the latter is the key to happiness. In short, happiness is never determined by wealth alone; it is composed of many factors. Virtue is the foundation, physical and mental health is the key, and external conditions are only auxiliary. Only happiness built on these foundations is complete.
+
+*III. Raise Your Understanding: Where There Is Wisdom, There Is No Affliction*
+
+*1. External circumstances, state of mind, and understanding*
+
+Happiness has a great deal to do with our outlook on life. Positive psychology in the West guides us to look at things in an active, positive way. From the Buddhist perspective, the kind of understanding we have determines the kind of world we see. The world in our eyes is only an image presented to our understanding, already processed by our individual perception.
+
+For example, is the world we see the same as the world a dog sees? Certainly not. Because a dog's way of knowing differs from ours, what it sees, hears, and perceives naturally differs too. Beyond perception, we are also swayed by emotion. If we like someone, everything they do pleases us; if we detest them, everything they do offends us. Clearly, what mode of understanding we possess is vitally important for every living being.
+
+Our understanding also affects our state of mind. There is a story about an old woman who cried all day, rain or shine. People asked her what she was crying about. She said: "I have two sons-in-law. One makes umbrellas; the other makes tiles. When the sun shines, I think of the umbrella-maker losing business, so I cry. When it rains, I think of the tile-maker unable to work, so I cry again." Later a Chan master told her: "Think of it the other way around. When it rains, think of the umbrella-maker; when the sun shines, think of the tile-maker." From the day she adjusted her understanding, the old woman was cheerful every single day. This shows the difference between positive and negative thinking.
+
+Buddhism is neither a negative psychology nor the same as positive psychology. What it offers is a way of thinking that is truthful and positive. "Truthful" means corresponding to the facts as they are. Buddhism holds that much of human affliction is tied to how we understand things, so we need to adjust our views and change our understanding. This is what is meant by "where there is wisdom, there is no affliction."
+
+Many scholars and officials in ancient China liked to recite sutras to compose their minds, and this, too, is a process of changing one's understanding. The Diamond Sutra, for example, tells us: "All conditioned phenomena are like dreams, illusions, bubbles, shadows, like dewdrops and a lightning flash. Contemplate them thus." In this world, from the mighty emperors of Qin and Han to the great rulers of Tang and Song, all that splendor is but a fleeting appearance formed by the coming together of causes and conditions, arising and perishing as conditions gather and disperse. Once we have this understanding, we no longer take the world so seriously. When everything goes our way, we won't get carried away, because it may not last; when we meet setbacks, we won't be hurt too deeply, because they too will pass. With such understanding and such a state of mind, we can keep striving ahead without being weighed down.
+
+*2. Understanding things as they truly are*
+
+Buddhism sums up the life state of ordinary beings in one word: ignorance. What is ignorance? Simply put, it is like switching off the lamp in a room—everything goes pitch dark. Its opposite is "illumination," which stands for wisdom. The Buddha Dharma says that within each of us burns a lamp of wisdom. Until that lamp is lit, life remains in a state of ignorance, and we can see neither ourselves nor the world clearly.
+
+Where do we live? In fact, we live in our own thoughts, in a mental state. We don't understand ourselves, yet we care about ourselves intensely—and so we form wrong identifications, taking all sorts of things that are not "me" to be "me." This, in truth, is life's greatest misunderstanding. What we see are clouds coming and going; we have never seen the open sky itself, never known that what lies behind the clouds is the original face of life. When we take our thoughts to be "me," we become entangled by them, and they become the masters of our life—like dark rolling clouds blotting out the whole sky. But we should know that thoughts ultimately have no inherent nature of their own and no roots. If we observe our thoughts and keep a distance from them, they can no longer affect us.
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+Western philosophy has a famous maxim: Know thyself! Every day we attend to ourselves, care about ourselves, and our every thought is for ourselves—how could we not know ourselves? Well then: setting aside all our ideas, concepts, and assumptions, before a single thought stirs, what is the state of life? Have we ever paid attention to that? This is why Chan practice has us inquire into "Who is actually reciting the Buddha's name?", "What is your original face before a single thought arises?", "What is your original face before your parents were born?" In fact, to truly know ourselves is to illuminate the mind and see its true nature.
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+When we examine life with wisdom and keep asking "Who am I?" and "What represents my existence?", we find that everything we once identified as "me" has only a temporary relationship with us. Body, emotions, identity, wealth—which of these can be ours forever? Yet because of ignorance and attachment, we easily take the body to be me, take our emotions to be me, take our identity and wealth to be me—take all sorts of things that are not "me" to be "me"—and then grow attached to them and dependent on them. The problem is that all of these are impermanent and changing. Take the body to be me, and we will fear death, fear the disappearance of this physical form. Take our identity to be me, and once we lose it we no longer know how to carry ourselves. It is like wearing a mask so long that we think the mask is our face—when the mask is gone, we are left utterly at a loss.
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+Where do life's afflictions and pains come from? From nothing other than relationships, family, wealth, status, identity, the body… If we see clearly that these have only a temporary relationship with our life, we will no longer be anxious or fearful when they change, and we will no longer suffer needless harm.
