Please summarize what you read. After summarizing, you can reflect on the following questions to guide the rest of your writing, but you should not just list and answer them. What did you find most interesting? Most confusing? What do you want to learn more about? Is there any information that you find dubious or that you are suspicious of? You do not need to explicitly answer these, rather, I'm interested in your summary, and ultimately your thoughts and insight on these readings.
Please list the main key words you used in your post.
From reading the Introduction in Dorjee, I’m not sure I will like this book as much as the H&M book. I did not know that there were different schools of Buddhism. I thought of it more as different ways to meditate but not different “schools.” It is true that the Western society tries to keep the mind out of much scientific observation. In the last 20 years, the human mind and consciousness has made its way into scientific studies. As human bodies have evolved to adapt to our environment, our minds have been behind and can catch up by exercising our minds along with our bodies. With all the stresses and anxieties that come with the present-world, we need to modify our thinking patterns, feelings, moods, and behaviors through mental practice. This book will provide a better understanding of the progression of Buddhist mind training practices in Dzogchen from psychological and neuroscientific perspectives.
I enjoy reading about happiness because it keeps me mindful to be happy. Chapter 1 provided information on the two types of happiness—hedonistic and eudaimonic. Hedonistic happiness is not very good for our well-being. It is short-lived and more materialistic. Eudaimonic happiness is linked to long-term goals and its effects last longer. Unfortunately, hedonistic happiness is what is emphasized in the U.S. An interesting find is how studies have shown children in developing countries are happier than children in developed countries. This proves money does not buy lasting happiness—only a short-lived hedonistic happiness. Meditating trains the mind, which strengthens neuroplasticity at any age. The neural pathways that are strengthened are that of which aren’t associated with the hedonistic pathway. It would overall, increase happiness long-term. I personally prefer non-analytical meditation where one focuses on breath or the Buddhist image, over the analytical meditation where one stays focused on one subject and contemplates all that goes with it. I would guess analytical meditation would work well if something really bothered you or was on your mind.
Key terms: scientific observation; human mind; consciousness; evolved; mental practice; Dzogchen; neuroscientific perspectives; hedonistic happiness; eudaimonic happiness; neuroplasticity; neural pathways; non-analytical meditation; analytical meditation
I really enjoyed this week’s reading. The content was very insightful and gave historic and scientific evidence to support its ideas. There are many things I found interesting about this section. One of these concepts was when the book discussed finding purpose in our lives. When we find what our purpose in life is then we have obtained eudaimonic happiness, happiness which is long lasting and holds true despite changes. The book mentions Viktor Frankl, a Jewish psychologist and holocaust survivor. He described many examples of how the ability to find meaning even in the most extreme situations of danger determined people’s success in the strife against suffering and death. Contemplating about this concept, I found that this man’s accusation on life’s purpose makes sense. Just as we discussed in class, certain individuals will hold off on dying until a family member arrives. I think when people have an understanding of their purpose on this earth, they become determined to carry it out. When people have a goal or purpose they are able to withstand great suffering even post-pone death until they have achieved it. This concept is amazing and highlights how powerful the human mind truly is.
Finding purpose is a very interesting concept and may also be supported by the book’s further mentioning of research on happiness. Developing countries were found to have higher levels of life satisfaction and less depression than developed countries such as the United States. This is probably due to the United States’ purse of hedonistic happiness. Hedonistic happiness is integrated throughout our daily lives, constant commercials, ads, and models. Having this iphone will make you more popular and your life better. These materialist things do not last and will not lead to overall life satisfaction in most people. My Dad was killed in the war in Iraq and after his death I received many gifts, even a free trip to Washington DC where I received a tour of the white house. These gifts are nice however I would trade all of those things to have my Dad back.
Finally I really enjoyed reading about taking on responsibility for how we feel. I think many people (sometimes myself included) expect others to make them happy. Relying on others for your happiness however, is setting yourself up for failure. Others may influence your emotions and actions however you ultimately decide how to react and feel. Learning to control your emotions and finding happiness in everyday life will lead to an overall well-being and happiness. This idea is expressed in one of my favorite quotes from this reading “The deepest source of our suffering is our ignorance, not understanding how things really are, not understanding that the ultimate source of genuine happiness comes from a balanced mind filled with compassion and wisdom.” This balanced mind can be exercised through meditation.
I think I would like to learn more about the purpose of life and how others’ have discovered theirs. Individuals such as Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, Martian Luther King Jr., and more have all practiced extreme patience, non-violent civil disobedience, restraint, and appeared to have achieved a greater understanding of humanity and the need for justice. They have all served a great purpose in life and stayed strong despite mishaps and suffering. These individuals are great role models and leaders to look up to.
Terms: Hedonistic happiness, suffering, eudaimonic happiness, ignorance, compassion, wisdom, meditation, purpose, psychologist
This reading seemed to be a bit of a recap about a lot of the main ideas in the H&M book. Similar to the last book, this reading focused on the fact that lasting happiness doesn’t come from pleasure. While I understand that lasting pleasure is focused more mindfulness, but this text seems to demonize pleasure. I would like more of a focus on the fact that pleasure can create short term happiness which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. I also get frustrated when the text talks about the pleasure derived from basic needs such a shelter, food, and water. I believe that there are certain things (like shelter) that are necessary to create a base for actual happiness. Without these things, I think it would be understandably difficult to be happy.
I do agree with what the text stated about mindfulness leading to happiness. I find this with myself as well. I found it really interesting that the text had some science to back up its claims as well, although it appeared to be making the same mistakes the H&M did. There was science, but I’m not entirely sure how it specifically relates to the claims made by the authors. They did however provide what seemed to be good evidence for the claim that the brain changes based on long lasting, non-pleasure based (eudaimonic) happiness. The brain has the ability to change over time which is due to neuroplasticity and because of this the brain is able to rewire itself when it experiences more of this type of happiness.
