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Theme 2: Happiness and the Good Life

Work 1: Sermon on the Plain written by Luke


1. This is explaining how we should live our lives to the fullest.
2.
3. I think this text was mainly written for Christians but should be applied by everyone.
4. This is a classic piece and for good reason too. The entire thing is explaining things that you can
do to become a better person. For example not trying to tell other how to live their life right
when you aren't. It also talks about how you should love your enemies and pray for those who
use you. While I was reading this I kept thinking how impossible this is. How can you love
everyone even those who do horrible things to you and those that you are close to? I know that I
am a terrible example of this and I need to work on it. As I read this I found areas in my own lie
that I need to work on. I need to forgive and love everyone no matter what they do to wrong me.
I need to think first before I criticize someone else and look at what I am doing. Reading this
was nothing new to me in fact the same day that we went over this in class we went over it in
seminary but it is always a good reminder and knocks me back on the right path. One thing that
we went over in class is that we are all gods children and it offends him when we are rudee to
each other and that is one of the main reasons why we

Work 2: In Pursuit of Happiness: Empirical Answers to Philosophical Questions written by Pelin


Kesebir and Ed Diener
1. This paper gives answers to common questions about Happiness like how to be happy and
should we be happy.
2. This piece was written in 2008
3. This is written for everyone who is searching for what happiness really is and how to become
happy. I would say that it is mainly aimed towards adults because it talks about income and jobs

that only adults would have.


4. I, like many others link things to happiness that most likely aren't even connected. For example
I have always connected money with happiness but as I read this I started to realize that they
aren't even related. There are many rich people out there who are miserable and there are many
poor people that are very happy and vice versa. I also never realized that your health and
happiness are related. In this article it stated that the happier you are the less vulnerable you are
to sickness. There was one more thing that I was shocked to find out about happiness that I had
never thought about before. Your personality effects your happiness. It makes sense but I never
put the two together. If you are an extrovert you are more likely to experience a positive
effect. I think that realizing excessive money doesn't effect your happiness helps put my
priorities into order. At this time in my life I am choosing what career path to go down and if I
choose one based off of the pay my chances of being happy are slim to none. As long as I am
able to support myself I should choose something based off of what I want to do.

Work 3: God on Trial directed by Andy De Emmony written by Frank Cottrell-Boyce


1. This movie was trying to answer one simple question. Why does God let bad things happen to
good faithful people? But in particular the Jews. Like they said in the movie throughout Jewish
history they are always persecuted for their beliefs.
2. This film came out in 2008 but it talks about the history of the holocaust which took place
between 1933-1945.
3. This was written for (in my mind) 2 groups of people. Jews who want to know their history and
why they are always facing persecution and for the people who want to learn about the
holocaust and how the Jews handled it.
4. I know these journals are traditionally for our reading but I liked this movie so much I wanted
to talk about it. I think this is a really important movie. I have always been interested in the

holocaust and concentration camps but I have never really though about how their faith was
impacted during it. It really helped me open my eyes and see that there is more to the holocaust
than I already know. They talked about how if this is purification what is God trying to get rid
of? What did they do that was so bad they have been punished for all these years? In the end of
the movie they finally decided that God is guilty but when they are inside of the gas chambers
they pray. Why? We talked about this a little in class and I came to a final decision that the
reason they still pray is yes they determined that he is responsible for the killing and suffering
but in the end they still have faith in him. They don't exactly understand why everything
happened the way it did but it must be for a reason. I think that is an important message that
everyone that is religious and struggling with their faith should understand. I don't know why
bad things happen to good people but it all happens for a reason and we will find out in the end.

Work 4: Ten foot Square Hut written by Kamo mo Chomei


1. What place can you live in to ensure a haven for your body and bring even a moment of peace
to your mind?
2.

1212 C.E.

3.

I think this is written for young adults who are beginning life on their own and beginning life
with young kids. At this point they don't know what to look for in a house and if they don't have
their priorities straight they could go into a lot of debt so this is a good reminder.

4. My entire life I have valued where I live. As a young child I would play pretend and dream up
where I want to live as an adult. A big spacious house, a grand back yard and fill it with people
that I love and live a full and happy life. After reading this my views on that have began to
change. This man has lived his entire life in solitude and in small houses and he seems to be
happier and even closer to god than I. He spends every day hunting and gathering his own food.
When he feels change is necessary he moves to a new location. He lives a pretty stress free life.

He employs himself with his hands for servants, and his feet for vehicles. Now I in no way,
shape or form want to live a life like he does in the middle of no where with no one to talk to in
a small hut but it did cause me to rethink my priorities. Do I really need that spacious house or
do I just need a house. Do I need nice furniture to be happy? No, I just need a bed to sleep on a
roof over my head and food in the fridge. I realized that I need to be happy with myself before I
can even think of being happy with someone else. I also realized that I need to work on my
religious practice and strive harder to grow closer to God. Then I will live the happy life that I
dreamed of as a you child.