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+How can we see reality clearly? The Buddha Dharma's teachings on no-self and emptiness help us correct these perceptions. When the Dharma speaks of "no-self," it does not mean this body of ours does not exist; when it speaks of "emptiness," it does not deny all existing phenomena. What it negates are the wrong assumptions we project onto the self and the world. When we continually examine ourselves and the world through "no-self" and "emptiness," we can strip away all sorts of external attachments, letting the light of wisdom shine forth—dispelling delusion and seeing things as they truly are.
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+When delusion and affliction no longer cloud the mind, the happiness we feel will be one with the very essence of life. It depends on no external conditions; whatever circumstances we are in, the light of wisdom we inherently possess will radiate joy in a steady stream. Happiness built on external conditions is necessarily shallow and unstable, because circumstances keep changing and feelings keep changing. True happiness represents the essence of life itself. Finding such an existence—that is the treasure house of happiness.
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+*IV. Many Desires Bring Suffering; Contentment Brings Happiness*
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+*1. Desires and the sense of happiness*
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+What is happiness? Usually, the happiness people pursue is just a feeling—the satisfaction that comes when a desire is fulfilled. We might as well recall: whenever we have felt unhappy, there must have been some desire left unmet—material needs, and spiritual ones as well. In fact, simple material scarcity, so long as it does not threaten survival, does not necessarily bring much pain. What really vexes us is wanting something yet being unable to get it. The suffering of not getting what we want is actually far greater than the pain of scarcity.
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+Everyone's needs differ, and so does the ease of satisfying them. Some people's desires are as small as the tiny cups used for gongfu tea in Minnan—a splash of water fills them. In childhood we want little, so we are easily satisfied and easily feel happy; that is why the happy moments people remember are so often from their early years. Once desire swells, it becomes like the four oceans and five continents—no amount of water can fill it. However rich such people become, they still feel poorer than others, less glorious than others. For them, what happiness can there be?
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+Of course, happiness gained by satisfying desire is actually an illusion, and a very brief one. Many people feel that savoring fine food is a happy thing. But that comes with preconditions: only when you want to eat and need to eat can good food bring satisfaction and happiness. If you have no appetite, or are already full, the finest cuisine only becomes a burden. And if you had to keep eating and eating, it would be sheer misery. Many people also feel it is bliss to wake naturally in the morning. But if you were made to lie in bed and forbidden to get up, happiness would turn into torture. If you were bedridden from then on, it would be agony beyond words. At that point, being able to rise and move about freely would again become the happiness you dream of.
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+So we can see: what desire can bring is only the satisfaction that arises when some need is relieved—a happiness produced under particular circumstances, an illusion of happiness, not its essence. That kind of happiness cannot be relied upon.
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+*2. The dangers of chasing desire*
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+Society today stimulates consumption by whipping up desire. Manufacturers keep upgrading their products; merchants do everything to provoke the urge to buy; the whole of society is caught up in possession, comparison, and competition. Not only do we want to possess wealth, we constantly compare: I must be richer than you, able to afford more than you. This comparison breeds competition—even vicious competition that stops at nothing. Once we fall into this cycle of possession, comparison, and competition, we are swept along by it and can no longer steer ourselves.
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+We now have so many convenient appliances, freed from the chores of washing and cooking—yet this has not made our lives leisurely; we are more exhausted than before. Why? In the old days, though materially poor, we were relatively simple and free of the pressure of keeping up with others. In today's globalized age, we can see far too many things that inflame our desires, and that easily leads to comparison. Having this, we want that; having acquired it, we chase the brand name. To keep up, we can only push forward, ever forward. Much of the effort we expend is required neither by survival nor by life and living—we simply cannot stop, because comparison won't let us.
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+On top of that, the flood of information and our many electronic devices are eating away at our time. Mobile phones and the mobile internet especially keep many people glued to their screens every waking moment. Amid those chaotic fragments of information, our time is fragmented, our attention is fragmented, and our very lives are shattered into pieces. Few people now can sit quietly with themselves; given a free moment, they have to look at something on the phone, or else they feel at a loss. The biggest problem this habit brings is that it robs us of the ability to rest. Very often, even when the body longs to rest, the mind is still restless and cannot settle. The ancients spoke of a mind like a capering monkey and a galloping horse—the mind constantly grabbing at external objects. Living like this, how can we not be exhausted? How can we be happy?
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+I often say that in the future, an important measure of whether a person can be happy will be whether they have the ability to rest. Only with the ability to rest can we have a healthy body and mind, and only then can we be happy. Why is the ability to rest so important? In fact, it represents our ability to manage the mind. A person who cannot rest has no mastery over their own mind; they can only drift with external circumstances and the winds of karma, until they finally squander this precious human life in the drifting. There is no greater waste in the world.
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+Desire keeps us busy and worn out. The more our needs multiply, the more we depend on the external world. And the more we depend, the greater the chance that what we depend on will change. Why are modern people generally anxious, fearful, and insecure? Because our lives can hardly stand on their own, we are forever worrying about changes outside—worrying that those changes will throw our lives off balance. In fact, the world is changing all the time, but only the parts we need, care about, and are tied to can affect us. So, one less need means one less thing to care about and be affected by.