Terms: Mindfulness, happiness, pleasure, neuroplasticity, eudaimonic
The reading was pretty deep this week. It jumped right in and talked about the meaning of life, happiness, death, and suffering. My mind went off on tangents a lot when I read this, but not in a bad “I’m bored” way. First it talked about happiness and how there are two main types: hedonistic and eudaimonic. Hedonistic happiness revolves around pleasure and is very materialistic. It reminds me of when we talked about the different kinds of motivation in Motivation and Emotion. Hedonistic happiness is the result of external motivation. It often causes suffering because once we achieve hedonistic happiness, we begin to fear that we will lose whatever material thing we just achieved. It is often short-lived as well. Eudaimonic happiness seeks fulfillment in the pursuit of something worthy in the deeper sense. It is driven by internal motivation and is more fulfilling and long-lasting. Learning the difference between the two types of happiness got me thinking about the whole money can’t buy happiness debate and where I stand on the issue. I honestly don’t think I could be happy without money. I’m choosing my career largely based on the amount of money I will be making (also on the satisfaction that will come from achieving such high goals) because I need money in order to do things that make me happy such as traveling the world. I know that in order for me to be satisfied with my life I will have to travel and see everything on my wanderlust list. However, if I spent all my money traveling and therefore become poor, I would still be happy but money was involved. That example incorporates both hedonistic and eudaimonic happiness with the money and the self-fulfillment that would come from achieving something I’m passionate about.
Another deep subject this reading talked about was death and the meaning of life. Death is inevitable and it is our job to find out the purpose of our lives before we die. The book mentioned that the meaning of each of our lives is to find the answers to who we are and why we are here. This section made me stop and think what the purpose of my life is. We all have only one life to live and from a scientific point of view, our lives are pretty insignificant in the universe. Each of us is only one organism out of 6 billion in a species that has only existed for a tiny fraction of our planet’s existence. Our planet is only one an ungodly number in the universe. What is the purpose of the universe? What is it? Why does it exist? What happened before the big bang? What happens after we die? There are so many philosophical questions this reading got me to think about and it is kind of scary at times to think that my life may not have a purpose after all. Ultimately I concluded that the purpose of my one, insignificant life is to be happy and be a good person. I want to make people feel better about themselves and never be the cause of someone else’s negative emotions. I realize this is probably impossible but it’s my goal. Traveling and learning will make me happy. I want to see everything the world has to offer, both the good and bad, with people I love and only then will I be truly happy. Ultimately, all I want in life is to travel, fall in love, and be happy.
Other less intense subjects mentioned in this reading were Dzogchen teachings and practices, how to meditate, and brain plasticity. I researched brain plasticity for one of the exploration blogs and the study I read was cited which was kind of cool to me. It is also important to have positive thoughts. Pessimism will never lead to happiness and a negative mind will never produce a positive life. The subject I would like to research for Thursday is if meditation can slow the process of aging in the brain. I’m a bit skeptical because the author said “it has been suggested” not proven so I’m going to check out the article cited after that statement.
Terms: hedonistic/eudaimonic happiness, suffering, death, motivation, brain plasticity, Dzogchen, meditation
This weeks reading was centered on the questions: what is meditation and why do we need to meditate? We all now know the benefits we can receive from meditation but may not fully understand the impacts of mediation.
The introduction examines some of the historical background for meditation. It talks about the want to widen the mind or become enlightened. Initial research examined specific cells and areas of brain by examining brain tissue. The issue with this approach was that the brain was no longer living; rather it was a dead and dissected object incapable of neural activity. The next approach was to tract neural and physiological activity during times of controlled breathing and meditation. This provided insight as to what meditation can do to the body.
In the first chapter of The Blissful Mind we read about different variations of meditation, such as; yoga, chi kung, and tai chi. These are all types of Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR). MBSR techniques utilize self-control and focus to alleviate stress as opposed to medical treatments. These MBSR methods not only relieve stress for the individual but also for the medical system by reducing the amount of medical attention needed to counteract the stress of life.
This chapter goes on to describe the changes in modern life and how we face a great amount of stress in daily life. The amount of stress we handle on a daily bases results in a constant state of fight or flight. Stress triggers abnormalities in the neuroendocrine system which connects the mind to the body. This heightened state of stress can cause issues in daily life, like forgetfulness, and lead to further stress. In order to end this cycle of stress more and more people have begun to turn to MBSR methods.
Terms: stress, meditation, yoga, MBSR, neuroendocrine system
This was just the introductory chapter, so things didn't get too complex, but we did cover some pretty neat content this week. The first big thing that was discussed was the distinction between hedonistic and eudaimonic happiness. Hedonistic happiness can be explained as the search for pleasure and the avoidance of pain or suffering. This is usually through material means, or even through interpersonal relationships, but the problem with hedonistic happiness, is that the source of that happiness is impermanent. I thought it seemed normal for these teachings to persuade against material possessions, but I was caught off guard when they claimed that relationships are equally as hedonistic. They talk about how the initial joy of some thing, whether it being a car, or a promotion, or even a significant other, gradually fades over time. So if you get a new car, you are very happy, and you cherish it, but the car gets older and it no longer brings you the same joy, so you want a new car. Therein lies a key problem with hedonistic happiness, and that is that you will never be content. If you base your happiness off of your things, then you will never be fully happy as you could always have more things, and of nicer quality. This is where they presented the better, alternative source of happiness, eudaimonic happiness.
