An Experiment in Happiness

Sharon Salzberg is here again with words of wisdom about an experiment in happiness. She is talking about doing a retreat with the attitude of a scientist – just as an experiment.

I think, in terms of a retreat, one of the best attitudes to have altogether is to see it as an experiment. You’re just trying things. You know, we can live in such a rut. Nobody’s suggesting you be silent for the entire rest of your life, or do certain protocols or whatever. But you’re checking things out to see how they feel, to see if they support you in some way. Don’t feel you’re being coerced into anything, but it’s this grand experiment, so that’s a wonderful thing. It’s an experiment in happiness actually.

—Sharon Salzberg

An old Sanskrit poem reads, “Each today, well-lived, makes yesterday a dream of happiness and each tomorrow a vision of hope. Look, therefore, to this one day, for it and it alone is life.” We can look at each new day as an experiment in happiness.

Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh says, “Waking up this morning, I smile. Twenty-four brand new hours are before me. I vow to live fully in each moment and to look at all beings with eyes of compassion.” We can take these twenty-four brand new hours as an experiment in happiness.

Once we carry out many such experiments, we may find that we can come up with a theory of what makes us truly happy.

Have you discovered what make real happiness for you? Please share.

Books by Sharon Salzberg

Real Happiness: The Power of Meditation: A 28-Day Program by Sharon Salzberg Thousands of years prove it, and Western science backs it: Meditation sharpens focus. Meditation lowers blood pressure, relieves chronic pain, reduces stress. Meditation helps us experience greater calm. Meditation connects us to our inner-most feelings and challenges our habits of self-judgmen… [Read More…]