The Art of Happiness

2007
Created By:

betsisanders
 Introduction
I achieve a calm spirit through painting.
Suffering & pain disappear during these
tranquil moments. The absence of suffering is
happiness. My simple works of art reflect my
happy soul.
Meditation is a familiarization with a
new way of being. Painting, like meditation,
gives me a renewed sense of being. Meditation is
an integral part of Buddhist Philosophy, the
purpose of which is to attain happiness. I
present to you “The Art of Happiness2007”
3rd Digital Art Exhibit
 Buddhism
Buddhism is a philosophy that is 2500 years old and
has 300 million followers . The name Buddhism
comes from the word “budhi” which means “to wake
up”, therefore it is “ the philosophy of awakening”.
(“philo” means love; “sophia” means wisdom)
It is also “love of wisdom” or “love & wisdom”.
This supreme philosophy , represented by the Buddha,
is the awakening of love & wisdom within us!
 The Buddha
A statue of the Buddha,
with hands that rest gently
on its lap and its
compassionate smile,
reminds us to strive to
develop peace and love
within ourselves.
The statue represents
human perfection!
 Three Main Divisions of
Religious Buddhism
The Theravada, known as the Southern appreciation of the
teachings, Ceylon.
The Mahayana, the most widespread, appearing in
Mongolia, China, Tibet, Vietnam, Japan & Australia.
Zen Buddhism, spread from India to China, then to
Japan, USA & Australia. Considered part of the
Mahayana tradition.
The Himalayas, Tibet, the roof of the world,
… the seat of Buddhism
 The Five Buddhist Precepts
1. No lying.
2. No stealing or taking what is not offered.
3. No killing.
4. No unlawful or unnatural sexual activity.
5. No intoxication (by drugs, drink, etc.) which
dulls the mind and makes one foolish.
 Zen Garden
Happiness is found in this
garden; it‘s on the green
grass that wraps the
earth’s soil; it’s on the
clouds that hug the serene
blue skies; it’s on the
calm water that embraces
the koi on the pond; it’s
on the cool wind that
pats the leaves and
branches of the trees.
A Zen garden ….
a happy place to be.
Dukha… suffering
Dukha means lacking in lasting
satisfaction. Birth, old age,
death, association with
unpleasant persons &
conditions, separation from
loved ones & pleasant
conditions, not getting what one
desires, grief, all forms of
suffering are part of dukha.
Dukha is what existence is all about
and we all find ways to handle
it with the least possible trauma.
This search is called
“the pursuit of happiness”.
 death & dying
Death cannot be an end. There
are no ‘ends’ in Buddhism.
Death is the prelude to rebirth
or reincarnation.
Buddhists create as little bad
Karma as possible and do
much good Karma as possible.
For them, one need not
despair physical death, one’s
own or others’… because
nothing lasts forever.
Enjoy the NOW and accept that
it will soon change.
anger Anger is part of hatred & causes suffering to ourselves. It
& eats into us – mentally & physically. No one can be
hatred joyful or kind while being angry.
Buddhists learn to take charge of their emotions & learn
not to blame others for their emotional responses.
Buddhists see others as suffering sentient beings like
themselves. They let go of all their resentments and
forgive.
Forgiveness does not require personal contact with those
that have hurt you. They may not have changed and to
remain in any relationship with them could only be
detrimental.
Buddhists ignore and forget the situations that may cause
anger & hatred, instead, they try to understand.
One moment of anger destroys years of patience.
anger & hatred, like fire. . . must be extinguished after it
has served its purpose or it will burn everything,
and turn our whole life into an inferno, a living hell
 words I try to live by
“Forgiveness is thanking those who have hurt me, for giving me
bad experiences in my life, because of them I am a stronger &
better person, more caring, more giving & more thoughtful to
people I love.”
“Regardless of what has happened in the past, I begin my life
again & again. If I fail to be kind or nice in the past, I start
over. If I fail to be happy, I try again.”
“By loving myself first, I attracted people who loved me back.”
betsisanders
 friendship & happiness
True and lasting happiness
does not depend on the
multitude of friends, but
on their worth.
We choose our friends
and companions, not for
what they possess, but for
their conviction & their
commitment to love us.
I am most happy when I
am with a few of these true
friends, whom I love dearly
…… and love me back.
 Happiness
Sociologists define happiness as “the degree to which a person evaluates
the overall quality of his present life-as-a-whole positively.
Simply, it is how much the person likes the life he or she leads.
Happiness is a skill that helps one endure life’s ups and downs.
Happiness is a deep sense of flourishing that arises from an
exceptionally healthy mind. It is not a mere pleasurable feeling, or
a fleeting emotion, or a mood, but an optimal sense of being.
Happiness is a way of interpreting the world, since while it is
difficult to change the world, it is always possible to change the
way we look at it.
(taken from Happiness, by Matthieu Ricard)
Blue Seascapes, calm, serene,
tranquil… a place where I
always want to be. Listen to
the sounds of the wind and
the sea, smell the ocean
breeze and feel its coolness
on your skin. A perfect
place to relax, meditate, free
our minds from all negative
thoughts and get away from
the noise of the city, free
from suffering and pain…
makes one happy just to be.
☺ Painting, like meditation, is hours and hours
of calm and still. It is during these tranquil
moments that I am totally free from pain …
… physical and emotional pain.
I am devoid of negative feelings such as
anger, hatred, despair, sadness, grief,
frustration, fear and anxiety.
I go into a world where no tears are shed,
where only beauty is seen, drawn and
painted, where I can be alone and be ME,
where no one can judge me, where I am happy.
 Special thanks to …
My favorite books:
>The Naked Buddha, by Venerable Addrienne Howley
>The Language of Happiness, edited by Susan P. Schutz
>Happiness, by Matthieu Ricard
My Art Teacher, Mr. Fernando B. Sena;
My dearest husband, Boyet & loving son, Alvin;
Family & friends who love me.
betsisanders 07
 betsisanders’ works
“The Art of Calm 2007”
“The Art of Life 2007”
“The Art of Happiness 2007”
“betsisanders’ pasta, pastries & paintings”
 My work is my Happiness and
I work towards Happiness
The happiest people on earth are those
who love their work. If you love
what you do, then you don’t
consider it as work.
I love to paint, I love to cook & I
love to bake. I try to do all these
everyday of my life. At the end of
the day, I don’t feel tired,
instead, I feel complete, fulfilled
and happy.
My work is my happiness & I work
towards the pursuit of happiness.
betsisanders
A few We search for true happiness & spend our entire lives trying to find
last it. Sometimes, our lives end and we seem to never have found true
happiness. Maybe we seek too much.
words
“When someone seeks, it can easily happen that his eyes only see the
thing he is seeking and that he is incapable of finding anything,
incapable of taking anything in, because he is always only thinking
about what he is seeking, because he has an object, a goal, but finding
means being free, open, having no goal… there is much you fail to
see that is right before your eyes.” (Siddhartha)
Our lives are full of happy moments, happy times, happy people, happy
events, yet, we still seek for happiness, when it is right there in front
of us. A kiss, a hug, an embrace from your loved one. A smile, a
giggle, a big laugh with a friend. A comforting word from your
mom. A pat from your dad. A quiet afternoon. A sunny day. A
rainy weekend. All these give us happiness.
I strive to be happy and see happiness around me. If I fail today, I try
again tomorrow. My life begins again and again.
betsisanders