Eudaimonic happiness seeks fulfillment in 'the pursuit of something worthy in the deeper sense'. They talk about going beyond the limitations of the self. They talked about finding the true happiness that exists beyond the pleasures of this life. The author mentioned how contemplating the meaning of life, and what our purpose is, and other great questions of the sort will help lead to this eudaimonic happiness. The author also proposed analytical meditation as a way of contemplating these grand questions. This is where the reading from the first week of class comes in, noting the distinction between analytical and non-analytical meditation comes in. To this point I have only tried the non-analytical kind, where you try to clear the mind, but I feel I would probably be more suited for the analytical sort, as my inner voice may as well have something to focus on rather than bringing up any odd thought into my head. The book talked about the practices to do the meditations, such as keeping posture straight and having your exhales be longer than your inhales. Another thing the book focused on was neural plasticity. It was a short little section, but it was necessary to put in the first chapter to note that the book would have a focus on science, and not simply Buddhist practices. They only noted that which we have covered time and time again, about neural pathways being strengthened the more they are used and exercised and how by training your brain you can actually change it, physically and functionally. I think I'm going to like this book. I like the way she writes about these Eastern practices while noting the behaviors of Western culture. I also like how she does include science, but I am intrigued to see how she ties that scientific interest in with these notions of reincarnation and the expanded consciousness of a nonlocal mind.
Terms: hedonistic happiness, eudaimonic happiness, impermanence, fulfillment, contemplating, analytical and non-analytical meditation, neural plasticity,
This weeks readings I thought were pretty interesting, the first chapter that we had to read was the introductory chapter and it talked about the relationship between meditation and science. The book discusses specifically studying one type of Buddhist teaching called Dzogchen. Chapter 1 was about happiness and was a pretty enjoyable chapter to read. There are two types of happiness hedonistic and eudaimonic. Hedonistic happiness is the short-term happiness that comes from the pleasure of something desirable. Eudaimonic is the type of happiness that is long-term and much more fulfilling in the long run than hedonistic. The Dzogchen belief sees the meaning of life to be an ultimate understanding of our existence and reality. This is hard to imagine from a western society point of view that is all about having material objects or hedonistic happiness. I liked that the book mentioned it ok to have an enjoyment in ordinary pleasures as long as it doesn’t become a constant desire. The missing element was a section that I enjoyed a lot. I had never really thought of the mind going between hope and fear but reading the example of the new computer was something that I could relate to because that is exactly how I am with my new computer. The next section that I found most interesting was the topic of neural plasticity because it is something that I have worried about since my grandfather started to develop Alzheimer’s a few years ago. This topic is something that I would like to research more about and see how meditation can help to slow down the process of brain aging. Learning about the five mental attitudes that cause suffering reminded me of topics that were discussed in the previous book. There was a decent amount of ideas that were similar to the previous book but I am looking forward to seeing how this book addresses them from a Dzogchen standpoint to see the differences and similarities of the books. From the readings so far I hope that the rest of the chapters take a similar role in bringing more science to meditation. I felt that the last part of the chapter was a helpful review of how to meditate because I have been having trouble focusing long enough to meditate and always seem to not be able to sit still.
Key terms: meditation, Dzogchen, hedonistic, eudaimonic, neural plasticity, hope, fear
From reading the intro and first chapter from the Dorjee reading, I can tell that this book has a heavier emphasis on happiness. It also is going to specifically follow the Buddhist path of Dzogchen. These sections brought up how Western cultures don’t place the same importance on teaching happiness/life skills as history or math and that here materialistic happiness is more the focus. Dorjee calls this type hedonistic happiness, which often centers around possessing something and is fleeting in nature. Also, change is like the Achilles’ heel of hedonistic happiness because when the object or experience ends, the the pleasure that went with it ends as well. Seeing as how all things in life are subject to change, this type of happiness is unreliable. I liked the example that Dorjee gave of how research shows that people in developed countries aren’t happier or have better well-being than people in developing or less developed countries, some research even pointing out that the first group has worse well-being. So apparently, money isn’t everything! Buddhism tells that this is because when we don’t have something, we hope for it and when we do have it, we fear losing it. Meditation offers a way of separating this attachment, which relates to the second kind of happiness.
The type of happiness that meditation brings about, and that it longer lasting, is eudaimonic happiness. Eudaimonic happiness focuses more on internal versus external, bringing balance to life, and building up resilience. The chapter very briefly discussed influences that meditation can have on the brain, such as delaying aging effects, increasing ease of concentration, and increasing gray matter. An important concept from the section was impermanence. Whether it’s relationships, your life, or even your current good mood, all these things have a beginning and an end. Part of living the meditative experience is accepting this reality.
Another interesting part of the chapter was the guided analytical meditation where happiness, impermanence, suffering, and gratefulness are considered. I decided to actually follow the guided meditation this time, which was a really interesting experience. It helped me to reframe and put into different words my purpose in life and reconsider how important meditation is for everything we do. More and more I’ve been realizing how I am better able to concentrate, really listen to people, and go with the flow the more often I meditate. I am also realizing how important meditation will be for counseling to be empathetic, a good listener, observant, and to keep a balanced level of attachment. Overall, I enjoyed the reading and look forward to reading more from this book. I like how it’s going to follow just one sect of Buddhism.
terms: happiness, Dzogchen, Buddhism, hedonistic happiness, eudaimonic happiness, resilience, gray matter, concentration, impermanence, suffering, empathetic
Today for blog, we started reading Dorjee, stepping away from H&M. My first impression of the chapter was that the subject material got heavy pretty fast; only the first chapter and they’re already talking about death and the meaning of life and other really big topics. Still, I liked the book and the way the information was presented.