Work 5: Three Robes is Enough written by Ajahn Amaro


1. What is the secret to happiness and how can I attain that?
2.

Somewhere between 1956 and now

3.

It was written for the Buddhist people because Ajahn is a Buddhist monk and teacher

4. The main idea of this article is a common one. One that you don't need a lot of stuff and what
you do have that isn't necessary you should give it to those who are in need. If you have little
give little, If you have much give much. That idea is similar to the teaching of Christ to be
selfless and always think of others and give what you can. For example tithing, giving 10% of
all your earnings to help the less fortunate. The two are similar because they both are
encouraging us to give what we can to help others. They both promote charity and selflessness.
This is just another example of how although there are many different religions out there a lot
of them all talk about the same stuff. Love one another, be kind, be humble, be generous and
bring joy to others. Statistics show that Buddhists have lower anxiety, are happier and are more
calm than others. They have truly found the secret to happiness through generosity and bringing
joy to others. If this is the case why don't all the religions that teach these things have the same
kinds of results? Especially if we teach basically the same things. I think the main reason why is

that we don't apply it to our lives as much as they do which is silly. We have the secret to
happiness right in front of us but there are still so many people searching for it.

Work 6: The Dhammapada written by Buddha


1. These verses are all to help shape a better future generation.
2.
3. This was written for future generations to help them be better than the last
4. While I was reading this I kept wondering why I had never read it before. All of it was so true
and I couldn't agree more. For example one of the verses that stuck out to me the most is
Hatred never ends through hatred by non-hatred alone does it end, this is ancient truth. I don't
know how many time I have hated someone who hated me and just expected it to go away when
the real problem is me hating them back. I need to work on loving everyone especially those
who the me. Another eye opening one is Do not consider the faults of others or what they have
or haven't done. Consider rather what you yourself have or haven't done. Sometimes I find
myself consumed with negative thoughts of others and I think it is important to keep this in
mind and to look at yourself before you criticize someone else. And even after you look at
yourself try not to think about them negatively and try to find positive qualities that they have
and try to accept them for who they are. Only then will you be lifted of the burden of disliking
someone. Through my reading so far that is one of the most important things that I have come
to realize and I am going to try to apply that to my life although it will be difficult.

Work 7: Love People not Pleasure Arthur C. Brooks


1. What is the virtuous formula for happiness?
2. July 18., 2014
3. This generation where we are constantly surrounded by social media and television.

4. I think this argument is crucial especially for our generation. We are all on the hunt for
happiness. Some try to find that through fame but fame is like drugs or alcohol once you
become an addict you cant live without it. So while you are working on becoming happy fame
is doing the exact opposite. In our generation not only are people trying to become famous
through music or movies but we now have a new level called social media. With social media
you build a fake life to try to impress others and create your own little fan base but in the end
you are only making yourself more miserable. I find not only other my age doing this but
myself. I will admit to being a slave to my social media. If I follow someone and they don't
follow me back I sometimes find that ruining my day. That's pathetic! In addition people who
rate materialistic goals such as wealth as a top priority are more likely to be anxious and more
depressed. This leads us to find the deadly formula of our generation. Love things, use people.
As sad as that is it is so true and accurate. There is a way to fix it. This formula can be quickly
altered and made virtuous by inverting it. Love people, use things. If we all live our lives this
way we would be a happier generation and that's why I think this is so important for people to
read and understand.

Work 8: Supreme Happiness written by Chuang Tzu


1.

Is there such thing in the world as Supreme Happiness?

2.

Late 4th early 3rd century B.C.E.

3. This is written for the people around him that are searching for Happiness.
4. As I read this I had a hard time understanding what he was trying to say because I am so used to
the way we talk now that the language Tzu used was slightly confusing. I was surprised that
even though this was written B.C.E. we are still searching for ways to make us happy and we
are all doing it wrong. Tzu spoke of the world finding happiness in a life of ease, rich food, fine
clothes, beautiful sights, and sweet sounds. In this day in age we try to buy our happiness

through expensive clothes, cars, houses and other material possessions. He later goes on to say
What ordinary people do and what they find happiness in- I don't know whether such
happiness is in the end really happiness or not in the 4th century B.C.E. He realized that
searching for happiness through all of these things doesn't truly cause us to be happy. But
through the years we are still trying to make it work. I'm pretty sure that is insanity. No matter
how hard we try to pull long term happiness out of these things we wont be able to.People who
are rich run themselves out rushing around on business, piling up more wealth than they could
ever use- this is a superficial way to treat the body. I was just amazed as I read this how
applicable it is to our generation now and how applicable it will be in another 2400 years. This
is a timeless discovery that constantly needs to be taught.

Work 9: On Freedom written by Epictetus


1.

Can any one be truly free?

2.

c. 50- c. 135 C.E.

3.

I think this is mainly for teenagers and young adults who don't understand freedom.

