SampaJasli said:

Happiness, to me, is derived from actions that we find meaningful in some way.

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SampaJasli said:

Some of you mentioned attention as being an important part of happiness. Maybe there are aspects in our lives that cause negative emotions but that we are powerless to change or affect. In this case, wouldn't it be better to turn our attention towards other things?

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Yes, turn the attention away from everything else & towards the Self, if happyness is what your after


"whatever be the means adopted, you must at last return to the Self, so why not abide as the Self here and now?
if it is not permanent then it is not worth striving after"

You seem interested in the philosophy of happyness, which to me is the only thing we all are seeking, so i hope you really take this to heart

SampaJasli said:

keep yourself

busy
and/or
distracted

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SampaJasli said:

keep yourself

busy
and/or
distracted

it doesn't pay to spend your time ruminating and introspecting. life is much easier when you are constantly engaged in work and leisure. alternatively you can distract yourself with any number of things. the two options share quite a bit of overlap though.

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daytripper23 said:

I think you may be on to something, but I think you have expressed this more clearly, and more tactfully too. It reminds me of an idea I read a little while back; something I really enjoyed and found useful:

Quote:

The Bodhisattva's way is called "the single-minded way,"
or "one railway track thousands of miles long." The railway
track is always the same. If it were to become wider or
narrower, it would be disastrous. Wherever you go, the
railway track is always the same. That is the Bodhisattva's
way. So even if the sun were to rise from the west, the
Bodhisattva has only one way. His way is in each moment
to express his nature and his sincerity.
We say railway track, but actually there is no such thing.
Sincerity itself is the railway track. The sights we see from
the train will change, but we are always running on the
same track. And there is no beginning or end to the track:
beginningless and endless track. There is no starting point
nor goal, nothing to attain. Just to run on the track is our
way. This is the nature of our Zen practice.
But when you become curious about the railway track,
danger is there. You should not see the railway track. If you
look at the track you will become dizzy. Just appreciate
the sights you see from the train. That is our way. There is
no need for the passengers to be curious about the track.
Someone will take care of it; Buddha will take care of it.

- Shunryu Suzuki

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This is good.

It's so damn hard not to look, though, isn't it?

I see where the OP is coming from though I would have (and have) phrased it differently.

Trepiodos said:

The secret to happiness is to find a way to release the right amounts and proportions of neurotransmitters that will bring about a state perceived as happiness.

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