Like in H&M, the book started by giving a brief history about Buddhism and meditation, as well as describing the relationship between science and meditation, which I guess is pretty important seeing as that is the title of our class. Something interesting the intro talked about was the different schools of Buddhism. This information actually ties in to one of the other classes I’m taking right now – my Non-Western humanities course, China. I kind of love it when the information learned in one class overlaps with another, and it happens so often in college. Any way, in China we’ve learned about how Buddhism actually started in India and spread to several parts of the world, one of which being China. Different territories of China adopted different schools of Buddhism, some of them sticking to the original version from India and other combining Buddhist practices with other religions like Daoism, Legalism, or Confucianism. The different schools of Buddhism originated in that way. I liked that while I was reading about Buddhism’s history, I could piece together why it can have such differences within its practice.
The goal of meditation is the expansion of the human mind. The intro discussed some research scientist have done, trying to get a better understanding of the brain. Early research used dissection of the brain to try and understand it, but there was not much to go on because only dead brain tissues could be examined. The brain, I think, is a pretty boring thing when it isn’t functioning. Instead, researchers now look at neural activity, using magnetic imaging, neurochemical tagging, and several other methods. This neural activity has been observed during meditation as well, which has helped scientists and other interested parties see what medication can do for the brain and the body.
The section also spoke about why we as humans need meditation. One of the main focuses was happiness. The book described two kinds of happiness, hedonistic and eudaimonic happiness. Hedonistic happiness is derived from searching for pleasure and avoiding pain or suffering. In the Buddhist philosophy, all hedonistic happiness is temporary, seeing as one belief of Buddhism is that life on Earth is nothing but suffering and the only way to end it is to reach nirvana, or an end to existence. Hedonistic pleasures include things that are worldly, like material possessions and human relationships.
On the flip side, eudaimonic happiness refers to seeking fulfillment in the pursuit of something worthy in the deeper sense. It means finding enlightenment or self-actualization and going beyond the scope of the human senses or the self. Seeking eudaimonic happiness is much harder than finding hedonistic pleasures, but the author mentions that contemplating life’s bigger questions like what is the human purpose or the meaning of our lives here would lead down the path to enlightenment. It’s a pretty tall order to be honest.
So far, I get a good impression from this book. I hope that in later chapters, the science stays constant and true as it was in the beginning. I also hope that the book will have different topics to discuss, rather than just rehashing what we talked about in H&M. Only time will tell really.
Terms: Buddhism, meditation, neural activity, hedonistic and eudaimonic happiness, nirvana, enlightenment, self
In this new book, it speaks about the importance of happiness and how we have the “power of the mind” to actually be able to modify and change our emotions and thinking patterns. The text introduces Buddhism and speaks about a particular perspective of Buddhist teachings, Dzogchen. The teaching of Dzogchen features an emphasis on an examination of the mind by the practitioner. Its goal is to encourage people to explore how the mind progresses, especially in other Buddhist schools of thought, and to look at the mind and brain modifications that result from that. I found interesting in the introduction that it gives you a bit of background on Dzogchen and about how this book is going to focus a lot on happiness. But it also talks about how certain events in life can upset the balance and cause us to be unhappy. The book talks about how natural disasters, financial problems, wars and conflicts, etc., are all examples of causing an unbalanced state that can, especially in the long run, cause a lot of harm because our minds are fed by anger and selfishness. After reading the introduction this book seems almost daunting to me. I think it is going to be a much harder read than our last book and I’m hoping that it talks about the scientific side of meditation more than what the introduction indicates that it will.
Chapter 1 heads straight into the discussion of happiness. It explains how we search for happiness our entire lives. We seek happiness through material things, relationships, family, and money, just to name a few. There are two types of happiness that we can attempt to obtain. The first is known as hedonistic happiness. This is a dominant type of happiness in the Western culture because we place so much importance on the car we drive, the house we live in, and if we have the newest, coolest piece of technology. Hedonistic happiness basically includes anything item or material thing that you could possess and that is desirable and pleasurable for you to have. The text goes straight into the Western cultures problems when it mentions that our consumer-oriented society advertises in a way that makes us feel as if we need a product in order to be pretty, smart, or successful. This, unfortunately, leaves us with short-term happiness because these material things don’t often last long.
The other type of happiness is eudaimonic happiness. This form of happiness is much longer-lasting and it seeks to find something with much deeper meaning in our lives. Eudaimonic happiness seems to be more available and easier to obtain because it isn’t dependent on any outside sources. It also provides us with the best type of happiness as well as the most fulfilling. The text does throw in some science when it mentions that we tend to look for things that will provide us with pleasure and we avoid anything that might bring us pain. Research has been found that proposes that neurotransmitter changes in the frontal lobe and even more specifically, the anterior cingulate cortex and orbitofrontal cortex, actually play an important role in experiencing pleasure and pain.
This chapter is interesting to me because it made me realize the complexity of happiness. Even when we are living in a situation that we have what we need provided and possibly even have things that we want, we still often aren’t happy. We look at other people and think that if we had what they had we would be happy, but they themselves aren’t happy. Happiness is such a confusing thing because we all have different ideas of what happy means and so many of us base our happiness by things we can’t always control. I really get stuck on this part of the chapter because it reminds me of how easy it is to let your attitude and mood ride on stimuli you can’t control. That is scary to me because it can cause people to be unstable and unhappy. As I have gotten older I have really come to understanding that I don’t need “things” to make me happy. That doesn’t mean that I don’t buy things that I think will make my life easier or at least brighten my day, but I don’t rest my life on whether or not I can have something. It still is a daily struggle and jealousy is so prevalent in our country that it is very hard at times to not compare yourself to others. I hope that this book looks at hedonistic happiness even closer and considers how to change your mind set so that we put our stock in happiness that will last.