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+Desire also keeps pushing up our cost of living. People in the past were poor in material terms, yet they could support themselves and even their families. Now incomes have risen enormously, yet supporting a family has become a heavy burden. Why? Because desire keeps driving the cost of survival up—and the cost of happiness rises along with it. The ancients said that contentment brings happiness: the fewer desires you have, the more easily you are satisfied, and the more easily you are happy. The opposite is equally true.
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+So how we deal with desire is the key to happiness. If we cannot take the initiative in this contest with desire, we will end up controlled by it.
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+*V. Happiness Comes from the Mind*
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+*1. The different levels of the mind*
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+The mind is the source of suffering, and it is also the source of joy. To live happily, we must build a healthy mind. I think everyone has felt this: when negative states like greed, hatred, anxiety, fear, jealousy, and selfishness stir within us, they not only twist the mind into painful knots but can even make the body react badly. So long as these states remain unresolved, problems will keep coming one after another, and we will never know a day of peace.
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+Yet this same mind is also the source of joy. When the mind is free of affliction, we become happy easily. Where does that happiness come from? Much of the time, it has little to do with material conditions. Think of the full-body smile of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas—that joy rising from within and spreading through the whole being comes not from gaining anything, but from an awakened mind. The Buddha Dharma tells us that everyone has the potential for awakening within, and this awakened nature produces joy in a continuous stream.
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+I once wrote on Weibo about the Buddhist understanding of life's suffering and joy. Students of Buddhism all know the saying "life is suffering." In fact, that statement is incomplete—it addresses a specific audience. What it means is that the life of ordinary beings, built on delusion and affliction, is suffering. For those who are awakened, the essence of life is freedom and joy. Because behind delusion and affliction lies the potential for awakening, and once that level is opened up, life becomes boundless freedom, boundless peace, boundless joy.
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+These are the two levels of life, created by the two camps within our minds. Healthy, wholesome mental states are our friends: they lift our lives, bring happiness to our days, and bring stability and harmony to society. Unhealthy, negative states are our enemies: they keep manufacturing pain and trouble. Buddhism holds that our greatest enemy in life is ourself—and that "self" means precisely the afflictions within. All the suffering in life, from the torment we inflict on ourselves, to discordant relationships, to crimes like killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, and lying, is the work of this enemy. Fundamentally, the two sides of human nature are Buddha-nature and the demonic nature. Open up the Buddha-nature, and we can accomplish perfect wisdom and compassion; indulge the demonic nature, and the only result is to fall into the woeful realms and suffer for long eons.
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+Many of you here today are successful people. We spend a great deal of energy understanding and caring about society, yet it has never occurred to us that what we really should learn is to understand ourselves and manage ourselves—that is life's top priority. The Buddha Dharma helps us see which forces in our minds are positive and which are negative.
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+*2. From benefiting oneself to benefiting others*
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+Buddhas and Bodhisattvas are the goal of Buddhist practice. They can be our goal because of the three virtues they have accomplished: first, the virtue of cessation—having severed all afflictions; second, the virtue of wisdom—having perfected boundless wisdom; third, the virtue of compassion—having accomplished great loving-kindness and compassion.
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+Buddhism holds that the lives of ordinary beings are infected by three poisons: greed, hatred, and ignorance. All suffering and negative emotion derive from these three viruses, and so we must "diligently practice the precepts, concentration, and wisdom to extinguish greed, hatred, and ignorance." Beyond that, we must develop life's wholesome potential and accomplish wisdom and compassion. Out of compassion, we not only free ourselves from affliction; we also see that every being has greed, hatred, and ignorance, has delusion and affliction—and so we resolve to help them. This compassion is vast and without discrimination. Like the great loving-kindness and compassion of Guanyin Bodhisattva, there is not a single being you would be unwilling to help. So Buddhist practice is not only about building a happy life for ourselves; it is also about helping all beings everywhere build happy lives.
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+The happiness we ordinarily take for granted is usually just an illusion. True happiness must represent something essential to life itself. That requires thoroughly removing the mental states that destroy happiness and bringing forth the wholesome potential within. Once the awakened nature is developed, life truly becomes an existence of happiness, and it can bring happiness to all beings in a continuous stream. This, too, is the goal of Mahayana Buddhist practice.
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+*Conclusion*
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+We have now explored, from five angles, the principle that the mind creates happiness. What this shows is: to find the happiness we long for, we must first develop the capacity to accept all circumstances, favorable and adverse alike, so that external conditions cannot sweep us away and we remain calm and composed. Second, we must recognize the many factors that bring happiness, and till the fields of blessings at all times so that our blessings grow sustainably. Third, we must raise our understanding, viewing ourselves and the world with a positive and truthful state of mind. Fourth, we must avoid the dangers of chasing desire, which is happiness's greatest enemy. Most important of all, we must see clearly the different levels of the mind, know what to develop and what to let go of, and move from benefiting ourselves to benefiting others—from pursuing our own happiness to giving happiness to all beings. That is ultimate, complete happiness.