.
Definition
.
Contentment - Satisfied
with what one has
Bliss - Perfect Happiness
.
Contentment Bliss
- Happiness that comes from reflection
.
“Contentment is
one of the greatest gain in life – even greater then wealth”
~ The Buddha ~
.
“Contentment is
the greatest possession in life”
.
If one have everything but not able to be contented
in life,
one would not be able to find the real happiness.
.
Contentment is
in one of the 38 Blessings in life.
.
.
What
is actually Contentment?
.
“Contentment is
the quality of being able to do with what little we have”
~ The Buddha
~
.
A contented person is one who ……
do not have
excessiveness,
self-restrain,
simplicity,
easily satisfy
and happy.
being able to
do with whatever he has
while seeking
for a better wealth he would also know how to enjoy what he presently has.
.
Contentment doesn’t mean being passive
or negative.
How much money is enough?
Do we know how much we want?
If we keep on looking for something
ahead without being appreciate with what we have ……
One will not be happy.
.
Look ahead while watching at the present.
.
Contentment is the secret happiness
that belongs to the wise
that knows how to make happiness so much more with what he has.
(Ability to look beyond from what we have.)
.
“ Be contented
in the material aspect and not in the spiritual progress.”
~ The Buddha
~
.
.
Why
is Contentment Important?
.
One couldn’t have everything in life.
Seeking wealth has no end.
.
Contentment doesn’t
measure how much you have in life but rather how you perceive life.
.
Illustriation
1
The wish of the foolish and the wise man.
.
Given
a magic wish to each of them,
The foolish wishes, ”I
wish everything so that I may enjoy life” while
the wise, “I
wish for life so that I may enjoy everything.”
.
One must know what one
want in life and how you go about achieving it.
.
In this world there are 2 type of persons
who will never be happy in life:
i) a person who keep, keep, keep
ii) a person who spend, spend, spend.
.
The opposite side of contentment is:
greed
jealousy
dissatisfaction
obsession
excessiveness
.
Illustriation
2
The statues of 18 Arahants
.
Once there lives a simple and joyful poor
fisherman. One day as he was walking along the beach he found a treasure
box that consists of 17 golden status of the Arahants. Now that he
becomes famous and the riches man in the village he should be very happy.
But he still looks very sad.
.
So a friend then asked him and he
reply, “How nice if I can have the other 18th
Arahant ?”
.
We always look at what others have that
we don’t.
We should look at what we have that
others don’t.
.
Happiness that comes from comparison
(competition) and recognition is not a true happiness – “Egoism”
.
True happiness comes from simplicity.
The more you have in life the more you
face with problems..
-
Know what you want, how
much you really need and be happy with what you get.
Do not be influence with obsession.
-
Know where you stand,
your ability and capacity.
-
Know where you stand in
relation to betterment in life.
Illustriation
3
New Diary
.
As we move towards the end of the
year, we used to receive the New Year Diary. Sometime we received
more than one. A better quality one perhaps. Now what do you
do with the extra one?
How do you practice your contentment?
Keep the best, the most expensive,
the highest quality leather cover diary
even though you already have one?
.
Illustriation
4
The Great Complainer
.
A friend who used to "complain
here and complain there; this is no good, that is too much" for
all his dissatisfaction in life: the traffic jams, no air-cond, bad
food taste etc. etc.
.
Since his last pilgrimage to India, he began
to change to be a man of "Thankful."
.
We actually have more than we should.
.
Illustriation
5
The Welfare Visit
.
A group of over pampered children
were accompanied their parents to visit some poor families in the rural
village, organized by the Welfare Section. Upon arriving, they were requested
to assist in distributing some of those considered "cheap
& low class" stationery items to the poor children there.
Imaging, the beaming joy in the eyes
of those poor children as they received such a great gifts in their life
from us. The following week the parents confessed that now their children
become very quite. They don’t demand or ask them to buy this and that any
more.
.
Illustriation
6
A view in the jail
.
There was once a pretty rich man who
doesn't has satisfaction in life. In his mind, money can buys all things
he wanted. He also has the habit of stealing things, be it big or
small. One day he was caught for doing something bad and get himself
a one night jail in the local prison.
He was not able to sleep in such a
small prison cell, where he used to have big room, large bed and thick
cushioned mattress. It was late at night as he walks up and down
the prison cell. He then peep through the prison's window to see
what is behind it.
Across the road, he saw a young, unkempt
man, cleaning-up the corridor's stair-way and place a small brick on the
floor. He then lied down and in a few second, the young man falls
asleep.
.
This rich man now realized "the
truth of what is simplicity and the benefit of it."
.
The Challenge in life is to do with
the least and yet be the happiest person.
.
.
How
to Develop Contentment?
.
1.
One could never satisfy with one greed, only one Need.
.
Do we know what our needs are?
Can we afford more things in life?
e.g. two cars, two houses,…
.
Self-assessment:
How much do we need?
.
Illustriation
7
Comtemplation of the Beautiful necklace
.
In life, there’s a lot of beautiful
things lying there.
It is no harm just to admire the beauty
in life and just go on with life……just walk on.
Sometimes even if we could afford
to buy it …….but it is not a necessity in life.
.
2.
Experience in the worst case
.
Illustriation
8
It Could have been Worst
.
A friend who broke his knee recently
after a bus mishap becomes a very annoyed person. He keeps on complaining
how bad luck he has and what bad kamma has caused him a broken knee and
so on.
He keep on telling other people about
this until when they told him how lucky he is,
"You are so fortunate, a friend of mine broke his neck in the similar accident
you has recently ....."
"You should be thankful, my nephew
was hospitalized last week after he fall down from his motorcycle...."
.
We must be able to see oneself in a
better position because we could have been worst.
Visit the old-folks, spastics ward etc.
.
In the least in what we have in life,
we should see what we could make the most out of it.
.
3.
Contemplate on the beauty in Simplicity
.
4.
Understand the doctrine of Kamma.
.
Whatever you do will come back to you.
Whatever you have is justified.
Whatever others have is fair and just.
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Can you do with little?
Can you live without?
You can actually walk in life.
.
If I can do without this, can I give
this to others?
.
We can actually practice the art of
giving, know how to count our blessings
and strive on with diligence.