Terminology: happiness, hedonistic, stimuli, eudaimonic, desirable, pleasurable, power of the mind, Dzogchen, Buddhism, meditation, pain
Mind, Brain and the Path to Happiness by Dussana Dorjee.
I really liked the introduction portion of this book. In particular, I like the way that Dorjee lays out the plan for the rest of the book, and specifies that Dzogchen meditation will be the focused form of meditation in this book. Dzogchen meditation “in a way which preserves their original completeness and richness in our vastly different culture environment, yet makes the original teachings relevant and accessible”. According to Wikipedia, “Tibetan Buddhism and Bön, Dzogchen is the natural, primordial state or natural condition, and a body of teachings and meditation practices aimed at realizing that condition.” Dorjee makes in abundantly clear (almost to the point of over stating) that happiness plays a large role in changing the western view, and therefore producing a happier self. Dorjee really focuses on western idealism, and how Dzogchen (or really any form of meditation) meditation can help us change our outlook on how to obtain happiness, the difference between hedonistic and eudaimonic happiness. Dorjee points out that hedonistic happiness plays a large role in the lifestyles of western culture. Because hedonistic happiness can only provide a fleeting happiness its pursuit should be abandoned. However, this is not the case in the western world, as we insist on surrounding ourselves with possessions, to obtain happiness. The emphasis on possessions requires a larger income, which produces three problems for many in the western world. Wealth can only be achieved through working which requires a substantial time commitment. This time commitment leaves little time for you to enjoy your fleeting happiness, and the reason this happiness is fleeting is because things go out of style real quick in our fast paced western world. This creates a vicious paradox (or negative feedback loop) which requires the repeated action of work, to earn money, to buy possessions.
Kinds of happiness (chapter 1) provides an introduction to the need for meditation, and why it should become a part of your daily lives. Meditation not only helps alleviate stress, but it also helps in allowing you to increase the grey matter in your brain. This is incredibly important to maintaining fast reaction times, as well as preventing the shrinkage of your frontal lobe. Meditation is growing an increasingly large empirical database, and there is no evidence that suggests a downside to meditation. Dorjee suggests that meditation cannot only help in the growth of the brain, but also can increases your attention and focus. Dorjee says that meditation can make you more aware of the multiple stimuli around you; claiming that those who meditate observe things that non-meditators cannot. Dorjee also cites a UNICEF study that shows that children and adults in developed worlds show signs of higher depression, than those in underdeveloped worlds. This is in direct opposition to what you would expect, but it points back to the type of happiness you see. Because children and adults in developing countries do not (necessarily) have the means to see hedonistic happiness, they turn to eudaimonic happiness. This allows them to create joy in their daily lives as opposed to relying on possessions to facilitate their happiness. “When we do not have something we desire, we develop a craving for it. Once we have it, we fear that we will lose it. In this way, we can never find contentment and peace. Dorjee also points out that happiness is not the only thing that should be considered in life. Death, and pain are two things that “westerners” are fascinated with, but are terrified of them. Buddhists understand that death and pain are two unavoidable parts of life, and through their acceptance they no longer fear them, allowing them to find happiness more readily.
Stress. Hmm. I found this chapter to be particularly relevant, as I would consider my life to be pretty stressful at the moment. I generally put fifty to sixty hours a week into my job, am taking five classes, working on a thesis, volunteering for one student organization and tutor at-risk youth in Waterloo. That said, I’m generally pretty busy and a bit stressed. So reading about the impact of stress is a little unsettling. However, throughout the meditation class I’ve noticed that, aside from becoming a little less absentminded, nothing else about me has really changed, except I’m feeling like myself again.
Interestingly enough, this chapter discussed how prayer can serve as a form of meditation. As a devout Christian, I grew up praying every day. Some days I spent a half hour or more in prayer. Last year, about this time, I fell out of the habit. I’m not particularly sure why. I still consider myself a Christian, though lately I’ve admittedly begun putting forth significantly less effort into my faith (well, clearly, as I don’t pray as much). I’m not sure whether this is an expression of dissatisfaction with my faith or simply a result of my schedule. Regardless, I didn’t pray or spend any amount of time in prayer. As such, I felt the stress significantly more than I ever have before. I found myself wishing to skip meetings, finding it hard to be conscientious about my homework, snapping at friends more often, cancelling plans, getting frustrated quickly, etc. I chalked it all up to stress. However, upon reading this chapter, I wonder if I simply wasn’t experiencing the meditative effects of prayer. While I’m most definitely busier than I have ever been before, I have always been way busier than the average student (I’m not simply impossibly busy. I can’t do everything I’m supposed to). I would always take 18+ credit hours, was involved in 5-8 student organizations in any given semester, worked 10-15 hours at a job, and also spent about 15-20 hours writing for the Northern Iowan. So pretty busy. At least enough to validate calling myself busy, though I’m aware I have a pretty biased opinion. However, during this time, I was pretty unshakeable. Very few things would make me FEEL the stress. Yeah, I was stressed. I didn’t sleep. I didn’t eat. But I would never cancel on a friend. I was always pretty cheerful and laid back, generally pretty unperturbed. I would never hurry. Would always get everything done I said I would and always had the motivation to do more (though I’ve always suffered from procrastination. So it would get done last minute, but done it would be). Much of these qualities are coming back this semester. Not to quite the same extent, as I believe I’m the busiest and most stressed I’ve ever been. I’m significantly more patient with some of the most frustrating people and am just much more motivated about staying on top of my shit. It’s hard to explain the difference, but I feel like me.