4. Going into reading this I had a preconceived idea of what freedom s and now that I read this I
have changed the way I look at it. A person who is free lives as he wishes. They always get
what they desire and never have to experience something they would rather avoid. This
basically states that there is no such thing as a free man. No bad man is free because they
experience sadness, fear, frustration or misfortune. I have yet to meet someone who has never
experienced at least one of the things which makes sense because no one is perfect. But using a
real example the one person who was perfect (Jesus) and was definitely not a bad person
experienced every single one of these. He then went on to explain that love is slavery. Which I
have a hard time grasping because love is a great thing that makes you happy so how can it be
slavery. But then that caused me to realize that freedom doesn't necessarily equal happiness and

that you can be in slavery and still be happy. This next thing that was covered is so applicable to
my life right now. It talked about someone wanting to be Emancipated because then they will be
free. And once I am set free everything will be roses right away and I wont have to wait on
anyone....(I can) travel where ever I like, and come and go as I please. My cousin told me the
other day that she wants to be emancipated but I don't think she truly understands the lack of
freedom she will be bringing on herself if she does that. He continued to state that once he is
liberated he is lacking a place to eat so he looks for someone to sweet talk and dine with next he
resorts to prostitution and if he gets a sugar daddy he suffers the most degrading fate of all.
Now he is even more a slave then before. In more realistic terms if she is emancipated she will
now have to worry about paying her bills and In order to do that she will have to get a job and
go to work often. On top of that she will have to try to get good grades and still pass high
school. She will be held down by all of these things and she will in the loose the freedom that
she already has and she will have less time to do the things that she wants to do. While reading
this I gained a new understanding of freedom and it made me rethink some of my priorities.

Work 10: No sense of community, No Anchor Written by Howard Cutler and His Holiness the
Fourteenth Dalai Lama
1. What obstructs from human happiness and how can we work to fix it?
2. Somewhere between 1935-Present
3.

I think this is geared towards adults who are moving around due to buisness or just
homeowners in general but it is still good for everyone to read.

4. Howard Cutler asked the Dalai Lama what obstructs from happiness the most other than war
and racism and the big topics like that. He answered with a lack of sense of community
obstructs from human happiness. He has been able to visit many countries and see different
cultures and to him that was the one thing that had the biggest impact on happiness. I think that

the main idea is similar to something that I have grown up doing. When ever a new neighbor
moves in we bring them cookies and introduce ourselves. With this small act we are making us
less intimidating and opening up the possibility of getting to know them and making some new
friends. We had new neighbors move in about a year ago and we were really busy at the time so
we never made it over there to introduce ourselves and I dont think we have talked to them at
all the whole time that they have lived there. I am worried that they feel like the Dalai Lama
said a sense of loneliness and feel excluded from our neighborhood. I think that my Church is a
strong believer in having a strong community so this has never been a problem for me but
readingthis I realized that in big cities people dont even know who their neighbors are and they
dont have that support system that I have grown up with. Whenever someone has a baby or has
surgery the relief society brings meals over and helps them out in whatever ways they can and it
would be really hard if you didn't have a community like mine to help out when you need it. It
stood out to me when they were conversing and the Dalai Lama brought up the fact that the
poor have a stronger sense of community and they are able to help each other out and they have
that emotional support but most of the rich people who are in secluded areas don't have that and
that most likely caused them to be less happy. Another thing that obstructs from a good sense of
community and contributes to social isolation is the solitary use of TV and the computer (which
is ever on the rise). This causes people to lock them selves away from the outside world and
build a relationship with an inanimate object that wont truly be there to help you through a trial
like friends and a community would. One way that was suggested to build community spirit is
to take action and make efforts to establish personal contact.The way I have grown up has
encouraged me to reach out to my neighbors but reading this has made me realize that
community isn't just your neighborhood. It is your city, your school and everyone that you come
in contact with. This has encouraged me to work on talking to people when I am out and about
and if nothing else just compliment them and possibly make their day better. Both of these

ideas are encouraging you to be friendly and be there for others but the idea that was
introduced in this reading takes it a step further and encourages you to get out there more.

Work 11: Happiness written by Jane Kenypn


1. When and where does happiness show up?
2.

1947-1995

3. I know this answer is used too much but I think this poem is written for people of all ages
because many people young and old are on the lifelong search for happiness.
4. I think this is an important thing for people to read. Some people search for happiness their
entire life but are miserable because of it. This poem points out that it will find you when you
least expect it and I think that it is important to hold onto it while you have it and not take it for
granted. It comes to all different types of people at all sorts of different times. It talks about how
it can come to a monk in his cell. It can come to a woman sweeping the streets and for a child
who's mom passed out from drink. That last one really hit me the hardest. Happiness can come
from a break in pain or suffering not just good fortune. To me the last one is talking about a
poor child who has an abusive home life and he finally gets a break when his mom passes out
because she drank too much. It also states simple things that cause people to be happy and it
makes me want to be more positive and try to find pleasure in the simple things in life rather
than looking for the big good things in life. I feel like you have a say in how happy you are and
even though your life may not be the greatest you can still find joy in the small things. That's
why I think this is important for everyone to know because it shows a different side of
happiness contrary to popular belief.

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