Long story short, this makes sense. I’m meditating and returning back to some of my former lifestyles that may have resulted from the meditative like aspects of prayer. I’ve no idea why the thought just occurred to me, and though it’s very anecdotal, I’m rather relieved/excited by the notion. Should I continue with the meditation (which I plan to) or even get back into prayer (TBD), I'll be even better off when I come off the stress load I currently have. Which, looks like I'll live a much happier life and have much fewer health effects.
I really liked this week’s reading. It seemed more scientifically sound, but it was a little hard to read just because it was so different from our previous text. I also probably favored this one more because it talked about happiness, which is one of my favorite topics to not only read, but to also discuss. Our reading started off by talking about a specific type of Buddhist practice called “Dzogchen”, which is a Tibetan Buddhist tradition. The chapter categorizes happiness into two different fields. The more westernized happiness, hedonistic happiness, which is basically boiled down to material happiness. This form of satisfaction comes from material gain, and fades easily. For example, think of getting a new phone. You are really happy when you first get this phone, but over time the newness of the phone loses its zing, and is no longer that special. In order to get that new feeling you have to get an even newer phone. The process keeps repeating and you want to receive that fleeting happiness. The other form of happiness seems to be more of a content-ness rather than the western idea of happiness.
The other happiness is described as a lasting happiness (content-ness) and doesn’t rely on material goods or fleeting happiness. Rather, this form is to find the ultimate understanding of our existence. I relate this form of happiness to a more philosophical completeness rather than a physical experience. I feel that this is the happiness that I seem to strive for. I very much enjoy sitting and contemplating life, thinking of why things work the way they do, and when I come to a conclusion, I become more content with my life. I find it a little odd that this content feeling is compared side by side with “happiness” because I consider them to be two completely different feelings. Like the book talks about, this second happiness is much more fulfilling, and the feeling doesn’t fade over time (as much).
After introducing the two different categories of happiness, the book takes a turn to talk about possible problems of happiness and how each way addresses things such as death and questioning reasoning. This is seriously right down my alley and I think that I spend more time thinking about the meaning of meaning and reasoning than the average person. I guess I don’t spend most of my time thinking about death, but rather the experience of everyone throughout different situations in life. That has as much weight as experiencing death, or the fear of death. I could better explain myself in person, because it’s really hard to formulate words when I do most of the thinking to myself and the sentences don’t have to make sense.
Finally covered are two different styles of meditation which are analytical and non-analytical meditation. We have focused on the non-analytical meditation where we focus on one thing while letting everything drift off into the abyss. The meditation I would want to learn more about is the analytical meditation, which is the act of focused thinking with the intent to deepen understanding. Basically you are working towards wisdom rather than relaxation. Of course you would want to have a balance of both, but I just want to experience the more honed attention and experience what it is like.
Terms: happiness, dzogchen, Buddhist, meditation, hedonistic, fulfilling, content, analytical/non-analytical meditation
Dorjee’s book is a lot different from our first book. I thought that it was going to be a dry and boring book. However, after reading the preface, introduction and chapter 1, I must admit that I was completely wrong about Dorjee’s book. In the beginning of the book, Dorjee explains his story about his research and how he first became intrigue with the mind, brain and its path to happiness. In Dorjee’s undergraduate studies he had been intrigued with the questions about the role of people’s beliefs, perceptions, thoughts, health, etc. When Dorjee began his post- graduate studies he was particularly interested in clinical psychology, but after taking the time to think about what he really wanted to do, he decided to switch his doctoral studies to philosophy of mind and science, which ultimately became doctoral training in cognitive science and neuroscience. While studying these topics, Dorjee also explored meditation in order to cope with stress and to improve his well-being. As Dorjee became a more experienced meditator, he studied the Tibetan Buddhist tradition of Dzogchen. It was this that transformed his research work as well as his practice of meditation. Dorjee’s research is now focused on the investigation of the effects of meditation-based practices, mostly mindfulness, on the brain and body physiology, especially attention and emotion regulation. In context of his neuroscientific research, Dorjee is interested in the impact of meditation based mind training on the young population and its potential for enrichment (or balancing of school curricula).
Happiness and well-being are becoming more frequent topics of scientific research and recent findings consistently point to the importance of certain types of mind training to improve one's well-being and health. A method of mind training that has become increasingly popular is mindfulness-based stress reduction program. Buddhist calm-abiding meditations and inquiry are central to the mindfulness-based stress reduction program, which is why it probably is the most widely used mindfulness-based approach. Along with this, meditation can also become an effective tool for bringing the meaning of traditional Buddhist teachings closer to the Western audience. There is also a focus on the perspectives and the Buddhist path of Dzogchen. The main feature of Dzogchen, which distinguishes it from the other’s teachings and practices, is their strong emphasis on experiential examination of the mind by the practitioner. Moreover, Dorjee claims that he does not intend to investigate similarities and differences between Dzogchen and other Buddhist schools. Rather, it is to inform and inspire the reader about the benefits of mind training, such as meditation.
Chapter 1 explains the importance happiness and explains why people spend their lives in search of happiness. Chapter 1 explains the different aspects of happiness, and how people’s perceptions of happiness differ across culture. For example, many people think that family, relationships and work achievements will make them happy, while others believe that money or power brings happiness. However, whatever it is that people believe happiness is, the key to seeking happiness is to understand what happiness is and to choose the right path to find it. According to Dorjee, there are two basic types of happiness: hedonistic happiness and eudaimonie happiness. Hedonistic happiness is bound to pleasure of possessing something desirable. The book uses these examples to illustrate hedonistic happiness; the pleasure of possessing something desirable of having a fine dinner, driving a new car, looking good, achieving at work, being popular. Eudaimonie happiness seeks fulfillment not in pleasure, but in the pursuit of something worthy in the deeper sense. This type of happiness comes from accomplishing our potential, from looking for meaning in life, going beyond the ordinary and often reaching beyond our own self. I really enjoyed reading about happiness because happiness is what everyone wants. It embedded in our mind that happiness is the key to a prosperity. In the American Declaration of Independence, Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness is a well known phase that americans try to live by. However, the problem that most people have is that they do not know what happiness is, which is why I think that the most interesting part of the book is the section entitled, mind over matter, matter over mind because it discusses how to experience long lasting happiness. Long lasting happiness can be achieved by meditation because it helps maintain a positive well-being and positive mental habits. After all finishing this chapter and review the articles that I have read for previous blog I am starting to see consistent findings on meditation. All in all, meditation improves people's psychological and physical health. I really happy that I enrolled in this class because I learn so much. Meditation has significantly improved my lifestyle and health.
Terms: mind, brain, path to happiness, happiness, health, stress, Dzogchen, mind training, Buddhist, meditation, mindfulness-based stress reduction program, eudaimonie happiness, hedonistic happiness
After reading the introduction, my first thought was that I am glad that we started with Buddha’s Brain. Buddha’s Brain was an easy read and really spelled out meditation for a beginner. I expect that this book will be similar and is geared towards beginners but it seems like it will be more in depth towards the traditional practices and origins of meditation rather than a beginners how to/self help guide. That prediction might just be hopeful thinking but what gave me that impression was the specification on the Dzogchen and their teaching specifically. I found this interesting because it had never occurred to me that there would be multiple practices of mediation. I didn’t realize each might have differences. Though the author mentioned that they would not be comparing and contrasting the similarities and differences of the different Buddhist’s path, I liked that they acknowledged why they choose Dzogchen. The intro also mentioned that it contained guided mediations. I was under the impression that guided meditations were something you listened to, not read so I am interested to see how those are. Aside from the mentioned, I thought the intro was a bit dull and less interesting than Buddha’s Brain but I still look forward to reading the rest of the book.
I’m pretty sure I lied above. After reading the first chapter, it doesn’t seem dull at all. In the movie Easy A, the main character, Olive Pendergast comments about how what you are learning or reading about in class is somehow always relatable to what is going on in your life. If what I was learning ever related to my life, it was a stretch but the first chapter hit the nail on the head. That being said, I realized how generalize the content of the book is and at some point most people will be faced with what the book explains. First the book talks about two different pleasures. One that stems from material items, hedonism and one we gain from fulfillment. Hedonism is one that comes and goes. You gain enjoyment from buying a new car but eventually that wears off and there still is want. Pleasure from fulfillment or Aristotle’s term, eudaimonic, is lasting and is not bound to an external source. The book seemed pretty repetitive, rightfully, in discussing how material items won’t last. It gave an example of wanting a new computer. Yours broke so you save money to get a new one but once you do, you’re happy for a bit but soon your worrying that it will get scratched or what if it not what you really wanted. The book goes on about the negative effects of hedonism. One example that was relatable was the constant need to stay/look young. I am guilty of this. I buy into the media telling me I need to start using aging crème in my 20’s. But a quote that has not left my mind since I read the book is, “But no matter how hard we try, time eventually wins the battle and all of us age and face our inevitable death.” Reading that was a smack in the face because it is 100% true but is something no one wants to think about. It is depressing but it is something that if you come to terms with, you’ll lead a happier life. I never realized though how much I put deaf and suffering in my own life. Recently, my friend committed suicide. I never expected to have to experience the side effects of suicide and especially not because of that particular friend. That was a horrible experience I do not want to relive. That said, I watch horror movies like it is my job! I enjoy them along with action movies and I watch people die and go through suffering all the time. I know it is not the same but the book mentioned it. How we are fascinated by death when it does not affect us like in the movies but cause suffering when it is close to home.
Though I didn’t mention it much in my blog, I decided I would like to do more research on Buddhism and its comments on the fleeing nature of our relationships. I have one friend that I have known my whole life but our friendship has changed quite a bit and I would like to find Buddhist insight to that.
Terms: Buddhism, Dzogchen, hedonism, eudaimonic, Aristotle, meditation, suffering, death, relationship.
Chapter one hit a lot of the same things we have already covered in the last book and past discussions in class. However the recap was good and the examples were different which was also helpful. The first two definitions covered in this chapter were the two types of happiness, hedonistic and eudaimonic. Hedonistic was described as tangible things or objects we buy with our money. However, this type of happiness is short lived. The book used the example of a new car, however after owning this car for a period of time, the individual gets used to it and the feelings of happiness and satisfaction are replaced with the feelings of boredom. In contrast, eudaimonic happiness is centered around or well-being, long term happiness, and isn’t destructive nor addictive like hedonistic happiness has proved to be. From here the chapter distinguishes the difference between western cultures and Buddhist cultures. Explaining that, western culture is centered more around hedonistic happiness while Buddhist cultures are focused more on the other view of happiness. The foundation of Buddhism is based on a specific point of view that the things we have, how we feel, and the way we look never stay the same, never last, and is always changing. A main focus of Buddhism is well-being, which was described as an individual having good health and a balanced mind. And a way described to become more balanced is to stop blaming how you feel on others and to take responsibility for your own feelings.
Another difference explained was the western biological model and the Buddhist mind oriented view. The biological model stems from science, and believe that our mind and body exist together or as one. If the body does not exist then the mind doesn’t either and vise versa. Whereas the Buddhist believe there are areas within and of our mind that are separate from our body. This can be linked and further understood by researching the practice of mindfulness or meditation.
Another interesting thing brought up in this chapter was the term and definition of neural plasticity. I hear this word a lot on the lumosity commercials. Neural plasticity is described as brain training. And an interesting fact from this area of the reading is that no matter an individual’s age, the brain has the ability to be changed or as the book described, “rewired”, though mental activity.
Also explained was the difference of views towards death between the two cultures. Though the book described that western cultures look at death as a terrible, scary, and sad situation, I’ve noticed people are taking different approaches towards the ceremonies which take place after the one’s death. Some are looking at this in a more positive way, or at least trying to. Not long ago a friend from back home passed away in an accident. Her funeral was unlike any other. It was full of color, people shared funny and good memories, and people actually laughed while lost in though. Even her casket was rimed in zebra print and bright pink. Though dining is a sad event, it’s not at all a bad one. This is how the Buddhist see death. As a ceremony of moving on to something better.
Lastly, the book covered the two main types of meditation practices, non-analytical meditation and analytical meditation. Non-analytical is the practice of focusing your attention on one specific object. The other, acknowledging and understanding all that your become aware of. I’m not so sure I understand this type of meditation and I feel as though it wouldn’t provide the same sense of calmness or relaxation as the other does. I have learned to become aware of the thoughts that come to mind as I meditate but I do not follow or wish to understand them. To me, it takes away from my original intention. Or, I could just be simply misunderstanding its goal. The very last thing this chapter did was lead its reader into a meditation practice that I refused to follow and fully read because I like the way I meditate now and I don’t want to look or feel as though I’m doing it or an aspect of it wrong.
Terms: hedonistic, eudaimonic, happiness, well-being, balance, biological model, neural plasticity, non-analytical, analytical
Happiness gives our lives direction and often determines how we are able to cope with challenges and misfortunes. Both happiness and wellbeing are becoming a more important topic in scientific research. Evidence from this research suggests that certain types of mind training leads to the enhancement of wellbeing and health. Examples of mind training include ways of meditation which leads to mindfulness based approaches and programs in cultivation of positive emotions like compassion. By learning the basic teaching of Buddhism we can learn how to live a healthier lifestyle. This book is meant to help those with simple guided meditations that are relevant to the level of mind training. It is also to inform the more western world of how these can be helpful to one’s own health and wellbeing.
Humans are always striving to obtain happiness. Both science and Buddhism share this same idea that the main drive behind human behavior is happiness. Most of the research done in the western culture revolves around pleasure, like food and shelter. This is good in some sense, but what happens when this source of pleasure runs out. The Buddhist view is that the lasting source of happiness is hidden in our mind and can be unlocked through mental training. Research shows that such training can modify the brain through neuroplasticity at any age. This strengthens the connections in the brain which are different from those associated with the ups and downs of pleasure. By doing this training it can help people not to rely on such humanistic pleasure to bring happiness.
Terms: happiness, wellbeing, meditation, mind training, compassion, Buddhism, neuroplasticity, pleasure
This article discusses how meditation can lend to happiness in our 21st society, a trait, which is unfortunately far too uncommon. The first suggestion is that meditation will increase physical well-being, making us more healthy. The research backs this up. Additionally, physical fitness itself lends to making one more happy. Being healthy will also cause less stressors in life, which if one is not “enlightened” can also cause further happiness.
Another recommendation is that we will start becoming friends with ourselves. This supports the research saying that meditation will cause us to accept ourselves and stop trying to change who we are. The benefits from this are enormous; meditators stop trying to be like celebrities and other people. The start focusing on who THEY are. IF they’re nerdy, they embrace it and do the wholesome things that give them pleasure. Note, Buddhism and meditation specifically state that things only give one pleasure, they cannot make one happy. Only oneself can make one happy.
According to the article, another benefit of meditation is connecting more deeply with others. In today’s society, such connection is most certainly lacking. Especially with men, who view intimate connection with another human as effeminate and build their relationships around shared activities. Even beyond men, technology, though providing a lot of good, has been negatively contributing to the quality of human relationships. People are so attuned to staying connected with tons of people (which is important), they forget to really connect with the people around them. Meditation, through its increased focus on being where you are now, will help with this. In my mind, this is one of the most important contributions of meditation.
“Lightening up,” according to the article, is another bonus of meditation. Too often those in our society are rushing around focusing on what has to be done and striving for perfection. I have definitely succumbed to this and have beat myself up time and time again about my inability to maintain the same level of academic performance, particularly with my thesis, while devoting over fifty hours a week to the student government. I want everything to be perfect and have a tendency to be disappointed when I can’t be. However, meditation has allowed me to understand that if I get a B, it isn’t the end of the world, even if it is with one of my favorite professors. I know that if I don’t send that email out immediately, life will be okay. I didn’t have that mentality until I started meditating, which combined with the benefits of the increased productivity, has been a godsend in terms of mental health and stress load. Being perfect doesn’t make on happy, being “enlightened” does, according to this article. I concur wholeheartedly.
Yet another benefit of meditation, in terms of increasing happiness, is “aligning yourself with a greater sense of purpose.” I find this particularly interesting as I have given A LOT of thought into what I want to do with my life and all I’ve really arrived at is that I wanted to help people. So cliché. However, though it could merely be coincidental, after meditating this semester I am much more confident in my career path in becoming a faculty member. I know I want to teach and research well-being and education. This purpose had allowed me to guide what I do in order to help reach that goal. If others could develop a sense of purpose as well, it may go a long way from having this unemployment and unhappiness so prevalent in our society. For example, if you think there is a purpose to you, you are likely to have more confidence in yourself.
Terms: connection, mindfulness, attention, meditation, purpose
http://eds.a.ebscohost.com.proxy.lib.uni.edu/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=3&sid=2976afc8-92e9-4d19-9007-62af4c18efa7@sessionmgr4003&hid=4105